For the love of St. Arnold

Aga Muhlach is known for his love for children. His ABS-CBN show, That’s My Doc, is meant for them. His annual Maaga ang Pasko under Jollibee, aims to cheer up kids every Christmas. And so, when the children jostled each other to catch a glimpse of him at the St. Arnold Janssen parish in Cainta, Rizal, Aga welcomed them like the way a father would welcome his long-lost kid.

Never mind if they came in sandos and slippers. These children, after all, come from the needy part of town. All they had were smiles to cheer their idol up and little hands to wrap around Aga’s body.

For this special occasion of Aga’s visit to check out the life-sized statue of St. Arnold which he donated to the church, some of the children were carrying tambourines and twirling colorful batons.

They staged a simple but heartwarming show for their Doc Aga that Sunday afternoon.

The merry making also marked the anniversary of the canonization of St. Arnold Janssen, founder of the SVD congregation and saint of the impossible.

Parish priest Fr. Leo Schmitt was so touched he made Aga an honorary member of the parish. After all, the church, on its own, can hardly afford the statue, which stands proudly behind a glass enclosure in the church.

“Our regular Mass collection is not that big. We have to work hard and rely on donations from kind friends and generous companies around the area,” Fr. Schmitt explains. As it is, the church still needs a paint job and hanging lights to illumine its interiors, especially this rainy season.

He only hopes another generous soul like Aga will come to the rescue.

Aga, meanwhile, plans to take his family to the US after his twins’ — Atasha and Andres — birthday on Nov. 5. The month-long break will extend till December.

“I’ve already made arrangements with a montessori school in the US where the twins can continue their studies even if they’re not here,” Aga reveals. “You see, the twins are enrolled in Maria Montessori.”

The Muhlachs have chosen to forego a white Christmas this year. They will be back in the country in time for the Yuletide season. After all, even for someone who can afford a holiday abroad like Aga and his family, there’s still no place like home.