The spiritual healer is a teleserye fanatic

Did you know that Fr. Joseph “Joey” Faller, one of the country’s renowned spiritual healers and founder of the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Ministry in Lucban, Quezon, turns to teleseryes to relax and recoup his strength after long hours of exhausting healing sessions?

This was what Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (of The Filipino Reporter) found out during a joint Funfare-Reporter interview in the East Coast, USA, where Fr. Joey recently officiated a healing Mass and conducted a healing session.

“He’s a self-confessed soap fanatic,” said Edmund, “and he finds those TV dramas therapeutic, from the early dramas Sa Piling Mo and Pangako Sa ‘Yo, to the most recent May Bukas Pa and Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo.”

Many people searching for miracles simply have no idea what a spiritual healer goes through as his or her physical body constantly transmits energy from a divine source to those who need it. Fr. Joey once told me that faith healers like him oftentimes “absorb” the symptoms of the sick.

“It may look easy but it’s really tiring... it’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual,” Edmund quoted Fr. Joey as saying during a recent late dinner following a two-hour healing Mass at St. Andrew The Apostle Church in Clifton, New Jersey. “Aside from playing basketball, I get to unwind by watching these drama series with other priests. Ito na ang pinakabisyo namin to relieve stress.”

Better than playing cards or drinking, he said.

“Nakakawala talaga ng pagod kasi parang nawawala ka rin sa mundo at dinadala ka sa ibang dimension,” he said. “Doon mare-relax ang mind and body. Ang bonus pa eh these teleseryes can give you new perspectives about the different problems and burdens of ordinary people.”

Fr. Joey’s most favorite series is Stairway to Heaven with his all-time crush Rhian Ramos in the lead, opposite Dingdong Dantes.

“Naging crush ko nga ‘yung batang ‘yon dahil na rin sa ganda ng show,” he confided. “Na-hook ako at ‘yung iba pang mga kasama ko. Magaling silang umarte ni Dingdong...maraming nagsasabi na mas maganda pa ang version nila kaysa sa original na South Korean series.”

When traveling away from the sprawling Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, Fr. Joey makes it a point to grab a DVD copy of the Stairway episode he missed. He wouldn’t say though if he bought original or bootleg DVDs.

“Basta kailangang mapanood namin ‘yung na-miss namin at tahimik na lahat pag nanonood,” he laughed. “Would you believe Dingdong even had an acting coach on the set kaya pala sobrang galing ng performance niya roon? It was Christopher de Leon who told me that. Of course, si Rhian ang galing din kaya nga na-addict kami sa series na ‘yon. I know Rhian has other previous series like Lola and Zorro kaya we better look for the DVDs.”

Edmund recalled that during Fr. Joey’s recent trip to New Jersey, where he held a series of healing Masses for large groups of Filipino and non-Filipino devotees (many of them fighting cancer) in various parishes with the help of volunteers led by his uncle Rufino Faller, Rhian was also in New Jersey at the time for the Philippine-American Friendship Day parade and festival. The event was co-sponsored by GMA Pinoy TV and Rhian was joined by fellow Kapuso stars Mark Herras and Kris Bernal.

Fr. Joey was dying to meet Rhian in person and have a souvenir photo with her, but his schedule was too tight. He was torn between seeing Rhian upclose and attending to hundreds of poor souls waiting to be “slain in the spirit” (a term which means a faithful falls to the floor after encountering the Holy Spirit while the healer’s hand is laid on the person).

In the end, Fr. chose the latter.

“Siguro it can be considered a sacrifice na rin on my part,” he said half-jokingly. “Someday, I hope ma-meet ko rin siya just to let her know how much I admire her as an actress. Napakagandang bata naman kasi talaga at napakahusay pang performer.”

Actually, Fr. Joey has another showbiz crush — Anne Curtis.

“She’s very sweet and lovely even if she’s kinda modern and carefree,” he said. “I also catch her shows whenever I can. She’s young and refreshing.”

Once in a while, Fr. Joey travels abroad upon invitation to propagate the Kamay ni Hesus ministry.

“Many people are really impressed to find out that Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center is now a national shrine in the Philippines, with solemn and picturesque surroundings that bring people closer to God,” said Edmund.

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