Forever Yours: Br. Oktavianus Pendong Jedadu, CS, Professes Perpetual Vows on the Feast of St. Charles

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Province Media

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The Scalabrinian family gathers in Quezon City to witness a lifelong “yes”

QUEZON CITY, November 4, 2026.

On the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, the patron of the Congregation, Br. Oktavianus Pendong Jedadu, CS, known to his confreres as Bro. Ovan, made his Perpetual Profession of Vows. He pledged his whole life to God, to the Church, and to the Congregation in poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The celebration took place at 6:00 in the evening at the Scalabrini Theological House of Studies in Barangay Damayang Lagi. Br. Ovan pronounced his vows in the hands of Rev. Fr. Martin Ignacio Gutiérrez, CS, Provincial Superior of the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Province (Australia–Asia), who also presided at the Eucharist and gave the homily.

A Sanctuary Dressed in Joy

Red and gold drapes framed the altar, and yellow and white balloons marked the corners. Across the backdrop ran the verse Br. Ovan chose for his profession: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).

Portraits of St. John Baptist Scalabrini and Br. Ovan hung beside the crucifix, and beneath them was the call of the Scalabrinian Year of Vocations: “Rekindle the gift of God that is in you.” The invitation carried the founder’s words: “We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible.”

The Homily: “God Always Surprises Us”

Fr. Gutiérrez opened with a smile, noting that Br. Ovan has a very long name and, being a practical man, goes by a short nickname.

He then turned to Br. Ovan’s chosen verse from the second reading. “We must be people who rejoice,” he said, “because God always surprises us, always gives us gifts, always loves us in a special way.”

The first reading, the call of the young Samuel, became the key to Br. Ovan’s own story. Like Samuel, he heard God call him by name and listened. Like Samuel, he needed help to recognize the voice. Fr. Gutiérrez saw in the priest Eli the vocation promoters, animators, and formators who have accompanied Br. Ovan, each offering a different piece of guidance. In the end, he said, Br. Ovan put those pieces together and discerned God’s call with no doubt.

The next question was where to follow Christ. Fr. Gutiérrez named what drew Br. Ovan to the Scalabrinians: the mission among migrants, fishers, seafarers, refugees, and itinerant peoples, a reality very present in Flores, Indonesia.

“With this event,” the Provincial said, “our brother Ovan is telling the world that it is worthwhile to give oneself for the community of faith.”

Humilitas: Why November 4 Matters

Fr. Gutiérrez reflected on the date as well. It was no coincidence, he said, that Br. Ovan chose November 4, a day of special significance for Scalabrinians.

St. Charles Borromeo was a cardinal born into a wealthy Italian family, yet he lived with remarkable humility, and the Congregation’s logo, Humilitas, comes from him. St. Scalabrini chose St. Charles not only as a model of virtue but as the protector of his missionaries.

Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience

The homily led into the rite of profession. After a period of discernment, reflection, and formation in the Scalabrinian way of life, Br. Ovan publicly vowed his whole life in poverty, chastity, and obedience. In the Church’s tradition, these vows mean:

Poverty: living simply and sharing all things in common, free to serve.
Chastity: giving one’s love undividedly to God and to those one is sent to serve.
Obedience: placing oneself at the disposal of God’s call, expressed through the Congregation’s mission.

For a Scalabrinian, the vows also mean joining a family founded in 1887 by Bishop Scalabrini of Piacenza to accompany migrants on their journeys, and being sent wherever people are on the move.

One Family at the Table

After the celebration, a simple feast was prepared, and every Scalabrinian house in the Philippines took part:

The Scalabrini Formation Center, 7th Street, New Manila, where candidates begin their formation
The Postulancy, from Cebu
The Novitiate, from its new home in Alfonso, Cavite, blessed in March of this year
The Theology community, 13th Street, New Manila, who hosted the celebration

Having every stage of formation at one table gave the evening a particular joy. The postulants, novices, and seminarians could see where their own journey leads, with Br. Ovan at the center.

Near and Far

The celebration was livestreamed on the St. Frances X. Cabrini Media YouTube channel, so relatives, friends, and confreres who could not travel, including those in Indonesia, could join in prayer.

A Prayer for Br. Ovan

We thank God for the gift of Br. Ovan’s vocation and ask for your continued prayers. May the Lord who began this good work in him bring it to completion, and may he serve migrants and refugees with the same faith and joy that marked this day.

Congratulations, Br. Ovan, and welcome forever to the Scalabrinian family!