Between Heaven and Earth: Old Roman Mission Work in Davao City

Between Heaven and Earth: Old Roman Mission Work in Davao City

by Fr Paulo Cobangbang CDC, Old Roman Philippine Territory

Missionary life is often marked by motion—by land, sea, or air. The priest goes where he is sent: offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, administering the sacraments, preaching, teaching, consoling souls, and tending to the needs of the faithful. Such is the life of Old Roman clergy, who, despite many trials, carry the apostolic flame into places near and far.

Central to this mission is collaboration for the restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass and the perennial Roman Catholic faith, untouched by the modernism unleashed by the Second Vatican Council. This is the raison d’être of Old Roman clergy: to be Traditionis Custodes in the truest sense—guardians of Tradition, sowers of doctrine, and examples of piety.

One recent and ongoing expression of this work is the missionary collaboration in Davao City, a major urban centre on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where Fr Paolo Miguel Cobangbang, CDC, and Fr Marcel Maria Vianney, CDC, have been working alongside Fr Jorge Michael Angga of the Priestly Society of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori (Traditional Redemptorists), under the jurisdiction of Bishop Sherman Pius Moseley. Both Fr Paolo and Fr Marcel are members of the Congregation of the Divine Charity, the umbrella religious institute of the Old Roman Apostolate overseeing religious and apostolic life.

The Story of the Parish and Its Pastor
St Michael the Archangel Parish is located in Tibuloy, Toril District, Davao City. Originally a small chapel serving faithful who had formerly attended Latin Masses offered by the SSPX or diocesan clergy, the parish grew under the pastorship of Fr Jorge Michael Angga—a former diocesan priest ordained by Archbishop Fernando Capalla in 2007. Confronted with the theological incoherence of the Novus Ordo Church, Fr Angga studied the Fathers, Doctors, and pre-conciliar magisterium—especially St Thomas Aquinas and St Robert Bellarmine—and concluded that fidelity to the Truth required a decisive break with the modernist errors afflicting the contemporary hierarchy.

He issued a manifesto affirming the supremacy of the Traditional Latin Mass, rejecting the modernist heresies of the postconciliar Church, and denying the current Pope’s ability to effectively lead the Church. Sanctions followed swiftly. Though offered bribes of promotion and comfort, Fr Angga refused to recant, and likens his old diocesan life to a chicken laying golden eggs—eventually butchered when he chose to follow Christ fully.

After a period with the SSPX, Fr Angga established St Michael’s Parish on his family’s land at the foot of Mount Apo. Eventually incardinated into the Old Roman-aligned Traditional Redemptorists under Bishop Moseley, the parish flourished. Today, its distinct blue church stands alongside a humble seminary, rectory, library, refectory, and social hall—all built through the cooperative spirit of Bayanihan, a hallmark of Filipino solidarity.

The Davao Mission: A Living Witness
Since June 2024, Fr Cobangbang, CDC—joined occasionally by Fr Marcel, CDC—has been making pastoral visits to Davao, offering the sacraments, teaching seminarians, training servers, and forming the faithful in liturgy, Scripture, Thomistic philosophy, and music. Their work has been rooted in friendship and mutual respect with Fr Angga, who had previously served as National Spiritual Director of the Catholic Faith Defenders and is well known in traditional apologetics circles.

The parish seminary currently has one resident seminarian and another expected this year. Despite its modest scale, the community is vibrant. Parish life revolves around daily Mass, community catechesis, and a growing sense of shared apostolic mission.

Notable Events and Encounters

Among the memorable highlights:

• In February 2025, Fr Cobangbang, CDC, gave a lively youth conference inspired by St Louis de Montfort, focusing on the virtues of Diligence, Perseverance, Fortitude, Wisdom, and Angelic Purity—illustrated with humour and pop-culture references to connect with the young.
• In March 2025, he delivered a well-attended Lenten conference on Catholic prophecy and the End Times, anchoring his reflections in sound doctrine and cautioning against panic or superstition. Our Lady’s role as Mediatrix and her calls to repentance and Eucharistic devotion were especially emphasised.
• In one touching moment, he assisted at the baptism of an adult convert named Sunshine—a woman from a pagan Cordilleran background who had been living in Taiwan. Baptized by immersion during a rainy night, she became a vivid reminder of the Church’s mission to the margins.
• Most recently, from June 19 to July 6, 2025, the priests celebrated what is believed to be the first Solemn High Mass in Davao since Vatican II, for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Fr Angga was celebrant, with Fr Cobangbang, CDC, as deacon and Fr Marcel, CDC, as subdeacon. The event strengthened the community’s liturgical life and was followed by joyful fellowship on Samal Island.

Reflections: What Davao Teaches the Old Roman Apostolate

Three key lessons emerge from this mission:

1. The Harvest Is Plentiful, But the Labourers Are Few
   The damage of modernism has left many Catholics uncatechized and spiritually adrift. Even with the growing presence of traditional communities like the Old Romans and the SSPX in Davao, much work remains. Missionary priests like Fr Cobangbang and Fr Marcel bring not only the sacraments but the intellectual and spiritual formation necessary to reignite faith.
2. The Necessity of Old Roman Collaboration
   Fr Angga’s invitation to Old Roman clergy from outside his jurisdiction is a witness to fraternal charity and ecclesial realism. Historical examples abound of Old Roman priests aiding SSPX missions in the past; such collaboration is not only possible but fruitful. Mutual recognition and practical partnership are vital in the face of a common foe: the modernist dismantling of Catholic tradition.
3. The Power of a Self-Sustaining Parish
   St Michael’s Parish models parish stewardship. The faithful produce altar breads, beeswax candles, vestments, and even wine—all within the community. The priest is not merely a “facilitator” (as in many synodal Novus Ordo settings) but a true shepherd. The laity, in turn, become stewards of the parish, not substitutes for the priesthood.

A Final Word
The missionary does not rest. His only rest is the joy of doing the will of God. Fr Cobangbang, CDC, and Fr Marcel, CDC, intend to return to Davao regularly, as long as they are needed and the means are provided. If you would like to support their mission, please contact the Archbishop of Selsey at abp@selsey.org, using the subject line “Davao Missions: Fr Cobangbang”. Contributions will be accounted for and deeply appreciated, and benefactors are remembered in the daily Masses and Offices of the missionaries.

May the mustard seed grow into a tree, and may the Old Roman flame continue to shine between heaven and earth. 🔝