Jolo Church leader warns public vs. unauthorized fund drive
Church • 21:45 PM Tue Mar 12, 2019
128
By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – The administrator of Jolo Vicariate today warned the public against a man claiming to be a priest and soliciting funds amount January 27 blast victims and for the rehabilitation of the bombed Our Lady of Mount Carmel cathedral.
“Please be informed that we have nothing to do with this person who is soliciting funds for the victims of Jolo Cathedral,” Monsignor Romeo Saniel of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), administrator of Jolo vicariate, said in his Facebook post Tuesday.
Monsignor Saniel was referring to a solicitation letter by a certain Fr. Jose Torres that he spread through the social media and emails.
“If you received the message below please delete and ignore it,” he said.
“From: victor torres
Subject:
Greetings
To: _______________,
Hello, How are you? We're soliciting for funds (donations) for The Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Jolo, Philippines that suffered an ISIS terrorist attack on the 20th of January being Sunday as the Roman Catholic faithfuls gathered to worship, leaving twenty worshipers dead at the spot and many others with life threatening injuries needing immediate surgeries.
The total estimated cost for the church repair and medical expenses is $45,000 with $8000 raised leaving $37,000 as balance.
If you're touched to help relieve our brethren and help repair the house of God that has been left deteriorated. Please notify me so i can give you details of where to donate.
May God Bless, protect and guide you always!
Inori no uchini,
Fr. Torres”
While admitting the vicariate is rehabilitating and renovating the bombed Church, Monsignor Saniel said the vicariate of Jolo has not authorized anyone and anybody or any group to solicit for and in behalf of the Church of Jolo.