Fr. Villy, OMI celebrates 50 year priestly ordination

MANILA - Fr. Romeo Villanueva, OMI on Saturday left a hospital where he has been confined due to cancer and celebrated mass with fellow Oblates of Mary Immaculate priests, friends and family members.Fr. Villanueva, more known as Fr. Villy, has presided over a mass to celebrate his 50th Sacerdotal Jubilee at the Birhen ng Lourdes Parish in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City. sand//scontent.fmnl4-5.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/13000185_10209247073319033_3311177122565987288_n.jpg?oh=e1587d6be0501da3062f1b7b572d2ee6andampoe=57B7F594 (Fr. Celoy Andamon,OMI, assisted Fr. Romeo Villanueva, OMI as he presides over the Holy Eucharist celebrating his 60th year priestly ordination anniversary - photo from Fr. Villanueva's FB page) Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI, said the Bagong Barrio OMI mission was very special to Fr. Villy who was diagnosed of having Pancreatic cancer.Young and very energetic then, Fr. Villy was the first OMI parish priest ofBirhen ng Lourdes Parish (Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City) when the Oblates assumed the mission. He left the hospital for a brief moment to celebrate this Mass, Fr. Mercado said.Fr. Villy'sordination date is April 14th, 50 years ago. He was ordained priest along withFathers Beato Tariman, Jose Arong, Romeo Villanueva, Ruben Gomez and Manuel Punzal (who was ordained earlier in Rome). sand//scontent.fmnl4-5.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12961637_10207313243292917_3699818987815620412_n.jpg?oh=4bb0127ce5d5919c3d87198be0f44446andampoe=577A5821 (Fr. Villanueva's anniversary cakes from siblings sand//www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005458635251 Nilda Villanueva Garcia and sand//www.facebook.com/Renally?fref=photo Beth Villanueva Catamora - photo from Beth V. Catamora's FB page)