Rev. Alvins Vicente C. Barretto, OIMI - Deacon

Rev. ALVIN VICENTE C. BARRETTO, OMI is a Cotabateño by birth. He is the middle child of Oscar and Aurora Barretto. He graduated from college with a degree in Commerce and desired to engage in business. Lacking the needed capital, the would-be entrepreneur became a contractual employee in a government agency. The unstable nature of his employment caused Alvin to get in touch with anyone he knew - friends and relatives, in his job search for a more permanent secular employment. Interestingly, those different individuals he had approached for help in his search for new employment became instruments of entering the religious vocation - a vocation which he did not expect and prayed for in his search.This began in one gathering of the Lingkod ng Panginoon” movement in General Santos City. This group of young, single, male and female Catholic professionals were engaged in a movement that seek fullness of life in Jesus Christ” as a community. Alvin shared the story of life in search for meaning and path and employment state with one co-member who mentioned trying a vocation search, but, he did not give it a serious thought.Another unexpected encounter occurred when he met his cousin, at the waiting line of a bank in General Santos City. Alvin was offered a free ride to Cotabato City by his cousin at the end of the week. He shared his employment state and life with his cousin during the travel but, the bank where his cousin worked was not yet open for hiring and the reply was again a religious vocation, and this made Alvin to start to wonder.In December, a friend invited him for a simple birthday gathering with other members of the Lingkod ng Panginoon movement in Cotabato City. He met a new member and after their conversation, the word seminary came out again. This time Alvin asked what the seminary had to do with his life experiences because he was the third person to mention the seminary. The new acquaintance knew the Oblate Vocation Director, Fr. Romy Marcelino, OMI who invited Alvin to visit the novitiate house with him.The planned visit turned into an invitation to take a 45-minute entrance exam. He did not consider it seriously but he read the questions and answered. On that same day, he received a text message congratulating him for passing the exam and inviting him to attend a workshop scheduled the following month.He received a call from Fr. Romy to prepare for the coming workshop. He was reminded of his ambivalence whether to try or not to try the workshop. He considered many factors namely, the lack of money for transportation, inadequate salary, the need to repay his SSS loan, and the opportunity to meet other participants in the vocation workshop. The credibility, persuasiveness, and amiable approach of the Oblate Vocation Director finally motivated him to attend the workshop.Still having mixed feelings about the workshop, he planned on skipping it and let the bus pass by the venue and go home. But the bus stopped right in front of the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto for one workshop participant from Tacurong rode the bus too. So Alvin also got off the bus and together with the other bus passenger after ascertaining that he, too, was a participant.After the workshop, Alvin accepted the letter for admission to the pre-novitiate. He had three (3) months to decide on entering the postulancy program for 1 year. He was still thinking how he could repay his loan if he would take the one year program. Then two weeks before the postulancy program was to start, job offers came into play and he wondered why it did not happen earlier. It made him reflect, gain insights, and made him decide to enter the postulancy program.Having experienced the way of life at Our Lady of the Assumption Scholasticate community, both spiritual and academic programs exposure to the different communities in Pikit, and Midsayap facilitating retreats at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine and Retreat Center in Binoligan, Alvin came to realize his role as a missionary with the people who seek refuge for their longings.He saw how people perceive the Oblates as their hope even in simple ways such as presence and being a listener to their stories of struggles and difficulties. He learned how to enlighten the needs of students for healing and reconciliation especially in family issues, life experiences and with their relationship with God with his honesty, simplicity and pleasant manner.The path to Alvin’s vocation may have been altogether strange, accidental and providential but, the aforementioned experience strengthened his belief of God’s enduring love and the chance to renew oneself. Having this in mind and heart, Alvin has outgrown the self-cultivated fears of inadequacy and uncertainty confident in God’s grace in his Oblate vocation.The roads taken by Oblates differ some had direct influences of family members while others had roundabout religious vocations but, in whatever way they acknowledge that, God orchestrates our lives to bring us to our vocation”, accepting it as grace.Alvin was ordained deacon by the Most Rev. Angelito Lampon, OMI,. DD – Apostolic Vicar of Jolo on December 3rd, 2015 at the Our Lady of the Assumption Scholasticate in Quezon City.(moss)