Though I had already heard of the Carmelites at Subic, I never went there since we transferred from Quezon City to San Marcelino, Zambales until one day…
It all happened last year, in the month of July 2006, during those times when my mother was still undergoing purification (bed ridden. she passed away two months later ) and I had a heavy heart and was about to go to Olongapo and meet a relative of ours. Prior to this I decided to drop by at St. Nicholas Parish, Castillejos to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, unluckily for me the Parish Priest was not available.
I was really troubled then as I traveled from Castillejos to Olongapo, so I decided to pray the rosary. Then, as I pass by the Shrine of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at Subic Hills, something within me made me remember the Carmelites, since I’m not really familiar of its location, though I do know I will pass by it before Subic town proper, I just could not help the feeling to drop by the place for some unknown reasons.
Then there it was, I stopped the bus and hurried down and move towards the entrance, though I’m not really sure if I will be able to enter the place, I just move towards it.
Upon entry, I could see there were no people around the place, but in a distant I saw two figures talking. I decided to move towards them thou I’m not really sure why I went there in the first place.
I found out later that the figures I saw was a common visitor of the Carmelites and a nun talking. After the visitor had left the nun faced me and asked me If there’s anything that she could do to help me (she thought that I was a seminarian) since it’s the first time she saw me in the place.
I never knew what happened then, I just found my self crying my heart out and telling her my hurt, fears and anguish, she just listened and said some consoling words, then afterwards she asked me if I wanted to pray at the Chapel, I said yes and she pointed me to a make shift chapel, since the Carmelite Chapel is still undergoing renovation at that time (although we are already using the chapel now, the "finishing" part of the structure has not started yet).
Before I entered the Chapel there I saw the image of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (I never knew until that day that St. Therese whom I pray to from time to time was a Carmelite). I stayed in the chapel for some time then of I go to Olongapo, had my confession and then met my relatives.
After that experience, for some unknown reason I started attending mass every morning…yes… at Carmel of the Holy Spirit, Subic.
Until one day it was early August of the same year, I was invited by then OCDS President, Hon. Judge Leonardo Afable (He’s no longer the Community President after serving the Community for how many terms, he eventually died and left to meet our Father in Heaven in 2008 ) to attend one of their monthly meetings.
I never had any Idea nor even heard the acronym OCDS, until that day, and the rest were history…
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