Priest. Born Juan Gil G. Escalante on May 15, 1948, to a Filipina mother and Chinese father in the little barrio of Bobontugan, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines…. this little boy grew up in a close-knit community where people’s lives were centered mostly on home, school, and church. His strong Catholic education and encouragement from mentors and close friends in the religious community were to play a valuable part in his decision later to pursue the priestly vocation. This did not exactly earn him his father’s blessing. Apparently and quite understandably, the old man had envisioned a far different life for his son. But so did God.

After his ordination [April 22, 1976], Fr. Gil served in the nearby parishes of Lagonglong and Claveria for a number of years. While in Claveria, he was tasked to oversee the religious education, especially the catechetical instruction of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. Soon after he was appointed as acting chancellor, pastoral coordinator and burser by then Archbishop Patrick Henry Cronin, SSC to assist him in his diverse archdiocesan duties. In him, the young Fr. Gil saw the embodiment of all a servant of God should be. Through the years, a close spiritual bond, suffused with a gentle father-son relationship developed between them which lasted until the death of the archbishop.

Throughout the breadth and length of Fr. Gil’s ministry, there seemed little or no inkling at all he would be called upon to shepherd the scattered flock of Filipino-Chinese Catholics in Cagayan de Oro City. Blessed with a calm and gentle disposition, he too has the gift of spontaneous laughter. His easy rapport draws young and old people alike. He is always first to offer a warm welcome to all especially those who are shy or withdrawn or long missed in the community. But more than that, he possesses an inherent understanding of the heart and temperament of the Chinese people and identifies with their endless effort to achieve a reasonable balance between keeping alive old age values, customs and traditions borne out of great and ancient past, and the inevitable acceptance (or non-acceptance) of the myriad of influences brought about by a constant changing world.

Indeed, Fr. Gil has shown us how Christ can make a difference in our lives, and how God’s boundless love gives meaning to our existence.