BENITO "BOBBY" PARIAN SAGRA, MIRAVITE SCHOLAR Cabatuan National Comprehensive High School (CNCHS) Cabatuan, Iloilo, Philippines California, October 20, 2010 It is with great sadness for me to receive the news about the passing away of Nang Naty Miravite. Way back in 1974, I was studying as a second year high school student of the Cabatuan National Comprehensive High School, that year the Miravite scholarship was offered, and I applied to avail of it, my parents being in great financial difficulties because of the huge amount of money they were spending for the college education of my older brothers. We were given the scholarship examination and I topped it and I was given the scholarship. I was very lucky to avail of the Miravite Scholarship until I graduated from CNCHS in March, 1977. In addition to the scholarship, I also received the Miravite Special Award on Excellence in High School Journalism with a cash gift during the graduation ceremonies, where I graduated as salutatorian of our class 1977. Bobby Sagra and Ike Binayas during the wake of Natividad Miravite-Paraiso in Vallejo, California. October 21, 2010. After graduating from high school I ended up studying accountancy in Manila for a year and then entered the St. Vincent Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo City to begin my journey of becoming a Catholic priest. With many more years of studies at the Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City, I finally got ordained as a filipino missionary priest last September 7,1990 at the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace in EDSA, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. I worked as a missionary in Papua New Guinea, Solomon islands and in different assignments in the Philippines. at one time, in 1994-1995 I was elected to the general council of the mission society of the philippines and assumed the office of the secretary general. Also, in 1997-1999 was able to spend two years in italy for an updating course on spirituality at the spiritual center of the focolare movement in Loppiano, a city near Florence. Coming back to the Philippines I got assigned to the Filipino Mission Seminary in Tagaytay City as a spiritual director and in MSP retreat house in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu as a retreat director. I migrated to the United States in December, 2004 and joined the Pecos Benedictine Monastery, Pecos, New Mexico from 2005-2007. In the summer school for spiritual direction offered by the monastery in July, 2007 I got assigned by the abbot as the director of the school. In December, 2007 I decided to get married to Marilene Lusaya, a former schoolmate in CNCHS and a widow to her first husband, the late Edgar Regidor Torre. presently I now work and live in McCloud, California. Last September 27, 2008 I got accepted as a member of the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Mt. Shasta, California. Right now, I am applying to go back to active ministry and work in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California as a married Episcopal priest. Looking back to all the events that happened in my life, I can honestly say that my becoming a Miravite scholar was one of my best incentives to aim for excellence and become successful in whatever field of human endeavor God has destined me to be. The Miravite scholarship was the very first of the series of scholarships that I garnered until I finally finished schooling and got ordained to the catholic priesthood in 1990. I will be forever grateful to the Miravite family for the great charitable work they have started doing and still do for the economically less fortunate yet promising students of the cabatuan national comprehensive high school. May God reward nang naty with peace and joy of her soul in heaven and may he bless the Miravite family for the outstanding philanthropic work they do. Sincerely in the service of Christ and His church, BENITO PARIAN SAGRA Miravite Scholar, CNCHS Class 1977, Cabatuan National Comprehensive High School Cabatuan, Iloilo Cabatuan.com