José Roel Lungay
Encyclopedia
José Roel Lungay Jr. also known as Father Roel, or more widely as Fro, is a Filipino
priest
from Tagbilaran City
, Bohol
, Philippines
. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 7, 1984 at the Immaculate Conception
Parish
, Catigbian
, Bohol, Philippines and is currently the pastor
of St. Genevieve Church
in Slidell
, Louisiana
, U.S.
. Father Roel has also made a mark in the field of music as a songwriter
, arranger
and record producer
.
, Bohol and Amelia Fernandez Galicia of San Jose
, Mindoro Occidental
. His father, a product of FEATI University
in Manila, was a long-time public servant having served as Area Equipment Engineer of Region 7 of the Department of Public Highways
(DPH) until his retirement, while his mother, a St. Paul College alum, was a devoted homemaker tending all 10 of her children. Father Roel, born in Manila
, was raised in Tagbilaran City
, Bohol
. He attended kindergarten
(1964–1966) in Marulas, Bulacan
and Sampaloc, Manila
. For his elementary education
, his Grades 1 and 2 (1966–1968) were at Catigbian Elementary School Annex, Catigbian, Bohol. His Grades 3 to 6 (1968–1972) were at Cogon Elementary School, Tagbilaran City, graduating from elementary at Cogon Elementary School. He attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
in Tagbilaran City for both his secondary school
(1972–1976) and college
(1976–1980) where he earned a Bachelor's degree
in Arts major in classical philosophy
, minor in English
. He also took up a few subjects in architecture
at the University of Bohol
before deciding to go back to the seminary. For his post-graduate
studies, he proceeded to the Saint Augustine Major Seminary (SASMA) and the Divine Word Seminary
in Tagaytay City
where he earned his degree in theology
.
While still a student at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City, between the years 1981 to 1985, Roel became involved with works among the underprivileged. As a seminarian he always chose for his apostolates an opportunity to be with the poor or the so-called grassroots people. For four years he worked in different areas like Ternate; Bagong Bayan, Dasmarinas (a Resettlement area); Malagasang, Imus; Andrea, Bacoor and Rosario, Cavite. Both as a seminarian and as a priest he took part in organizing, between 1984–1986, the first People Power in the Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon Regions.
After finishing his third year in theology studies he was ordained, at age 23, a deacon for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on February 28, 1983 at the St. Joseph Cathedral
, Tagbilaran City. He went back to the seminary the following year and was ordained to the priesthood, on December 7, 1984, at the Immaculate Conception
Church in Catigbian, Bohol
by then bishop of Tagbilaran, Most Rev. Onesimo Gordoncillo, D.D., currently the Archbishop
of Capiz
. He became the first priest ordained in that town. Shortly after ordination he went back to the seminary again to finish his studies until his graduation on March 1985. He received his first pastoral assignment when his bishop, now Archbishop of Capiz
, Most. Rev. Onesino Gordoncillo, D.D., sent him to the Diocese of Cabanatuan
which was in need of priestly help. He was assigned as assistant priest of St. Nicholas de Tolentino Cathedral in Cabanatuan City for one full year.
Back when the Diocese of Tagbilaran was being split into two ecclesiastical Dioceses in 1986, Father Roel came home to Bohol for reassignment. Since the Bishop of Tagbilaran at that time was already being named the Archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Capiz, he deferred assigning Father Roel to a new station and told him instead to wait until the next bishop to arrive. The Diocese finally split that year and two new bishops were named for both the old Diocese of Tagbilaran and the new Diocese of Talibon: Most Rev. Felix Zafra, D.D. for Tagbilaran and Most Rev. Cristian Noel, D.D. for Talibon
. It was during this time that Fr. Roel opted instead to visit with his family in San Francisco for which he was granted permission by then Diocesan Administrator
, Msgr Pelagio Dompor, J.C.D. with the approval of the Priests Consultors
of the Diocese.
Father Roel began writing lyric and poetry in college while attending the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. It was when he started playing the guitar more seriously that he slowly translated his lyrical works into full-pledged songs and it has been a long journey from then on.
After spending a year of sabbatical from the seminary in 1980 and working with evicted squatters at San Jose Resettlement Area in Carmona
, Cavite
, Father Roel entered the St. Augustine Major Seminary (SASMA) in 1981. There, he started writing liturgical settings of the Mass
both in English and in Tagalog
. He was one of the first composers to write a musical setting for the new Tagalog Missal, Bagong Misal, which was approved in 1982 but initially faced a considerable amount of opposition in its early years, especially in the Manila area. However, his new setting continued to be taught and sung at SASMA and in some Dioceses where SASMA seminarians came from. In 1983, the Archdiocesan Commission on Liturgical Music (ACLM), Archdiocese of Manila published some of his songs in its third hymnal publication, Hosanna III, approved by Cardinal Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Sin. Fr. Roel was also voted by the seminarians as music director of SASMA in 1982 during which he initiated the publication of the seminary's hymnal, SASMASSONGS (MISASMA). In 1984, along with Fr. William Abas who was the lyricist, he wrote the music and arrangement to Handog-Paglilingkod (Service Offering) which became the official theme song of SASMA that very year. Some of his works were included in the Diocesan hymnal of the Diocese Cabanatuan, while serving there as an assistant priest of the Cathedral. He was also inserted as a member of the Diocese's singing group of young priests that included Fr. Monet Mangahas from U.S.T. Central Seminary, Fr. Rene Mangahas from San Jose Seminary (Ateneo) and Fr. Edwin Beley, also of San Jose Seminary, who played bass in the first studio recording of the Philippines Jesuits, the Himig Heswita.
In the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Father Roel helped the formation of the Singing Priests of Louisiana together with three other Paring Bol-anons: Fr. Jaime Apolinares, Fr. Danilo Digal and Fr. Joel Cantones, as counterpart to the pioneering Singing Priests of San Francisco. The group debuted in 1988 during the 3rd Paring Bol-anon, USA Reunion with a concert in Brooklyn, New York, followed by a performance at the United Nations Auditorium
in 1988. As the group's accompanist and arranger, Father Roel engaged himself to more vocal arrangements for the group, which eventually landed them a spot in New Orleans' WWL-TV Channel 4's
Christmas Around The World program back in 1989. The group also performed at various Filipino Community functions as well as traveled to neighboring states of Texas and Mississippi doing Christmas carols and helped raise funds for the needs of the Diocese and the seminary in the Philippines. The Singing Priests of Louisiana finally disbanded in August 1990 after a performance at the IHMS Silver Jubilee Celebration in Tagbilaran City. Father Roel's last recorded performance was on August 2000 during which he sang the popular Dan Schutte
composition, Here I Am, Lord, with the Singing Priests of Tagbilaran
and IHMS Neo-Jeduthun Chorus, and TQ Solis' original composition, One Heart, One Mind, in a two-night concert dubbed as Jubilaeum 2000, celebrating the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary's
50th Foundation anniversary.
As an avid songwriter, Father Roel had also participated in some songwriting contests over the years. Besides writing the winning song for 1984 SASMA Theme, he also won first place in the 1995 NFCMWA Christian Music Songwriting Contest in Jacksonville
, Florida
with the song Dear Jesus and an honorable mention in the Trailblazer Category of the 1995 Airplay International Country Songwriting Contest, Nashville
, Tennessee
with his song, Sailboat. From 1992 to 1996 Father Roel has also produced and released four compilations
of original songs written by him, Mass of St. Rita (1994), Dear Jesus (1994), Music Revisited, Vol. 1 (1995) and one he did with other Paring Bol-anon or PBs like Frs. TQ Solis, Jr. Elpidio Biliran, Jr. and Arnold Zamora, One Heart, One Mind (1996).
Since becoming pastor of St. Genevieve Church in Slidell in 1991, Father Roel has focused most of his time on pastoral duties. He helped in the establishment of the new Gospel Choir in the parish and the transition of a children's choir to a youth choir.
on December 17, 1986 by way of Tokyo, Japan. He arrived in San Francisco on December 18 and was met at the airport in San Francisco by another Paring Bol-anon, Gabriel Mision, who then brought him to his aunt's house in South San Francisco. He spent his first ever Christmas
in America with his mother's family and the few Paring Bol-anons who were in the Bay Area at the time. Right after Christmas, upon invitation of another Filipino priest, he headed for Denver
, Colorado
then to New Orleans
, Louisiana
were he eventually made a new home and ventured on a new mission.
Father Roel spent his first 6 months in Louisiana as a guest priest at St. Lawrence Church in Kramer
or Bayou Boeuf to locals. It was there where he immersed himself to a new culture
, that of the French
Cajun
s. It was during his stay in this area where he finally got a taste first-hand of what Southern hospitality
is about , foods he previously only heard in a song or read from a travel book, such as Jambalaya
, creole
gumbo
, crawfish
boil, alligator
sauce piquante, turtle
soup, soft-shell crab
s, and places such as Thibodaux and New Orleans.
In June 1987 Father Roel received his first official canonical assignment from then Archbishop of New Orleans, Most Rev. Philip Hannan
, D.D., as Associate Pastor of St. Philip Neri Church
in Metairie
under Msgr. A. Charles Kenney. He served there from 1987 to 1990. During the tenure of Archbishop Francis B. Schulte, he was also stationed at St. Rita Church, Harahan, LA
, from 1990 to 1994, under the Rev. Willie Meridier and, later on, Msgr. Frank Giroir. Then from 1994 to 1998 he was assigned at St. Ann Church and National Shrine in Metairie under two long-time pastors, Msgr. Charles Duke and Msgr. Joseph Bourgeois, and finally at Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Church (1998–2001) in Chalmette
under the Rev. Warren Cooper. After excardinating from the Diocese of Tagbilaran in 2000, Father Roel officially joined the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2001 when he was made a first time pastor of St. Genevieve Church
, Slidell in eastern St. Tammany.
In mid-July 2005, Father Roel underwent surgery for his thyroid at Northshore Hospital in Slidell. Having lost his voice as a result of the surgery, he had to spend a five-week official leave of absence by the Archdiocese to rest his barely heard voice and to recuperate. It was while he was in the Philippines, on August 29, 2005, when the biggest natural disaster to ever hit the United States - Hurricane Katrina
- struck the whole gulf south region that annihilated almost everything that stood by its way. Suffice it to say, that Father Roel not only lost everything he owned but also the very church he was given charge of and the rectory that he lived in. St. Genevieve Church is gone and no more!
As an ecclesiastical parish St. Genevieve
in Slidell
is a close-knit faith community on the northeartern part of Lake Ponchartrain just west of Mississippi
. It comprises some 1,500 to 2,000 Catholic households, a local airport, the one and only mall in Slidell and other commercial entities. Built in 1958, the church building had been a long-standing center of many activities of the local people as well as newcomers to the area. It is considered to be one of the most scenic of churches in and of New Orleans by the mere fact that it stands right on the bank of Bayou Liberty, one of many tributaries of Lake Ponchartrain, across an old marina. The surroundings, too, is well-adorned with centuries-old oak trees and a vast marshlands and waterways Louisiana is known for.
A week or two after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the people, scattered all over the country during the evacuation, started to come home slowly to pick up the pieces and commenced the road to recovery. On Sundays, parishioners gathered on the church ground where Mass is celebrated with priest helping from a nearby parish. For almost two months St. Genevieve, without its pastor, Fr. Roel, was reminiscent of the old mission church
that it used to be, celebrating liturgy on the very spot where the old chapel was in the early 1900 under the hot humid sky.
Father Roel came back home to St. Genevieve on Tuesday, November 1, the Feast of All Saints
. He celebrated his first post-Katrina Mass that weekend which also happened to be the last Mass being celebrated outdoors as parishioners readied themselves to move indoor, inside the dilapidated Parish Hall, in preparation for the winter season. Father Roel reminded the parishioners that even without the buildings they are still a church, emphasizing that the people who gathered in the Lord's name is what truly comprised a church.
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Album information
|-
|align="left"|Dear Jesus Dear Jesus (1994)
All songs arranged, recorded and performed by Fr. J. Roel Lungay, Fro Audio, Metairie, LA 70006
Copyright (c) 1994. All rights reserved. International copyright secured
|-
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Album information
|-
|align="left"|Christian Art Songs, Volumes 1-3: A 71 Prayer and Poetry Collection set to music by Fr. J. Roel Lungay (1993–1997) Christian Art Songs, Volumes 1,2,3
All text used by permission of Sara Tarascio of New Hope Books and Salesian Missions (except as noted otherwise) and by Kate Watkins Furman. All rights reserved.
All songs arranged and performed by Fr. J. Roel Lungay. Permissions for religious and educational purposes only. All rights reserved
|}
Dear Jesus
Words and music by Fr. J. Roel Lungay
1st Place, 1995 NFCMWA Songwriting Contest, Jacksonville, Florida
1
Dear Jesus, I love you.
How, I don't know.
Please show me the way.
2
Dear Jesus, my Savior,
My friend my Lord.
You're all that I want
And all that I need.
Refrain:
Take me with you, O Lord,
Carry me through
For in you, only in you,
Can I find my peace.
Keep me in your goodness, Lord,
This I pray.
Yes, in you, only in you,
Can I find my peace.
3
Dear Jesus, I love you;
I come to you.
Take good care of me.
4
Dear Jesus, I give you
Myself, my soul;
Al that I am
And all that I'll be.
(Repeat Refrain twice)
Coda:
Dear Jesus, I thank you
And I love you!
Copyright © 1993 Fro’s Music. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission
To play the winning version, please click here (by LeNaye Pearson); To play male version click here (by Steve Thomas); For piano score click here (courtesy of TQ Solis Jr.); To play the most recent version click here (by Lorraine Hess)
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
from Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines and serves as its capital. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², with about 13 km of coastline...
, Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 7, 1984 at the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, Catigbian
Catigbian, Bohol
Catigbian is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. Catigbian is an interior town north of Balilihan, south of Sagbayan and Tubigon, east of San Isidro and west of Batuan...
, Bohol, Philippines and is currently the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans located along the northeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. St. Genevieve is one of eight parishes which belongs to , an ecclesiastical division of the archdiocese.-Introduction:On December...
in Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Father Roel has also made a mark in the field of music as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Early life
José Roel Lungay, fondly called Father Roel or Fro, was born to José Racho Lungay of BalilihanBalilihan, Bohol
Balilihan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. Balilihan is located 22 kilometers northeast of Tagbilaran City via Cortes and 19.7 kilometers northeast via Corella . It holds the fourth largest land mass of the province, having 15,022 hectares/150.22 square km of...
, Bohol and Amelia Fernandez Galicia of San Jose
San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
San Jose is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 111,009 people in 22,464 households. According to the 2007 census, the population increased to 118,807 people....
, Mindoro Occidental
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
. His father, a product of FEATI University
FEATI University
FEATI University is a private non-sectarian co-educational higher education institution with a Catholic orientation established in 1946 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. FEATI was formerly known as the Far Eastern Aeronautics School.-About FEATI:Dr. Salvador Araneta with his wife Dr...
in Manila, was a long-time public servant having served as Area Equipment Engineer of Region 7 of the Department of Public Highways
Department of Public Works and Highways (Philippines)
The Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways , abbreviated as DPWH, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for all safety of projects in the field of public works...
(DPH) until his retirement, while his mother, a St. Paul College alum, was a devoted homemaker tending all 10 of her children. Father Roel, born in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, was raised in Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines and serves as its capital. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², with about 13 km of coastline...
, Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. He attended kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
(1964–1966) in Marulas, Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
and Sampaloc, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. For his elementary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, his Grades 1 and 2 (1966–1968) were at Catigbian Elementary School Annex, Catigbian, Bohol. His Grades 3 to 6 (1968–1972) were at Cogon Elementary School, Tagbilaran City, graduating from elementary at Cogon Elementary School. He attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary or IHMS, located at Pacifico Cabalit St., Taloto, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, is a diocesan college seminary established in 1950 by Julio Rosales, Bishop of Tagbilaran, in implementation of Canon 1354, no. 2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law that required...
in Tagbilaran City for both his secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
(1972–1976) and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
(1976–1980) where he earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Arts major in classical philosophy
Ancient philosophy
This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the ending of Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of Medieval philosophy, whereas in Eastern philosophy, the spread of Islam through the Arab Empire...
, minor in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He also took up a few subjects in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
at the University of Bohol
University of Bohol
The University of Bohol or U.B. is a private non-sectarian co-educational institution of higher learning in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines....
before deciding to go back to the seminary. For his post-graduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
studies, he proceeded to the Saint Augustine Major Seminary (SASMA) and the Divine Word Seminary
Divine Word Seminary
The Divine Word Seminary-Tagaytay is a school of theology owned and administered by the Society of the Divine Word in the scenic city of Tagaytay in the Philippines. It is a mission seminary whose primary purpose is to prepare missionaries for both the Philippine and foreign missions...
in Tagaytay City
Tagaytay City
The City of Tagaytay is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano...
where he earned his degree in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
While still a student at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City, between the years 1981 to 1985, Roel became involved with works among the underprivileged. As a seminarian he always chose for his apostolates an opportunity to be with the poor or the so-called grassroots people. For four years he worked in different areas like Ternate; Bagong Bayan, Dasmarinas (a Resettlement area); Malagasang, Imus; Andrea, Bacoor and Rosario, Cavite. Both as a seminarian and as a priest he took part in organizing, between 1984–1986, the first People Power in the Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon Regions.
After finishing his third year in theology studies he was ordained, at age 23, a deacon for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on February 28, 1983 at the St. Joseph Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, Tagbilaran City. He went back to the seminary the following year and was ordained to the priesthood, on December 7, 1984, at the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
Church in Catigbian, Bohol
Catigbian, Bohol
Catigbian is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. Catigbian is an interior town north of Balilihan, south of Sagbayan and Tubigon, east of San Isidro and west of Batuan...
by then bishop of Tagbilaran, Most Rev. Onesimo Gordoncillo, D.D., currently the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Capiz
Capiz
Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
. He became the first priest ordained in that town. Shortly after ordination he went back to the seminary again to finish his studies until his graduation on March 1985. He received his first pastoral assignment when his bishop, now Archbishop of Capiz
Capiz
Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
, Most. Rev. Onesino Gordoncillo, D.D., sent him to the Diocese of Cabanatuan
Cabanatuan City
The City of Cabanatuan is a first class, urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest...
which was in need of priestly help. He was assigned as assistant priest of St. Nicholas de Tolentino Cathedral in Cabanatuan City for one full year.
Back when the Diocese of Tagbilaran was being split into two ecclesiastical Dioceses in 1986, Father Roel came home to Bohol for reassignment. Since the Bishop of Tagbilaran at that time was already being named the Archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Capiz, he deferred assigning Father Roel to a new station and told him instead to wait until the next bishop to arrive. The Diocese finally split that year and two new bishops were named for both the old Diocese of Tagbilaran and the new Diocese of Talibon: Most Rev. Felix Zafra, D.D. for Tagbilaran and Most Rev. Cristian Noel, D.D. for Talibon
Talibon, Bohol
Talibon is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It lies on the northwestern coast of Bohol, 114.8 kilometers from Tagbilaran City. It has a land area of 177.04 square kilometers...
. It was during this time that Fr. Roel opted instead to visit with his family in San Francisco for which he was granted permission by then Diocesan Administrator
Vicar capitular
A diocesan administrator is a provisional ordinary of a Roman Catholic particular church. The college of consultors elects an administrator within eight days after the see is known to be vacant. The college must elect as administrator a priest or bishop at least 35 years old...
, Msgr Pelagio Dompor, J.C.D. with the approval of the Priests Consultors
Consultor
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
of the Diocese.
Career
After spending a year of sabbatical from the seminary in 1980 and working with evicted squatters at San Jose Resettlement Area in Carmona
Carmona, Cavite
The Municipality of Carmona is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 68,135 people in a land area of 30.92 square kilometres....
, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
, Father Roel entered the St. Augustine Major Seminary (SASMA) in 1981. There, he started writing liturgical settings of the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
both in English and in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
. He was one of the first composers to write a musical setting for the new Tagalog Missal, Bagong Misal, which was approved in 1982 but initially faced a considerable amount of opposition in its early years, especially in the Manila area. However, his new setting continued to be taught and sung at SASMA and in some Dioceses where SASMA seminarians came from. In 1983, the Archdiocesan Commission on Liturgical Music (ACLM), Archdiocese of Manila published some of his songs in its third hymnal publication, Hosanna III, approved by Cardinal Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Sin. Fr. Roel was also voted by the seminarians as music director of SASMA in 1982 during which he initiated the publication of the seminary's hymnal, SASMASSONGS (MISASMA). In 1984, along with Fr. William Abas who was the lyricist, he wrote the music and arrangement to Handog-Paglilingkod (Service Offering) which became the official theme song of SASMA that very year. Some of his works were included in the Diocesan hymnal of the Diocese Cabanatuan, while serving there as an assistant priest of the Cathedral. He was also inserted as a member of the Diocese's singing group of young priests that included Fr. Monet Mangahas from U.S.T. Central Seminary, Fr. Rene Mangahas from San Jose Seminary (Ateneo) and Fr. Edwin Beley, also of San Jose Seminary, who played bass in the first studio recording of the Philippines Jesuits, the Himig Heswita.
Jesuit Music Ministry
The Jesuit Music Ministry is a Philippines-based producer and publisher of music for use in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic church. It also manages a group of artists and composers, whose works are widely used in the liturgy of the Holy Mass in the Philippines...
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
in 1988. As the group's accompanist and arranger, Father Roel engaged himself to more vocal arrangements for the group, which eventually landed them a spot in New Orleans' WWL-TV Channel 4's
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
Christmas Around The World program back in 1989. The group also performed at various Filipino Community functions as well as traveled to neighboring states of Texas and Mississippi doing Christmas carols and helped raise funds for the needs of the Diocese and the seminary in the Philippines. The Singing Priests of Louisiana finally disbanded in August 1990 after a performance at the IHMS Silver Jubilee Celebration in Tagbilaran City. Father Roel's last recorded performance was on August 2000 during which he sang the popular Dan Schutte
Dan Schutte
Daniel L. Schutte is an American composer of Catholic liturgical music and a contemporary Christian songwriter best known for composing the hymn Here I Am, Lord .-Biography:...
composition, Here I Am, Lord, with the Singing Priests of Tagbilaran
Singing Priests of Tagbilaran
The Singing Priests of Tagbilaran or SPOT is a group of Catholic priests from Bohol, Philippines. In addition to preaching sermons they also evangelize from the stage in songs and dances....
and IHMS Neo-Jeduthun Chorus, and TQ Solis' original composition, One Heart, One Mind, in a two-night concert dubbed as Jubilaeum 2000, celebrating the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary's
Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary or IHMS, located at Pacifico Cabalit St., Taloto, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, is a diocesan college seminary established in 1950 by Julio Rosales, Bishop of Tagbilaran, in implementation of Canon 1354, no. 2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law that required...
50th Foundation anniversary.
As an avid songwriter, Father Roel had also participated in some songwriting contests over the years. Besides writing the winning song for 1984 SASMA Theme, he also won first place in the 1995 NFCMWA Christian Music Songwriting Contest in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with the song Dear Jesus and an honorable mention in the Trailblazer Category of the 1995 Airplay International Country Songwriting Contest, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
with his song, Sailboat. From 1992 to 1996 Father Roel has also produced and released four compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of original songs written by him, Mass of St. Rita (1994), Dear Jesus (1994), Music Revisited, Vol. 1 (1995) and one he did with other Paring Bol-anon or PBs like Frs. TQ Solis, Jr. Elpidio Biliran, Jr. and Arnold Zamora, One Heart, One Mind (1996).
Since becoming pastor of St. Genevieve Church in Slidell in 1991, Father Roel has focused most of his time on pastoral duties. He helped in the establishment of the new Gospel Choir in the parish and the transition of a children's choir to a youth choir.
Missionary to America
Father Roel left the Philippines for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 17, 1986 by way of Tokyo, Japan. He arrived in San Francisco on December 18 and was met at the airport in San Francisco by another Paring Bol-anon, Gabriel Mision, who then brought him to his aunt's house in South San Francisco. He spent his first ever Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in America with his mother's family and the few Paring Bol-anons who were in the Bay Area at the time. Right after Christmas, upon invitation of another Filipino priest, he headed for Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
then to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
were he eventually made a new home and ventured on a new mission.
Father Roel spent his first 6 months in Louisiana as a guest priest at St. Lawrence Church in Kramer
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a small city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux...
or Bayou Boeuf to locals. It was there where he immersed himself to a new culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, that of the French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
s. It was during his stay in this area where he finally got a taste first-hand of what Southern hospitality
Southern hospitality
Southern hospitality is a phrase used in American English to describe the stereotype of residents of the Southern United States as particularly warm and welcoming to visitors to their homes, or to the South in general.__FORCETOC__...
is about , foods he previously only heard in a song or read from a travel book, such as Jambalaya
Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence. -Jambalaya varieties:Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meats and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. It is also a close cousin to the saffron colored paella found in Spanish culture...
, creole
Louisiana Creole cuisine
Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine...
gumbo
Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew or soup that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable holy trinity of celery, bell peppers, and onions...
, crawfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
boil, alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
sauce piquante, turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
soup, soft-shell crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, and places such as Thibodaux and New Orleans.
In June 1987 Father Roel received his first official canonical assignment from then Archbishop of New Orleans, Most Rev. Philip Hannan
Philip Hannan
Philip Matthew Hannan was an American Roman Catholic Archbishop. Archbishop Hannan, in his episcopal career, served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and later as the Eleventh Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans from September 29, 1965 to...
, D.D., as Associate Pastor of St. Philip Neri Church
Philip Neri
Saint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
in Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
under Msgr. A. Charles Kenney. He served there from 1987 to 1990. During the tenure of Archbishop Francis B. Schulte, he was also stationed at St. Rita Church, Harahan, LA
Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 9,885 at the 2000 census.Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, president of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1906-1911...
, from 1990 to 1994, under the Rev. Willie Meridier and, later on, Msgr. Frank Giroir. Then from 1994 to 1998 he was assigned at St. Ann Church and National Shrine in Metairie under two long-time pastors, Msgr. Charles Duke and Msgr. Joseph Bourgeois, and finally at Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Our Lady of Prompt Succor is a religious title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the Roman Catholic Church. It refers to a statue of the Madonna kept in a shrine in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. She is also known as Notre-Dame de Bon Secours...
Church (1998–2001) in Chalmette
Chalmette, Louisiana
Chalmette is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 32,069 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
under the Rev. Warren Cooper. After excardinating from the Diocese of Tagbilaran in 2000, Father Roel officially joined the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2001 when he was made a first time pastor of St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans located along the northeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. St. Genevieve is one of eight parishes which belongs to , an ecclesiastical division of the archdiocese.-Introduction:On December...
, Slidell in eastern St. Tammany.
Post Katrina life and ministry
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
- struck the whole gulf south region that annihilated almost everything that stood by its way. Suffice it to say, that Father Roel not only lost everything he owned but also the very church he was given charge of and the rectory that he lived in. St. Genevieve Church is gone and no more!
As an ecclesiastical parish St. Genevieve
St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans located along the northeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. St. Genevieve is one of eight parishes which belongs to , an ecclesiastical division of the archdiocese.-Introduction:On December...
in Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
is a close-knit faith community on the northeartern part of Lake Ponchartrain just west of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It comprises some 1,500 to 2,000 Catholic households, a local airport, the one and only mall in Slidell and other commercial entities. Built in 1958, the church building had been a long-standing center of many activities of the local people as well as newcomers to the area. It is considered to be one of the most scenic of churches in and of New Orleans by the mere fact that it stands right on the bank of Bayou Liberty, one of many tributaries of Lake Ponchartrain, across an old marina. The surroundings, too, is well-adorned with centuries-old oak trees and a vast marshlands and waterways Louisiana is known for.
A week or two after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the people, scattered all over the country during the evacuation, started to come home slowly to pick up the pieces and commenced the road to recovery. On Sundays, parishioners gathered on the church ground where Mass is celebrated with priest helping from a nearby parish. For almost two months St. Genevieve, without its pastor, Fr. Roel, was reminiscent of the old mission church
St. Genevieve Church
St. Genevieve Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans located along the northeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. St. Genevieve is one of eight parishes which belongs to , an ecclesiastical division of the archdiocese.-Introduction:On December...
that it used to be, celebrating liturgy on the very spot where the old chapel was in the early 1900 under the hot humid sky.
Father Roel came back home to St. Genevieve on Tuesday, November 1, the Feast of All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
. He celebrated his first post-Katrina Mass that weekend which also happened to be the last Mass being celebrated outdoors as parishioners readied themselves to move indoor, inside the dilapidated Parish Hall, in preparation for the winter season. Father Roel reminded the parishioners that even without the buildings they are still a church, emphasizing that the people who gathered in the Lord's name is what truly comprised a church.
Albums
- Mass of St. Rita (1993) - a compilation of original Mass settings and selected PsalmsPsalmsThe Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
- Dear Jesus (1994) - a compilation of 16 original songs and spoken prayers
- Music Revisited, Volume 1 (1995) - a compilation of original works
- One Heart, One Mind (1996) - a compilation of original Paring Bol-anon musical compositions
- Music Revisited, Volume 2 (1997) - a compilation of original works
- Christian Art Songs (3 Volumes) (1997) - a compilation of Salesian poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
set to music by J. Roel Lungay; downloadable files click here - Revelry of Christian Music (1998)
- The Mark of Priestly Bliss (2009) - 25th Anniversary to the Priesthood Compilation
- Big Bang! (2010) - a collection of 15 original songs in collaboration with Boholano musician, Romeo C. Mascariñas
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Album information
|-
|align="left"|Dear Jesus Dear Jesus (1994)
- Released: 1994 (United States) by Fro's Music
- Programme:
- Teach Me, Lord (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Thank You (For List'ning) (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Dear Jesus (Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- I Wanna Sing (Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Love You Give (Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Look at the Trees (Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Those Who Care (Lorraine Mueller-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Invite The Whole World (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Morning Star (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Come, Holy Spirit (Traditional-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Hail Mary (Traditional-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Thank You (Cindy Ann Ohler-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Be My Santa Claus (Arnold Zamora)
- Dear Jesus (v2)
- Dear Jesus Prayers #1 (Sara Estes)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #2 (Angela Fox]
- Dear Jesus Prayer #3 (Brad Fuselier)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #4 (Kelli Dickens)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #5 (Mimi Brennan)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #6 (Sean Dennis)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #7 (Crystal Newman)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #8 (Bridget Conrad)
- Dear Jesus Prayer #9 (Kayli Clements)
All songs arranged, recorded and performed by Fr. J. Roel Lungay, Fro Audio, Metairie, LA 70006
Copyright (c) 1994. All rights reserved. International copyright secured
|-
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Album information
|-
|align="left"|Christian Art Songs, Volumes 1-3: A 71 Prayer and Poetry Collection set to music by Fr. J. Roel Lungay (1993–1997) Christian Art Songs, Volumes 1,2,3
- Released: 1997 (United States) by Fro's Music
- Programme (Selected tunes):
- By and By (Grace E. Easley-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- God Smiles (Amy C. Ellis-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- God's Greatest Gift (May He Bless You) (Anonymous-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- His Living Presence (Joan Hardin-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- His Love Will Light The Way (Shirley Langley-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Love of Heart (Michael Dubina-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Magic (Rachel Harnett-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Meadow Daisies (Elisabeth Weaver-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- My Grateful Heart Is Filled With Love (Clay Harrison-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- My Savior Walks Beside Me (Kathryn Thorne Bowsher-TQ Solis, Jr.)
- Oh Come, Dear Lord (Hope C. Oberhelman-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- One Day At A Time (Alice Hansche Mortenson-TQ Solis, Jr.)
- Prayer (Michael Dubina-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Safe Haven (Minnie Boyd Popish-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Savor The Moment Of Each Day (Clay Harrison-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Slow Me Down (Janice George-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Song of Praise (Jean Wood-TQ Solis, Jr.)
- Angel of God (Traditional-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Teach Me To Listen (Margaret Lowell White-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Giving Tree (Barbara Henry-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Little Things (Kathryn Wiesenhoefer-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Path of Life (Kate Watkins Furman-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Prayer Perfect (James Whitcomb Riley-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- The Season (Gee Appleby-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- This Is The Day (Michael Dubina-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- To Our Lady (Unknown-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- Trust God (Patricia Emme-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- What God Has Made (Michael Dubina-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- When Birds Begin To Sing (Sancie Earman King-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- When Day Is Done (Richard E. Reybolt-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
- You're Not Alone (Clay Harrison-TQ Solis, Jr.)
- You're Never Alone (Helen Steiner-Rice-Fr. J. Roel Lungay)
All text used by permission of Sara Tarascio of New Hope Books and Salesian Missions (except as noted otherwise) and by Kate Watkins Furman. All rights reserved.
All songs arranged and performed by Fr. J. Roel Lungay. Permissions for religious and educational purposes only. All rights reserved
|}
Singles
- Hail Mary - Recorded by Brian Klause for Mary's Helpers Albums (New Orleans)
- Dear Jesus - Recorded by LeNaye Pearson
- Touch of Heaven - Recorded by Juli Maners
- Greatest of Gifts - Recorded by Juli Maners
- An Act of Contrition - Recorded by Ray Barnette
- So You Think I'm Cazy - Recorded by Steve Thomas (Nashville, TN)
- Our Father - Written by Bishop Zacharias "Ites" Jimenez; recorded by Ray Barnette and Juli Maners
- Livin' It Up - Recorded by The Jaycees (Steyr, Austria)
Contests and awards
- Handog-Paglilingkod, choral piece written with Fr. William Abas, Theme Song of the Year, 1984 SASMA, Tagaytay City, Philippines
- Dear Jesus, 1st Place, 1995 NFCMWA Christian Music Songwriting Contest, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- Sailboat, recipient, Country Song Trailblazer Award, 1995 Airplay International Songwriting Contest, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Music samples
Dear Jesus
Words and music by Fr. J. Roel Lungay
1st Place, 1995 NFCMWA Songwriting Contest, Jacksonville, Florida
1
Dear Jesus, I love you.
How, I don't know.
Please show me the way.
2
Dear Jesus, my Savior,
My friend my Lord.
You're all that I want
And all that I need.
Refrain:
Take me with you, O Lord,
Carry me through
For in you, only in you,
Can I find my peace.
Keep me in your goodness, Lord,
This I pray.
Yes, in you, only in you,
Can I find my peace.
3
Dear Jesus, I love you;
I come to you.
Take good care of me.
4
Dear Jesus, I give you
Myself, my soul;
Al that I am
And all that I'll be.
(Repeat Refrain twice)
Coda:
Dear Jesus, I thank you
And I love you!
Copyright © 1993 Fro’s Music. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission
To play the winning version, please click here (by LeNaye Pearson); To play male version click here (by Steve Thomas); For piano score click here (courtesy of TQ Solis Jr.); To play the most recent version click here (by Lorraine Hess)
Publications
- SASMASSONGS (MISASMA) (1982) - St. Augustine Major Seminary Tagaytay CityTagaytay CityThe City of Tagaytay is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano...
, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... - Hosanna, III (1983) - Archdiocesan Commission on Liturgical Music, Archdiocese of ManilaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of ManilaThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila or Archdiocese of Manila is a particular Church or Diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is also considered as the primatial see of the country, currently headed by the Archbishop of Manila and it enjoys primacy over the other dioceses in...
, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... - Papuri ng Nueva Ecija (1986) - Commission on Liturgy, Diocese of CabanatuanCabanatuan CityThe City of Cabanatuan is a first class, urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest...
, Nueva EcijaNueva EcijaNueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... - Mass of St. Rita (Youth Mass) (1992) - St. Rita of Cascia Church, 160 Imperial Woods Drive, Harahan, LAHarahan, LouisianaHarahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 9,885 at the 2000 census.Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, president of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1906-1911...
70123 - Songs of Ayechemes (Musical Notations of PRECES) (2000) - Tribute to the Immaculate Heart of Mary SeminaryImmaculate Heart of Mary SeminaryThe Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary or IHMS, located at Pacifico Cabalit St., Taloto, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, is a diocesan college seminary established in 1950 by Julio Rosales, Bishop of Tagbilaran, in implementation of Canon 1354, no. 2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law that required...
50th Anniversary - Fro's Music 2000 (2000) - Collection of original compositions by Fr. J. Roel Lungay
- The Mark of Priestly Bliss (2009) - 25th Anniversary to the Priesthood compilation
- Big Bang! (2010) - Collaboration of original songs with Romeo C. Mascariñas
See also
- Portal:Bohol
- Works of Father Roel
- Paring Bol-anon
- Immaculate Heart of Mary SeminaryImmaculate Heart of Mary SeminaryThe Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary or IHMS, located at Pacifico Cabalit St., Taloto, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, is a diocesan college seminary established in 1950 by Julio Rosales, Bishop of Tagbilaran, in implementation of Canon 1354, no. 2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law that required...
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
- St. Genevieve ChurchSt. Genevieve ChurchSt. Genevieve Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans located along the northeastern edge of Lake Ponchartrain in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. St. Genevieve is one of eight parishes which belongs to , an ecclesiastical division of the archdiocese.-Introduction:On December...
- Diocese of Tagbilaran
- Arnold Zamora
Additional readings
- Who, What, Where,When
- Clarion Herald July 19, 2001
- Parish Poutpourri
- Priests Whereabouts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
- Clarion Herald October 1, 2005
- Clarion Herald October 8, 2005
- Clarion Herald December 3, 2005
- Clarion Herald August 26, 2006
- Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio
- Times Picayune on Bayou Liberty
- Shell/motiva give to Bayou Liberty
- St. Tammany News
- Times Picayune on Renewal
- Inside Northside
- Thanks, Katrina
- Webshot Photos on St. Genevieve Church
- NOLA Photo Galleries
- The New Orleans Channel
- 2TheAdvocate
- MSNBC News
- WAFB Channel News
- St. Tammany News February 20, 2007
- Catholic World Mission
- Times Picayune: A Changing Church