KINABUKASAN SOCIETY
Towards Unity and Service
The REV. FATHER ANTONIO CARPIO R. RUIZ
Ordination by no less than His Holiness Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican, Rome, Italy, April 20,1997.
Anton, as he is fondly called in the family, is the fourth among six children and the eldest son. He is the answer to a mother's prayer for six solid years, who, deep in her heart nurtured the hope of dedicating a son to the Lord as His Minister - as a priest. On January 03, 1965, her utmost hopeless obsession changed into hope when a son was born to her, which she named Antonio, because she constantly invoked the intercession of Saint Anthony of Padua in her prayers for a son.
In her prayers, she promised to dedicate this son as a priest, but financial condition of the family could not support him in the seminary simultaneously with three others also pursuing education at the time. So he took up drafting at the Bicol University in Legaspi City. After finishing, he proceeded to take up Mechanical Engineering in the same institution and received his BSME degree in 1989 and passed the Mechanical Engineers Board Examination in 1991 after his review at the MERIT in Manila.
During his student days in Legaspi City, an incident triggered his entry into the vocation. One of his new pants was stolen at the boarding house; and true to the pagan and unchristian practice, he went to the Albay Cathedral to light a candle not as a blessing, but as a Karma to the one, whoever he is, who stole his pants. At the time an evangelization of the Neo-Catechumenate was in progress at the Albay Cathedral, so he sat-in to listen to the talks. From then on, he was always attending evangelization, until he joined the newly organized Neo-Cathechumenate Community at the Albay Cathedral and became one of the singers of the community. He entered the boys formation, a pre-seminary formation of Neo-Catechumenate boys who would like to enter the vocation for Priesthood.
After his graduation in Mechanical Engineering and before passing the Board Examination, he landed a good paying job with a car plan and several fringe benefits in a Manila based company which assigned him as Regional Representative in the Bicol reqion. He was to report for duty at the Company in May 1991, but before reporting for duty, he attended a three-day Neo-Catechumenate convivence and during the convivence, he finally decided to enter the seminary. He went back to the Company to refuse the job, which irritated the Manager, who only calmed down after he explained that he was going to enter the seminary and the Priesthood.
He was sent by the Neo-Catechumenate to Rome, Italy and enrolled him at the Gregorian University where he finished his Philosophy and Theology. Before he finished his Theology, he was sent on itenerancy (mission) to Taipeh for one year and to Cameroon, Africa for another year. He was ordained deacon in November 1996 and ordained priest by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, on April 20, 1997 at the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. He is currently taking his licensiate in Canon Law at the Saint John Laterna, Rome, Italy.
