Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle said the Vatican is closely watching the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) which will take place Oct. 16 to 18 at the University of Santo Tomas.

 

According to him, the Vatican Office of the New Evangelization and the Synod of Bishops know that the conference is happening and are eager to know what the Philippine Church can contribute to the experience and clarification of the new evangelization. The cardinal said that one of the heads of the offices might attend the conference.

 

The PCNE will be convened by Cardinal Tagle. It will feature hundreds of simultaneous talks involving speakers and facilitators who are experts in various church topics and concerns. It is the grand climax of the celebration of the Year of Faith in the Archdiocese of Manila.

 

Msgr. Gerardo Santos, vice chair of the PCNE organizing committee, said 5,000 participants can be registered. (Online registration is available at www.pcne.com.ph.)

 

Asian Catholics attending

 

There will also be participants from Asia, said Cardinal Tagle. He said that all the priests and the bishop of Brunei will attend. There will also be delegates from Taiwan, Vietnam and Myanmar.

 

“I think they will be overwhelmed when they see thousands of people moving from one place to another, and seeing symbols of faith, hearing stories of faith, it will really empower them,” the archbishop said.

 

‘Reina de Cavite’

 

“Reina de Cavite” is the affectionate name Caviteños use in calling their patroness, Our Lady of Soledad de Porta Vaga, whose feast falls on the second and third Sunday of November (Nov. 10 and Nov. 17 this year).

 

Ryan Enriquez, president of the Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Soledad de Porta Vaga, is the hermano mayor. The parochial hermano in the Parish of San Roque is Marc Dalma; district hermana is Lorna Caymol;  parochial hermana in San Antonio Parish is Cora Miranda; while district hermana is Ching Arevalo.

 

Fiesta activities

 

A thanksgiving rally and motorcade will start from the Coastal Bay Subdivision on Nov. 8, 2 p.m. It will proceed to San Roque Church.

 

A procession will begin at 4:30 p.m. from Padre Pio St. that will end up at the church where the “Salve Regina” will be sung. Imus Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista will officiate the concelebrated Mass at 5:30 p.m.

 

On Nov. 9, visperas de fiesta, a caracol de tierra will begin from the church at 8 a.m., followed by the caracol del mar at 11 a.m.  Malolos Bishop Emeritus Cirilo Almario will celebrate Mass at the Samonte Park Covered Court at 1 p.m. This will be followed by the caracol de tierra at 2:30 p.m. back to the church.

 

Primera fiesta de la Virgen

 

At 4 a.m. on Nov. 10, the “Diana” will take place with the ringing of church bells and brass bands going around the city waking up people. Fireworks will light up the sky.

 

“Misas de la Reina” are scheduled at 5, 6, 7 and 8 a.m. Concelebrated Mass at 9 a.m. will be officiated by Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto.

 

Afternoon Masses are at 5 and 6 p.m., followed by the procession at 7 p.m.

 

7-day novena Masses

 

“Septenario,” which means seven-day novena Masses, will begin Nov. 11 and end Nov. 17.

 

The second fiesta will be in San Roque Church, Cavite City. Septenario Mass is at 6 a.m.

 

Septenario and concelebrated Mass is at 6 p.m. There will be feeding of children on Nov. 15, 9 a.m., by the US Retired Activities Office of Cavite where Joe Llacuna is a member.

 

‘Segunda fiesta’

 

The second fiesta of the “Soledad” on Nov. 17 is a time for Cavite families to hold reunions. Even devotees from abroad come home for the fiesta as their way of thanking the “Soledad”  for answered prayers.

 

Nov. 17 is also the celebration of the anniversary of the canonical coronation of the “Soledad.”

 

Bishop Evangelista will preside the 5 p.m. Mass, which will be followed by the grand procession at 7 p.m.

 

Our Lady of Ubanon

 

Thanks to Bishop Emeritus Max Cruz of Catbalogan, Samar, I came to know about the devotion to Our Lady of Ubanon.

 

Her miraculous intercession is well-known among devotees in the province. Her feast falls on Oct. 18.

 

I am blessed to have been able to visit her when Bishop Max brought me to Catbalogan.

 

Our Lady of Ubanon, pray for us!

 

Mass of Remembrance

 

The monthly Mass of remembrance will be held Oct. 14, 11 a.m., at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary chapel of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, 40 Lantana St. Cubao, Quezon City.

 

The Mass will be for the victims of earthquakes in the 18th to the 21st centuries around the world; victims of deadly fraternity hazings in 2009,  Elvis Sinaluan and John Daniel L. Samparada; the victims of typhoons; victims of the Moro National Liberation Front siege of Zamboanga City last month; and the 78 victims of the Peshawar church blast in Pakistan last Sept. 22.

 

Pilgrimage to Manaoag

 

Fr. Benjie Ledesma, parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption in Leveriza, Malate, will lead pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan on Oct. 18, 10:30 p.m., in time for the Mass at 4 a.m. of Oct. 19 at the shrine.

 

Other sites to see are the St. Vincent Church and Our Lady of Lourdes grotto in Baguio. For details, contact Bong at 0915-8831128.