Although it’s still six months away, the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII on April 27, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday, in Rome, pilgrims this early are already getting in touch with their travel agents to make reservations for their flights and hotel rooms. Adam’s Travel will leave for Rome on April 25, 2014. Call 0917-5514468 or 5211651.
Consecration to the Immaculate Heart
On Oct. 13, Marian Day in Rome, Pope Francis will consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In early August, Pope Francis requested from Fatima, Portugal that the original image of Our Lady of Fatima be brought to the Vatican for the consecration ceremony.
The Diocese of Cubao headed by Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, together with 30 priests, will join the Holy Father in the Vatican during the consecration ceremony. The priest pilgrims will be coming from the Holy Land.
The Diocese of Cubao recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a diocese. They will be joined by other groups promoting Marian piety.
The International Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima, which is visiting the Philippines, will be at the Chapel of St. Ignatius in Camp Aguinaldo on Oct. 13 for the 12 noon Mass as a way of joining the Holy Father as he consecrates the whole world to the Blessed Mother.
Attending are the members of the Rosary for Life Philippines headed by Basti and Betty Roxas Chua which is marking its 10th anniversary on Nov. 13.
Sto. Rosario de Pasig
The Sto. Rosario de Pasig Parish may be just one among the many parishes dedicated to the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, but the image of the Virgin here is believed to be different. The image was sculpted in the 19th century. Fr. Joselito Jopson, the parish priest says it is not like any other. She has luna or moon underneath her feet.
Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara will officiate the concelebrated Mass on Oct. 7, feast of the Holy Rosary, at 8 a.m.
The parish in Barangay Rosario, Pasig City, together with three other parishes in the Diocese of Pasig, has been granted the special papal blessing to mark its Jubilee Year in connection with its 50th anniversary.
Pilgrim Church
Pope Francis has declared Sto. Rosario de Pasig a Pilgrim Church. In the papal decree dated April 17, 2013, Pope Francis instructed the granting of the blessing to the faithful on a date to be determined by the Bishop Vergara when they will “participate in some sacred function devoutly or at least at a convenient time, occupy themselves with pious reflections, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer, Creed and Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Pilgrims from all over the Philippines are invited to visit the parish church located in Ortigas Extension, Pasig City. The Jubilee Year formally ends on Oct. 7, 2014.
The other Pilgrim Churches covered by the Pasig diocese are the Shrine of St. Anne in Sta. Ana, Taguig; Parish of Sto.Tomas de Villanueva in Santolan, Pasig; and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Lower Bicutan, Taguig City.
Pilgrimage to Manaoag
Edwin Galvez and Judit Mangahis, both lectors and formation facilitators at Sto. Niño de Paz-Greenbelt Chapel in Makati City, formed Green Faith Travels, a nonprofit faith and environment advocacy group that organizes pilgrimages and spiritual travels.
On Oct. 19, they will lead a “Pilgrimage of Faith and Heritage” to the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan and other churches. This is in celebration of the Holy Rosary Month of October.
Pilgrimage fee of P2,500 per person includes round-trip transport via air-conditioned tourist bus, breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon snacks, water and juice packs, and a pilgrim’s kit
Text Edwin at 0917-8302596.
St. Jerome fiesta
The people of Morong, Rizal celebrated the feast of their patron, St. Jerome, last Sept. 30 with a 9:30 a.m. Concelebrated Mass with Antipolo Bishop Gariel Reyes as the main celebrant. This year’s hermons mayores were Adrian and Joy Bernardo Martinez.
At 7:30 p.m., the image and relic of St. Jerome were brought in a procession around the town proper. There was also a procession in the morning. St. Jerome, pray for us
San Lorenzo Ruiz in New York
A three-feet statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz, patron of OFWs and Filipino migrants, was enshrined by Fr. Erno Diaz at the Immaculate Conception Parish on 14th St. In Manhattan, New York.
The event was coordinated by Joe Ramos who donated the image and Zenaida Abbariao, a native of Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
Attending the Mass and blessing were devotees of San Lorenzo Ruiz living in New York like Macky and Cecille Salcedo, who brought their son Lorenzo whom they had named after the saint.
Fr. Erno Diaz, founding chair of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Global Ministry based in Manila, is the parish priest of St. Mary Margaret Alacoque in Staten Island, New York.
Dominican school youth meet in Colombia
The Dominican Network Youth Group in the Philippines participated in the 2013 International Dominican Youth Movement (IDYM) last July at the Universidad Santo Tomas, San Alberto Magno Campus in Bogota, Colombia.
Hosted by the Dominican Province of St. Louis Bertrand, the gathering had the theme, “It is Me in Person!” (Luke 24:39).
According to Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, OP, DomNet Youth national adviser, going to Colombia was challenging
“Travelling that far was tough,” Father Aytona said. “But once you reached the land known as ‘El Dorado,’ you will discover that what really glitter are not gold nor other precious gems, but the warm welcome from a family that is ready to make you feel at home on this side of the world.”
The encounter featured pilgrimages, workshops on preaching, Muisca concerts, cultural programs, and talks on how to deepen the faith through works of charity.
The meeting tackled organizational matter and plans of the Dominican youth for the celebration of the 800th foundation anniversary of the Order of Preachers in 2016.
Father Aytona accompanied the two Filipino delegates to the event: Elijor Benjamin Rodil, national coordinator, and Venus Ae Kaiel Basa, treasurer, of the National Coordinating Council of DomNet Youth. Rodil and Basa are graduating students of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Arts and Letters, respectively.
Domnet represents young Filipinos enrolled in Dominican schools, numbering around 250,000.
Dominican Master
The Philippines was the only Asian country among the 25 participant countries, which mostly come from South and Central America.
Master of the Order Fr. Bruno Cadore, OP, graced the meeting.
Also present in the gathering were Sr. Maria Genevra Rossi, OP, executive secretary of IDYM; Fr. Wojcieck Delik, OP, friar’s representative to IDYM; Sr. Cecil Tonde, OP, Dominican Sisters’ International representative; and the young members of the International Commission Andreas Riveira (Mexico), Kevin Sullivan (US) and Jorge Lagos (Chile).
Jose Alberto from Spain was elected international commissioner, while Rodil was elected to the organizing team for the next IDYM International Assembly on the Jubilee of the Dominican Order in 2016.