The country’s lone parish dedicated to the Virgin of the Poor, the Parokya ng Ina ng mga Dukha, in FB Tenement, Western Bicutan, Taguig City, will celebrate its fiesta today, Jan. 12, with a Mass at 10:15 a.m. celebrated by  Bishop Mylo Vergara of Pasig and Fr. Simplicio Roxas, the parish priest. Procession was held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

 

Our Lady appeared eight times from Jan. 15 to March 2, 1933, to 11-year-old Mariette Beco in Banneux, Belgium. The seer was led by the Blessed Mother to a spring, symbol of her son, Jesus, and asked that a small chapel be built there and for the people to pray a lot. She came to relieve those who suffer and the sick from all nations.

 

A replica of the Banneux shrine is located at the Sisters of Mary Girlstown, Biga, Silang, Cavite. Call tel. no. 5298321.

 

A statue installed in 1966 by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing (OSB) is shown miraculously intact among the debris at Divine Word Hospital in Tacloban, after the passage of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

 

Flutes from across the world

 

John Zeretzke, founder and director of Flutes Across the World Foundation, arrived in Manila last Dec. 29, bringing with him at least 600 flutes made by American children in different schools in South California to give to Filipino children here.

 

Commo. Ramon Moreno of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary brought Zeretzke to Hospicio de San Jose last Jan. 3 where they were met by 40 excited boys and girls.

 

They also visited the Missionaries of Charity in Tayuman, Tondo (Jan.  4); Virlanie Foundation (Jan. 5);  the Ayta natives at the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate in Subic (Jan. 6).

 

The Carmelite nuns arranged for the Aytas to come down from the mountain. Fr. Dominic Lim, OFM Conventual, celebrated the thanksgiving Mass for them.

 

Flutes for ‘Yolanda’-affected children

 

Last Jan. 8, Zeretzke and Commodore Moreno flew to Iloilo to reach the islands of Molacaboc, Suyac and Ulisa where schools were needed to be rebuilt. Zeretzke donated flutes for the children.

 

Composer and educator John Zeretzke started the Flutes Across the World program with its first music mission to the Philippines in 2009 by going to Basilan in Jolo.

 

Zeretzke told me that the experience there was deeply moving with the Marines teary-eyed as they watched Zeretzke show the Muslim children how to play the flute.

 

Sponsors in the Philippines

 

In the Philippines, this music mission is in part sponsored by the Asian Social Institute International Affairs, the Together-Ensemble, the French Embassy and various Filipino Rotary groups.

 

Flutes were made by students in arts education programs such as the UCLA Design for Sharing, College of the Canyons Educational Arts Program, Ojai Music Festival, Saint Vincent de Paul Circle V Camps, San Bernardino Unified Schools Arts Programs, Orcutt School District, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo, Filmore Boys and Girls Club, and Arts Alive Program of Orange County.

 

For more information on Flutes Across The World, visit their Facebook page Flutes Across the World or www.flutesacrosstheworld.org. E-mail flutes4peace@yahoo.com. Call tel. no. 818-2978400.

 

Saints calendar

 

The 2014 “Days with the Saints” calendar is now available. This unique calendar features a picture of each saint of the day in full color for the whole year.

 

Have the grace to be accompanied by our heavenly intercessors throughout 2014. Know your own birthday saint plus get to know the feast day of new ones such as Pope John Paul II (Oct. 22), Pedro Calungsod (April 2) and many more!

 

Part of the funds will go to the victims of Yolanda and the promotion of the life of holiness. The said calendar was produced by the Work of the Saints Apostolate. For more information, call tel. no. 8290657 or 0917-5579391. E-mail theworkofthesaints@gmail.com or send a Facebook message to www.facebook.com/ArmaChristiRelic.

 

Incidentally, the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad icon was enthroned in the Chapel of the Holy Relics of the Order of Discalced Augustinians last Jan. 9 in Tabon Hills in Talamban, Cebu. The Cofradia de la Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, headed by Ryan Enriquez, brought the icon to Cebu.

 

‘La Inmaculada’ in Pasig Cathedral

 

The “Abang Lingkod ni Maria,” headed by Frieda Legaspi, arranged for the changing of the vestments of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Pasig, last Dec. 4 with the High Mass officiated by Pasig Bishop Mylo Vergara.

 

Designed by Nena Bernales, the new vestment was made to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and her feast on Dec. 8.

 

Sto. Niño fiesta 2014

 

The Congregacion del Santissimo Nombre del Niño Jesus will hold the registration of images on Jan. 13 to 15 at the PNB Financial Center along Diosdado Macapagal Ave., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

 

Opening of the exhibit takes place on Jan. 16, 5 p.m., with Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David celebrating the Mass.

 

Novena Masses are on Jan. 17 to 24 at 7 p.m. Fiesta Mass is on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. Grand Marian procession is on Jan. 26 at 3 p.m., from Philtrade to Quirino Grandstand.

 

Congregacion president is Jesse Nell; founding chair is Ben Farrales.

 

Mass of Remembrance

 

The Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls continue to hold the Mass of Remembrance for the Holy Souls on Monday, Jan. 13, with a Mass at 11 a.m. at the Chapel of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Blessed John Paul II said that the greatest charity is to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. This month’s saint for the Holy Souls is St. John Crysostom.