Thanks to Fr. Joseph Orsal, parish priest of Sta. Cruz Church in Brgy. Sapaya in Guiuan, Easter Samar, for reminding me that the devotion to Mother Thrice Admirable is 100 years old on Oct. 18.
Fr. Joseph had studied in the seminary of the founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, in Vallendar, Germany.
I am familiar with the place because of my friendship with international concert pianist Leonor Kilayko, who had lived in Cologne for 17 years, and used to take the train from Cologne to Vallendar to visit the tomb of Fr. Kentenich on Sept. 15, his feast.
The Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt (German Schönstatt-Bewegung) is a Roman Catholic Marian Movement founded in Germany in 1914 by Fr. Joseph Kentenich.
Fr. Kentenich saw the movement as a means for spiritual renewal in the Catholic Church.
The movement is named Schoenstatt (which means “beautiful place”), after a small village close to the town of Vallendar near Koblenz in Germany.
The Schoenstatt movement emphasizes strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, upholding her as a perfect example of love and purity.
Schoenstatt seeks to invite the Blessed Mother (and, hence, her Son, Jesus Christ), into the home by establishing a spiritual Covenant of Love with her. It encourages its members to have the faith and purity of children, and to think of Mary as their mother.
Camillian Sisters hold charity dinner
The Camillian Sisters, who serve the sick, the old and the dying through an elderly home in Antipolo, need our help to sustain their ministry.
There will be a dinner for a cause on March 8, 6-10 p.m., at the Celebrity Sports Club, Capitol Hills Drive, Diliman, Quezon City.
For more details, contact Sr. Daisy Carmona or Sr. Siony Gipoleo at tel. 02-6452463 or 0927-4874685, or e-mail bubuyog731@gmail.com.
Those who may want to donate rice, groceries and medicines for the Camillian ministry for the old and the infirm may look for their convent at Kingsvillie Executive Village, Marcos Highway, Antipolo City.
Together Ensemble Foundation
Frenchman Hubert d’ Aboville, married to Ara Valenzuela, granddaughter of Katipunero Pio Valenzuela, founded the outreach group Together Ensemble Foundation in 1991 when Mt. Pinatubo erupted and buried houses and churches in lahar.
Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) left severe damage to properties and the loss of thousands of lives in the southern regions of the Visayas, Northern Palawan and portions of Mindoro Occidental in the Philippines.
The Together Ensemble Foundation Inc. immediately joined in the relief efforts by coordinating with the Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade of Negros Occidental and foreign volunteers.
Suyac and Molocaboc
D’Aboville, with board director Ramon Sebastia-Moreno and and Visayas chapter head Jorge Lim, flew several times to Negros Occidental and traveled hundreds of kilometers by land and sea to reach the typhoon-ravaged remote islands of Suyac and Molocaboc. They sought to rehabilitate schools, churches and rural health centers.
Electricians Without Borders
Together Ensemble and the Electricians Without Borders from France brought several tons of relief goods and generators to Leyte and Samar. They installed badly needed generators to serve doctors and other medical personnel treating the victims.
The mission is now on its second phase, which is rehabilitation. They focus on installation of badly needed solar street lights and setting up a desalinization machine to convert seawater into potable water for the islanders.
Flutes Across the World
Flutes Across the World delivered flutes made by schoolchildren in America. Founder is renowned composer and teacher John Zeretzke, who is behind the scores for several films by Disney and Paramount movies, traveled there with the Together Ensemble to distribute the flutes and teach the children how to play them.
The unique mission was meant to help the children recover from the trauma through music.
Firemen from Nice, France
The Assosacion Amite Franco-Philippines based in Bacolod City extended hospitality to Team Ulis, composed of firemen from France.
The locals treated the French firemen to an evening of fellowship and French music.
The French visitors trained 60 firemen in Bacolod City and will come back again in May to bring new clothing and equipment and to train 360 more firemen from the whole province of Negros Occidental.
UST Graduate School pilgrimage
The University of Santo Tomas Graduate School (USTGS) will hold its 75th (diamond) anniversary celebration on Feb. 22, 6 p.m., at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel. This was announced by USTGS dean Marilu Rañosa-Madrunio and regent Fr. José Antonio E. Aureada, OP.
Established in 1938, USTGS is one of the oldest graduate schools in Asia. Of course, since UST started in 1611 giving out higher ecclesiastical degrees, it has the oldest continuing graduate program in Asia. It confers master’s and doctorate degrees across 80 academic programs.
The culminating activity of the diamond anniversary will be the participation of USTGS faculty and students in the canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II in April in Rome. Their participation will be part of a religious pilgrimage.
The USTGS faculty and alumni will attend the canonization ceremonies especially since Pope John Paul II had visited UST twice—in 1981 and 1995. He was also an alumnus of a Dominican and pontifical institution like UST—the great Angelicum in Rome.
Thomasians interested in joining the pilgrimage may inquire at the USTGS Dean’s Office (tel. 7315396). E-mail asbernardo@mnl.ust.edu.ph or llenz152003@yahoo.com.