Editor’s note: As a tribute to Josephine Darang, who passed away Dec. 28, 2014, feast of St. John the Evangelist, patron of writers and journalists, the Sunday Inquirer will continue her well-read column, Purely Personal, as a service to the Church and to the faithful. Those who would like to have their announcements published in this column should e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

THE DAILY reflections of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas will be featured in a special Holy Week issue of Living with Christ, a publication of Bayard Assumption Media Foundation Inc.

Villegas, who’s also the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, dwells on different themes, such as Palm Sunday’s “Simplicity,” Holy Monday’s “Only Love Matters,” up to Black Saturday’s “The Absence of God” and Easter Sunday’s “Christ our Light.”

The Holy Week issue cover photo by Mariel Tan captures the Easter Vigil ceremony held at Our Lady of Pentecost Parish led by Fr. Dennis Soriano, one of the focal persons for the Encounter of Families during the visit of Pope Francis.

Living with Christ also published the Official Papal Liturgy Book during the visit of Pope Francis.

Apart from Villegas’ reflections, Living with Christ also contains the complete liturgies of the most blessed week of the Catholic calendar.

The March 2015 and the special Holy Week issues are available at selected National Book Store outlets, Fully Booked, Jesuit Communications and Pauline stores. For inquiries, call Bayard Assumption Media Foundation at 9271052 or e-mail [email protected].

Lenten exhibit

The Mary Immaculate Parish of Better Living Subdivision in Barangay Don Bosco in Parañaque City will mount the Lenten exhibit, Misericordia, March 13-15, at the Frasinetti Hall.

During the opening of the exhibit on the 13th at 7:30 p.m., there will be a lecture by Fr. Christmar Daguno of the Shrine of St. Therese.

The exhibit will feature holy statues, images and relics (the latter including the Arma Christi, a collection of relics of Christ and the saints under the custody of the Works of the Saints Apostolate). All of the items on display will relate to the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection.

For more info, call 7767885.

‘Books for Babuyan’ wins award

The three-minute video “Books for Babuyan” was named Best Documentary in the People’s Empowerment for the Advancement of Communities and Environment Awards last Jan. 31 at the Manila Hotel.

The award was given by the Universal Peace Federation of the Philippines.

Charley Sta. Maria, a volunteer of Babuyan Islands Mission and who shot the movie with Imee Manal, accepted the award on behalf of Fr. Joemar Sibug, OP, of the Dominican Mission station in Camiguin Norte, Babuyan Islands.

Parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in the very remote Babuyan Islands in the north, Sibug has supported Project Aral of the Black Pencil Project to foster literacy in the very remote islands in the Philippine northeast by distributing free school supplies to poor communities. The project is supported by the National Book Store Foundation.

The award-winning video may be viewed on YouTube.

Free prayer cards

Leonardo G. Reyes of Kahirup Village, Singcang, Bacolod City, has written this space asking the late Josephine Darang for more estampita or prayer cards of saints.

He said he had once received from Darang a prayer card of Opus Dei Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, who was recently beatified. He added his prayer was answered.

For those who would like to receive free prayer cards, write to “Miss Josephine Darang c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.” Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for easier mailing.