The San Lorenzo Ruiz Global Ministry (SLRGM) headed by Fr. Erno Diaz of Maayon, Capiz, now based in New York City, conducted an outreach project at San Lorenzo chapel in Tejeron, Sta. Ana, Manila.
After the 10 a.m. Mass celebrated by Fr. Michael Vasquez , SLRGM held a San Lorenzo drawing contest among 30 children. Artists Pando Manipon and Romy Salvador supervised the contest after giving a talk on the life of the first Filipino saint. Winners received cash prizes. Reception was catered by June Elison Golez. Linda and Nilo Chincuanco, Geraldine Osias, Pilar Caluag, Rina and Emily Luna and Sonia Atabug assisted.
During the feast of San Lorenzo on Sept. 28, SLRGM and devotees of the saint celebrated Mass at the Basilica Minore de San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo. Parish priest Fr. Andy Lim led the Mass. Other priests joined in, including Msgr. Ding Coronel of Quiapo church.
Fr. Lim introduced to the devotees Ria Policarpio, whose miraculous cure from hydrocephalus and other diseases when she was 2 years old was attributed to Lorenzo Ruiz.
The cure was recognized by the Vatican and led to then Beato Lorenzo Ruiz’s canonization in 1987.
Last year, on the 30th anniversary of the canonization, Fr. Diaz led SLRGM in a pilgrimage to Nagasaki, Japan, where the saint was martyred.
Maayon, Capiz church
Last January, according to Sonia Atabug, Fr. Erno organized a dinner-benefit show for the renovation of the Holy Child church in Maayon, Capiz, his hometown. Held at Grand Riviera in Manila, the show featured the Philippine Bayanihan Dance Company and Pinoy Dream Academy champion Laarni Lozada. Miss Intercontinental Philippines 2017 Katarina Rodriguez showed up and supported the fund-raiser.
Donors from abroad
Last May, the renovated Maayon church was inaugurated, with donors from the United States and Canada attending.
Biggest donor was the late Angela Carapella from Tuchahoe, New York, who in her last will donated “the sum of $15,000… to Fr. Erno Diaz for his church projects and another $5,000 for his San Lorenzo Ruiz projects.”
Her son Robert gave an additional $27,000, for a total of $42,000. “When I wired the full amount to Fr. Conrado Palete Jr., the parish priest, he was in shock since the donation amounted to roughly P2 million,” Fr. Erno said.
“The donation was what he needed to complete the ceiling and flooring; parishioners were overjoyed.”
Blessing the renovated Maayon church were Archbishop José Advincula of Capiz and Bishop Victor Bendico of Baguio (rector of the Capiz cathedral before he got the surprise appointment from the Vatican as bishop).
Fr. Diaz said the church with two altars dedicated to San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod will forever be known as “the house of God that people from all over the world helped build.”
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