The Sisters of  St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration  in Baybay, Leyte, have reason to be happy these days.  Their founder, Venerable Mother Theresia Bonzel, will be beatified on Nov. 10 in Paderborn, Germany.

The order has been in Leyte for the past 60 years running schools and helping the poor.

On March 27, Pope Francis signed a “decree of miracle” acknowledging the healing of a young boy, Luke Burgie, through the intercession of Bonzel.

Earlier, on March 27, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing Bonzel’s “heroic virtue,” an important step to beatification.

Miracle

A native of Colorado Springs in the United States, Luke Burgie was four years old in September 1998 when he began suffering from a severe viral infection that caused chronic diarrhea. Many doctors and specialists could not cure him.

Before this thing happened, Luke’s sister Jill Burgie, 8, met Sr. Evangeline, of the Sisters of St.  Francis of Perpetual Adoration, who had visited her religion class.

It was from this encounter that the family learned about the religious order and its foundress.  Invited to dinner in the house of the Burgie family, the nuns learned about the illness of Luke.  The nuns began a novena to Mother Maria Theresia for Luke in late January 1999.   Luke was suddenly cured on Feb. 22, 1999, without scientific explanation.

Mariological conference

Until April 17, international experts on Marian studies will converge at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manaoag, and in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, for the third Asia-Oceania Mariological Conference.

With the theme, “Mary, Woman of Faith,” the event is a joint project of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan under Archbishop Socrates Villegas  and the Dominican Community of Manaoag, under its prior Fr. Jerry Manlangit, OP, and shrine chaplain, Fr. Roland Mactal, OP.

Held in Tagaytay, Cavite, in 2009, and then in Lipa, Batangas, in 2011, the conference aims to promote a Mariology that is at once Biblico-theological and inculturated to both continents.

Speakers  this year include Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio  Cardinal Tagle;  Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa; Fr. Gregory Bartosik, OFM, Conventual from Poland;  Fr. Emilio Platti, OP, from Catholic University of Louvain; Fr. Frederick Bliss, SM, from Angelicum of Rome; Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP, of the University of Santo Tomas; and Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ, of Loyola House of Studies.

‘Mary: Woman of Faith’

The keynote address today (April 14)  will be delivered by Fr. Johann Roten, SM. The title of his presentation is “Mary: Woman of Faith, its Biblico-Theological Foundations, in Relation to the New Evangelization.”

Roten, a Marianist from Switzerland, is an internationally renowned expert on Mariology. Since 1989, he has been the director of the Marian Library-International Marian Research Institute of University of Dayton in the US.

Details of the conference may be downloaded at www.manaoagshrine.org. Interested parties may also inquire at 3rdaomcmanaoag

@gmail.com, [email protected] or call (075) 5290132, (02) 7314066.

St. Expeditus devotees in Parañaque

The devotees of St. Expeditus, advocate of urgent cases, will gather at St. Andrew Cathedral on La Huerta, Parañaque, for the Triduum of Masses on April 16-18, 6 p.m., and April 19, 12 noon, to celebrate his feast.

This will be the 19th year the Society of St. Expeditus, headed by Nida Buencamino Lopez and Milagros Gonzalez, has been holding fiesta activities.

Thanks to Fr. Rolly Agustin, rector and parish priest, for welcoming the group.

Charismatic healer Fr. Diwane Cacao will hold the Healing Mass on April 19, 12 noon.

Holy Family Mini Parish Choir, headed by Bro. Felix and Sis. Mabel Padilla, will sing during the Mass. Felicity “Baby” Landagan  will give her testimony of healing from colon cancer through the intercession of St. Expeditus.

San Nicolas de Tolentino church

Niel Feliciano, who spends his days dressing up altar tables and making vestments for Our Lady of Buen Suceso and other Marian images, told me about the Jubilee Church of  San Nicolas de Tolentino in Cupang, Muntinlupa.

The parish priest, Fr. Christopher Tejido, is building a chapel for St. Pedro Calungsod in the vicinity of the church.  He needs a donor for a bell and assistance to finish the chapel. Generous readers who want to help can text Fr. Topher at 0920-5061127. Thank you for your kindness.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of my former editor, Tita Llita Logarta, who passed to eternal life at 4:35 a.m. on Divine Mercy Sunday (April 7, 2013).