CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We congratulate our fourth year theology students (L-R Raner Lucila, Jeffty Mendez, CP and Jovanni Abad, CP) for passing the two most important requirements prior to graduation, namely, AD AUDS and COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS. The former (which is the practicum for the sacrament of reconciliation) was done towards the end of 2009 while the latter (which covers all the subjects taken from day one) was just held a couple of weeks ago.

Raner is a diocesan seminarian from the Diocese of Sorsogon but who has been staying with the Passionists for the past two years while finishing his theology at Loyola School of Theology. The other two are Passionists who are now about to wind up their studies, too and pretty soon will begin a full blown ministry. DEO GRATIAS!

CELEBRATING THE SOLEMN COMMEMORATION OF THE PASSION OF JESUS

The northern Philippine Passionist communities of priests, brothers, sisters and seminarians, together with their lay collaborators – confraternity of the passion, Passionist youth, parish staffs, and house employees – have come together to celebrate the titular feast of the Passionist Congregation. Done every Friday before Ash Wednesday, this annual gathering has always been looked forward to as a wonderful moment of oneness among the spiritual sons and daughters of St. Paul of the Cross, the founder of the Passionist Congregation.

The said affair began with a Eucharistic celebration (in Phase 8A Chapel in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City), presided by no less than the Provincial, Very Rev. Lito Villarente, CP, with Fr. Deo Sustiguer as the inspiring and inspired homilist.

Soon after the mass, a sumptuous meal for the more than three hundred participants followed. Then when everybody had their fill, funny and lively parlor games and presentations from each participating team came next. It was truly entertaining to see both the young and the old sharing their talents and abilities to the enjoyment of all present.

Down in Mindanao, the southern Philippine Passionist communities, together with their lay collaborators, have their joyous gathering too at St. Paul of the Cross Novitiate, in Lagao, General Santos City. Joined by a busload of students and teachers from Notre Dame of Surala, the Passionist priests, brothers and sisters and lay associates started the day with Stations of the Cross, followed by a holy Mass officiated by Rev. Fr. Louie Fuentespina, one of the Provincial consultors. And then, as usual, “human sa misa, lamesa” (literally, it means, after the mass (misa) follows right away the table (lamesa) which obviously refers to the banquet. Delicious food was all over the place, too! After lunch, the ever jolly Fr. Mar Varquez animated the group with the assistance of the Passionist youth. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to ballgames.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, yesterday (Saturday, February 6, 2010) fire struck at a residential house next to the Passionist rectory or convent at Sunvalley Subdivision, Paranaque, Philippines. And because the wind was blowing towards the direction of the Passionist house, a section of it was also eaten up by the fire. When the firemen arrived, some thirty minutes(or more) later, the said house next door was already practically razed to the ground. Had it not for the quickness and presence of mind of Frs. Dandy, Ramon, Deo, and Dave, plus the youth and the workers of the parish, the fire would have also "eaten" and swallowed the rest of the convent. Using their bare hands,and pails after pails of water, (scooped from the newly-filled fishpond) they amazingly succeeded in dousing off the fire in the Passionist house.

Update: PASSIONIST MISSION IN HAITI Courtesy: MSNBC (taken from "The Passionist, converging a global community" Website)

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HCA OF HCP HOLDS FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

January 11, 2010, Holy Cross Parish, Calumpang, General Santos City

The Holy Childhood Association (HCA) of Holy Cross Parish, Diocese of Marbel at Calumpang, General Santos City, held its First General Assembly last January 9, 2010. Present during the assembly were 485 children, ages 7-14 years old, with their parents and some GKK officers from 34 Gagmay’ng Kristuhanong Katilingban (GKK – basic ecclesial communities).

The HCA assembly opened with a solemn mass presided by Fr. Antonio D. Saligan, C.P., Parish Priest. The mass was followed by a peace parade from the church to the venue of the assembly.

There were also different group activities like “Knowing Each Other”, Team Building and cultural presentations which included Tinikling, Pandanggo sa Ilaw and an interpretative dance.

Bro. Vevien Nuera, C.P. gave a talk on mission and Fr. Marito Varquez, C.P. delivered a message on the role of the child as an HCA member.- Esmie Devilles

INSTALLATION OF FR. GABRIEL BALDOSTAMON, CP

The image above is the front page of Philippine Inquirer’s “inquirer Libre” in its January 13, 2010’s issue. The article "PINOY ASTIG SA SWEDEN" that appears on that FrontPage is the Pilipino translation of the same news posted in the Philippine Daily Inquirer itself, January 13, 2010 issue, which is quoted below in its entirety:

Filipino is parish priest in Sweden
By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:52:00 01/13/2010 Filed Under: Religion & Belief, Religions, Churches (organisations)

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino Roam Catholic cleric has the distinct honor of heading a Swedish parish.

Philippine Ambassador to Sweden Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that Fr. Gabriel Baldostamon has been installed as parish piest of the Saint Nicolai Church in Linköping, Sweden on Jan. 10.

The ceremonial investiture of Baldostamon was officiated by Monsignor Mirojan Dudek during a well-attended Sunday Mass celebrating the baptism of Jesus Christ. The mass was co-celebrated by Fr. John Mc Cormode and Deacon Karl-Erijk Jarerot.

During lunch which followed the Mass, Saint Nicolai parishioners congratulated the Filipino priest and assured him of their support.

Speaking on behalf of the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino community, Collinson expressed pride at the historical first, and expressed confidence in Baldostamon’s ability to renew and strengthen the Catholic faith, particularly in the context of increasing secularism in Europe.

Baldostamon hails from Marbel, South Cotabato, and has been serving the Filipino community in Sweden for several years.

As head of the Saint Nicolai parish, he will be attending to the spiritual needs and pastoral formation of the entire Swedish Roman Catholic community in Linköping with about 2,500 registered members.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BY FR. PROVINCIAL

As we play the Bingo game, I noticed that at the center of the card is the word “free.” At Christmas, we are celebrating the gift of God to us, for free. And at the height of this is God’s generosity to all of us. While attending a mass of Fr. Manny in Bagong Silang, one day before the start of the Misa de Gallo (dawn mass), I happened to notice a woman, seated right beside me, who was crying profusely even to the point of having runny nasal discharge flowing freely from her nose. And she wiped them with her bare hands.

And to my surprise, during the singing of the “Our Father” she instinctively reached out for my hand (as this gesture is being done in some parishes, i.e. holding the hand of the person next to you as the “Our Father is being sung). At first, my feeling was that of repulsion. I didn’t want her to hold my hand, seeing how she wiped her tears and the runny nasal discharge earlier.

But then it dawned on me that God was like that. And it gave me my whole disposition for Christmas. God through Jesus did not only touch me. He embraced my humanity, my dirt, my all – everything of me. And so that’s the whole thing that really dominated my disposition during Christmas. For God at Bethlehem, he embraced humanity without that feeling of repulsion.

Today, that act of the Lord’s embracing us is seen in our celebration. Somehow the character of God is there. You embraced the whole situation. There were times it was quite difficult for all of you to get up early in the morning, yet you still got up. I thank each one; you have worked hard in your ministry.

The community here in Sun Valley is the symbol of what our character is as a Province; embracing everyone. Even though it was difficult and there was no more time for them to prepare for this gathering, still they really did their best, cleaning the area and preparing everything for us.

I see this in each one of you… MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fr. Lito CP

UPDATE FROM FR. GWEN BARDE C.P.

For sure, the scale of Christmas jubilation here cannot match ours at home. But I see it as a great blessing to experience a different Christmas atmosphere in another part of the world. I just had my very first white Christmas. I had so much fun going around our monastery's vast yard and football field which turned into ice quadrangles. I also shared the Christmas traditions here with our brother Passionists--very formal but very elaborate. We had pigeon breast and roasted deer for dinner. The Filipino communities here staged the misa de gallo. I said nightly masses to two of these communities--in Hoofddorp and in Haarlem. Other communities invited me for their party masses. It is practically the same Christmas overload when I was still in the Philippines. Our ambassador here, Cardoso Luna, attended one of my masses in The Hague and we had great Filipino-themed noche buena on Dec. 24.

Indeed, the spirit of Christmas is irresistible even in this environment which recognition for this great feast has declined dramatically. But we continue to hold on and relish the gift of Incarnation. Fijne Kerstdagen en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Gwen