Philippines

The Daughters of St. Paul are preparing various initiatives for the Pauline Year in collaboration with the other Institutes of the Pauline Family in this country:
30 June 2008 – The Archdiocese of Manila will officially open the Pauline Year with a Eu-charistic Celebration in the Immaculate Conception Basilica (Cathedral of Manila) presided over by Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales. A huge turn-out is expected for this event, which will also include a large exhibit of books, audiovisuals, mini-media and holy cards on the Apostle at the cathedral entrance.
 
6 August 2008 – Congress on St. Paul for priests, religious and teachers, to be held in the San Carlos Seminary auditorium. Principal guest speaker: Bishop Virgilio David.
28 November 2008 – FSP Concert.
5 December 2008 – Youth Camp.
25 January 2009 – Congress on St. Paul for the laity. Speakers: Bishop Ted Bacani and Bo Sanchez.
7-8 February 2009 – Stage performance on St. Paul by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC).
July 2009 – Spiritual Exercises for the Pauline Family guided by Sr. Elena Bosetti, sgbp.
 
Manila
30 June 2008 – Official opening of the Pauline Year in the Archdiocese of Manila. His Eminence Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales presided over the Eucharistic Celebration, along with the Apostolic Nuncio, seven bishops and more than 50 other concelebrants in Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral. The church was overflowing with people, including members of the Pau-line Family, the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and students, friends and acquaintances of both Congregations.
 
In his homily, Cardinal Rosales invited everyone to a conversion of heart in imitation of St. Paul who, when he met the Lord on the way to Damascus, was transformed from a persecutor into a preacher and apostle. According to the Cardinal, encounters open to various categories of people should be organized this year so as to help the faithful get to know the personality and doctrine of Paul through listening, reflection and prayer.
 
Archdiocese of Davao – 30 June 2008
The Pauline Year was officially launched by means of a solemn Eucharistic Celebration in San Pablo Church, Matina Davao City. The Liturgy, celebrated by Msgr. Leonardo Vicente and 5 concelebrants, was attended by the Pauline Family, parishioners, the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC), their students, guests and friends.
 
Prior to the event, Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla sent a circular letter to the parishes and religious organizations of the diocese, encouraging them to participate in the launch of the Pauline Year. Streamers bearing the official logo of the Year were hung in every parish and Sr. Antonietta Echavez, Superior of FSP Davao community, was interviewed by the ABS-CBN TV network about the significance of this Year dedicated to St. Paul.
 
A series of conferences on the life of the Apostle, organized by the Pauline Family and the SPC Sisters, will be held in various parishes from July 2008 until the closing of the Year.
 
Archdiocese of Tuguegarao – 29 June 2008
The Pauline Year officially opened with a solemn Eucharistic Liturgy in Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, celebrated by Archbishop Diosdado A. Talamayan and 7 concelebrants.
 
Members of the Tuguegarao Central United Methodist Church led by their pastor, Rev. Bonifer Baquiran, were also present for the occasion. During the Mass, Archbishop Talamayan requested representatives from various groups to join the concelebrants around the altar and hold hands as a gesture of unity and collaboration in spreading the Good News in imitation of St. Paul. Many of the faithful who were unable to participate in the Eucharistic Celebration personally followed it on Bombo Radyo.
 
Various activities–including liturgical, ecumenical, cultural and media-related initiatives–are being programmed for this Jubilee Year under the guidance of the Daughters of St. Paul.
 
Archdiocese of Caceres, Naga – 29 June 2008
A solemn Eucharistic Celebration to officially mark the opening of the Pauline Year was held in the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi and Most Rev. Jose Roxas, Jr., Bishop of the Prelature of Libmanan, presided over the Liturgy, which was concelebrated by 20 priests.
 
In his homily, Archbishop Legaspi explained who St. Paul is and why the Church is celebrating a special Year in honor of the 2000th anniversary of his birth. He urged the Daughters of St. Paul to rejoice for the honor being the “daughters” of this great Apostle, who fearlessly witnessed to Christ. The Archbishop then challenged our sisters to be St. Paul alive today through their fidelity to the Pauline charism of proclaiming Jesus Truth by means of modern communications technologies.
 
The Eucharistic Celebration, organized by the Daughters of St. Paul and the other Institutes of the Pauline Family, was attended by the seminarians from Holy Rosary Seminary, representatives from different religious Congregations, schools, religious organizations, benefactors and many members of the lay faithful.
 
Sabah Malaysia – 29 June 2008
To mark the opening of the Pauline Year, the Daughters of St Paul and their Pauline Cooperators organized a simple ceremony after the Sunday Mass in St. Paul’s Church, Dontozidon.
 
Fr. Michael Modoit unveiled a picture of St Paul, then blessed sets of Bible Stories in Kadazan and bookmarks. The latter were distributed gratis to the families present.
 
The Daughters of St. Paul and their Cooperators held a book display to solemnize the occasion and informed everyone that the Pauline Family will be doing outreach in remote villages of the region throughout the Pauline Year.
 
Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia – 27 June 2008
Our sisters opened the Pauline Year with a Eucharistic Celebration in their community, which was attended by friends, members of their local parish (Our Lady of the Assumption), benefactors and Pauline Cooperators.
 
Initiatives in collaboration with Assumption Parish are still in the planning stage. Honored to bear the name of St. Paul, our sisters will continue their efforts to make the Apostle known to others on the local level and to be “St. Paul alive today.”
 
Zamboanga Diocese – 29 June 2008
Archbishop Romulo Valles officially opened the Pauline Year by presiding over a Eucharistic Liturgy in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The event was enriched with a display of publications and products on St. Paul and the projection of a film on the life of the Apostle of the Gentiles in the Cathedral’s convention hall.
 
An hour-long talk show on the life of St. Paul was aired on TV-11. Guest speakers Fr. Adrian Barcelo, pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Tetuan Parish, Fr. Mars Villagracia, pastor of Bunguiao parish, Mrs. Jean Enriquez, a member of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, and Sr. Alice Candido, FSP, discussed various aspects of the Apostle such as his former way of life, his conversion and the relevance of his message to people today.
 
Our sisters are programming other activities to be held in parishes throughout the diocese during the Pauline Year.
 
Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro – 15 July 2008
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, together with 30 concelebrating priests, launched the Pauline Year with a Eucharistic Celebration in St. Augustine’s Metropolitan Cathedral.
 
In his homily, the Archbishop spoke about the similarities between St. Paul and St. Augustine, patron saint of Cagayan de Oro City, focusing on the dimensions of conversion, vocation and ecumenism.
 
The Liturgy, organized by the Pauline family, SPC Sisters and Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, was attended by representatives of religious congregations, parishioners, guests and members of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.
 
Archdiocese of Lipa – 27 July 2008
The Pauline Year began with a solemn Eucharistic Liturgy presided over by Bishop Ramon Arguelles, Bishop Quizon and 6 concelebrating priests in San Sebastian Cathedral, Lipa City. The FSPs of Lipa, St. Paul of Chartres Sisters, their students, teachers and many other members of the laity all participated in the event. After the post-communion prayer, a life-size statue of St. Paul was unveiled.
 
Archdiocese of Cebu – 30 June 2008
Most Rev. Julito Cortes, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, and more than 40 concelebrating priests launched the Pauline Year with a Eucharistic Celebration in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Guardian Angels, Cebu City.
 
In his homily, Bishop Cortes challenged everyone to imitate St. Paul’s witnesses to Christ and his kingdom. A relic of the Apostle, displayed beside his statue, was venerated by the people after the Mass. The event, which was spearheaded by the Pauline Family, was attended by lay people, religious and seminarians and was broadcast on TV channel ABS-CBN.
 
Upcoming activities to celebrate the Pauline Year include: a Symposium on St. Paul featuring guest speakers Sr. Bernardita Dianzon, FSP and Fr. Adonis Aquino, and visits to parishes to introduce St. Paul to the people. 
 
Launch of Two Books on St. Paul
To celebrate the Pauline Year, our Paulines Publishing House launched two books: Glimpses of Paul and His Message by Sr. Bernardita Dianzon, FSP and Pauline Quest by the same author and co-authors Sr. Ann Marie Nemenzo, FSP and LMP Belen Liboon. The book launch, which took place on 11 July 2008, was one of the events of the Philippine Academic and Catholic Book Fair.
 
The event also gave our sisters the chance to promote an audio-production of Paulines Radio entitled, “Pauline Minute,” a CD collection of short biblical passages from the Letters of St. Paul.
 
Bicol –  Series of Lectures on the Life and Teachings of St. Paul
In order to make the Year of St. Paul more meaningful and relevant to the people in the Bicol region, the Daughters of St. Paul of Naga organized a series of lectures on the life and teachings of Paul. The encounters were held in the Archdiocese of Caceres, the Diocese of Daet and the Prelature of Libmanan from 6-10 November 2008. Guest speaker Sr. Bernardita Dianzon, FSP, explored the topics: St. Paul’s Relevance Today, Corporate Solidarity in Sin and Redemption, St. Paul’s Conversion and Our Own Conversion and St. Paul: Community Builder and Team Player.
 
In the Archdiocese of Caceres, the lectures were held in the Parishes of Calabanga, Nabua and Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. They were attended by parishioners and the members of the parish council, representatives from local government units, lectors and commentators, heads of different religious organizations, and some public school teachers. A separate lecture was also given to the staff, vicarial coordinators and head catechists of the Caceres Catechetical Ministry.
 
In the Diocese of Daet, the priest in charge of the Pauline Year activities organized the encounter on the diocesan level. About 250 people from different parishes of the diocese attended Sr. Bernardita’s conference, which was preceded by the enthronement of the Bible in the parish church where the encounter was held. After the conference, everyone participated in a concelebrated Mass presided over by Msgr. Rey Asis, the Vicar General of the Diocese.
 
In the Prelature of Libmanan, the encounter opened with a concelebrated Mass presided over by Bishop Jose Rojas, the bishop of the prelature. In his homily, he thanked the Daughters of St. Paul for sensitizing the people to the life and work of the great Apostle. About 450 participants from the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) attended the conference and offered positive feedback on it. One of the leaders expressed his desire to make St. Paul the patron saint of the BEC.
 
At all the encounters, books, pamphlets, calendars, audiovisuals, mini media, etc. were made available to the participants in order to deepen their knowledge on the life and teachings of St. Paul.
 
Manila – Pauline Youth Camp 2008
More than 2,000 youth delegates from St. Paul College, as well as representatives from different parishes and members in formation of the Pauline Family participated in the Pauline Youth Camp 2008.
 
The event, which was held from 5-6 Dec. 2008 at St. Paul College, Pasig, Metro Manila, celebrated the theme: The Leadership of Paul, Impelled by the Love of Christ.
 
The young participants expressed their energy, enthusiasm and creativity through songs and dances, prayer and reflection, and faith sharing on the life of St. Paul. The small group sharing sessions were guided by the seminarians and junior professed members of the Pauline Family.
 
The event was graced by Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, ocd, Bishop of the Prelature of Infanta, Quezon Province and Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Youth. In his talk, Bishop Tirona offered his own interpretation of the term IPOD, which he said was an acronym for Interiority and Intimacy, Presence and Perfection, Openness and Offering, and Divine and Duty–words which can all be used to summarize the life of St. Paul.
 
The Bishop officiated at the Eucharistic Celebration, assisted by 6 SSP priests. In his homily, Fr. Dominador Guzman, ssp, challenged all the young people to imitate St. Paul, reminding them that the IPOD transformed him into a great apostle. He also said that young people are the hope of the country because they have the potential to become good leaders and agents of change, like St. Paul.
 
Manila – Solemn Celebration of the Pauline Jubilee Year
The Pauline Family orchestrated the celebration of the Pauline Jubilee Year festivities held in Araneta Coliseum on 25 January 2009, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The event was graced by the presence of religious leaders of other Christian denominations and some of their members. Since it coincided with the culmination of Bible Week and Ecumenical Week, the celebration opened with the solemn enthronement of the Bible in an ecumenical service led by the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of the Jaro diocese.
 
Many bishops from around the country concelebrated the Eucharistic Liturgy, presided over by Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila. The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, His Eminence Edward Joseph Adams, opened the Eucharistic Celebration with a brief address. In his homily Bishop Arturo Bastes, Chairman of the Commission on the Biblical Apostolate, highlighted the theme of the event: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for the salvation of all” (Rom 1:16), emphasizing the need for renewal in the Church based on the model of St. Paul, the Apostle to the nations.
 
The beautiful music and songs provided by the hundred-member choir from St. Paul University run by the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres and by the charismatic group, Rivers of Living Water, which also performed several vibrant liturgical dances, all contributed to the liveliness of the celebration. Before the final blessing, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Diocese of Cubao, the host diocese for the event, gave the plenary indulgence to all those who participated in the celebration, including those who participated via TV or radio.
 
Bo Sanchez, a well-known lay preacher, delivered a conference on the topic, “The Gospel: The Power of God,” followed by Bishop Chito Tagle of the Diocese of Imus, who spoke about “St. Paul: Apostle of the Gospel to the Nations.”
 
The entire event was aired live over Radio Veritas while Studio 23 gave a two-hour live nationwide telecast of the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration.
 
Cagayan de Oro – Closing the Pauline Year with a Symposium
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro closed the Pauline Year with a symposium on St. Paul and a solemn Eucharistic Celebration. The event, bannered by the theme, Keep the Spirit of St. Paul Alive Everyday, was held on 27 June 2009 in Cagayan de Oro. More than 500 people from different parishes, religious institutes and associations attended the event, which was organized by the Pauline Family: Society of St. Paul, Daughters of St. Paul, Pauline Aggregated Institutes and Pauline Cooperators.
 
Two Bible exegetes were invited to speak about the person and teachings of the Apostle. Fr. Gil Alinsangan, SSP, Rector of St. Paul Seminary in Silang, Cavite, spoke on St. Paul, Preacher of the Gospel and Nurturer of Christian Communities. He was followed by Fr. Renato Repole, sj, Rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Cagayan de Oro, who discussed the topic, St. Paul, Shepherd and Peace Builder. The two presentations were followed by a short open forum.
 
The culmination of the day was the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, sj, of Cagayan de Oro. He was joined by Bishop Edwin De la Pena, msp, of the Prelature of Marawi, and other concelebrants. In his homily, Archbishop Ledesma gave pointers as to how to make Paul’s spirit alive and active in today’s world.

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