She was one of the glamorous ladies of the community when I began serving at St Joseph de Gagalangin Parish. You would undoubtedly caught sight of her because of her mestiza-looks especially if you attended the 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday Masses where she served as lector/commentator during the later part of the 80s. Every first Saturday of the month, she would be dressed in dark blue; the uniform of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (DMI).
During those times, people had the perception that the DMI was an exclusive group for those who can afford. When she became its regent, she did her best to erase that way of thinking. One concrete example was when she decided to hold their Christmas party in their own room at what used to be the Parish Center.
Apart from her role in church, she was also active in Lions Club. She was President of the Gagalangin Lions Club and, after a year, Charter President of the Lakambini Lions Club. I do recall how she and the rest of the Lakambinis joined forces with us when we organized a motorcade for clean, honest, and peaceful elections in 1995.
I never thought that I would get that close to her, had not Gio (my only brother) become RJ's high school classmate and friend. RJ is her youngest son. Their family became like our own.
The last time I've heard was that she is already in the States. It surprised me one day to find her details in the 'Who Viewed Me?' section of my Friendster account. Our ties have been re-discovered and renewed.
This coming 11 August, I honor this lovely woman who deemed to call me her 'adopted son'.
May you continuously be blessed and be a blessing to everyone.
Happy birthday, Tita Rose Guevarra!
"Be careful with what you pray for." Rains have poured on some parts of the country with parts of the metropolis flooded. UST, as usual, became flooded. Luckily, there were no classes on the 8th, feast of St Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers.
I'm not saying we shouldn't pray for rain. What I am pointing out is we should be aware of how nature works and how WE affect it. If we keep on cutting trees, rain will simply cascade from the mountains to the valleys. The result: Baha!
If we don't bother to clean our surroundings, the refuse we have dumped in the esteros will get back to us.
Pray for rain, but do what we can to save our environment!
So the Pope has rejected Cardinal Rosales' resignation. Rosales' resignation is not an isolated case. Cardinal Vidal tendered his resignation last year, but was not accepted. In the UK, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor did the same. Again, thumbs down from the Holy Father. All three have the same reason: they have all reached the mandatory age of 75 (to resign). The Vatican may have its reasons not to let them go, perhaps no one's still eligible to take over or they are still in good health, etc.
I think the mandatory age should be scrapped. If then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger got elected as Pope at the age of 78 why can't the bishops continue their role past the age of 75?
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