Jesus must grow greater, I must grow smaller. (cf. Jn 3:30).
Pietro Albano has been with Tanghalang Anluwage since its foundation in 1991, having served in a number of positions in the group. He is Anluwage.com's former Editor-in-Chief.
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Showing posts with label Poor Clare Sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poor Clare Sisters. Show all posts
We went to church last Saturday to join in the celebration of St Clare of Assisi's feast day. Attached to our parish is a monastery which currently houses four Poor Clare sisters. These sisters belong to the religious order founded by St Clare.
The monastery has been existing for almost 91 years. All through those years, they have supported the parish in whatever way they can, but most especially through prayer. Hence, Fr John (our parish priest) told us that we are lucky to have a powerhouse of prayer.
The sisters live a very simple life. They depend on two things: the generosity of God and the generosity of people. And yet, they look so cheerful, so much at peace when you come across them. For most of us in the "outside world" this is a mystery. For most of us so attached to our gadgets and all, this may cause us to wonder. However, I think the secret lies in the Eucharist. Part of their daily routine is the Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Drawn by the Father to the Son, the sisters have found life in abundance. And, having found that, they are able to radiate it to the rest of the world. Indeed, as St Clare once said “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.”
Has the worries of the world tired you down? Come back to the Eucharist where life can be found. Come back to the Eucharist and be like Jesus! Come back to the Eucharist and give life - life in Jesus - for the world!
Eucharistic Lord, we adore You. Help us to realize the love You have poured out on us through the Eucharist. Through our reception of Your Body and Blood, may we live and love, serve and reach out like You.
We entrust to You all Poor Clare sisters spread all over the world, that through the inspiration and prayers of St Clare they may remain faithful in their calling and enthuse others to answer Your call. Amen.
2017 is a special year for Marian devotees because it marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady's apparition in Fatima, Portugal. An indulgence is granted by Pope Francis throughout this jubilee year (which began on 27 November 2016 and will conclude on 26 November 2017) to: 1.) anyone who would visit Our Lady's Shrine in Fatima f; 2.) anyone who prays before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary.”; and 3.) the elderly and infirm to pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima "and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017."
Our parish here in Bulwell is blessed because there is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the Poor Clare Monastery Chapel where people who are unable to make a pilgrimage to Fatima during the jubilee could pray and venerate Our Lady's statue. The Poor Clare sisters, described by Fr John Martin (our new Parish Priest) as "a powerhouse of prayer", have been kind enough to welcome visitors who would like to avail of the jubilee indulgence.
One sunny afternoon, I decided to pay Our Lady a visit. Mother Lilly, the Monastery abbess, opened the door for me. The chapel was empty. As I knelt before Mary's statue, I thought to myself, "I have been to this chapel many times, but it was only now that I had a look at Mary's beautiful face!". It was neither happy nor sad, in keeping with how the three visionaries Lucia dos Santos and her cousins (now Saints) Francisco and Jacinta Marto described her.
I felt at ease with Our Lady's aura and spent a few minutes pouring my heart to her. Beneath her pedestal was a box where devotees could place their prayer requests. I turned left and right to look for a piece of paper and a pen to write my petitions. Luckily, there were sheets of paper and a pen at the back of the chapel. I wrote a handful of requests, I thought of people who need prayers. Later, I approached the statue and placed the sheet of paper in the box. I held Our Lady's left hand, looked once again at her beautiful face, and (because I was all alone in the chapel), sang this popular Marian song:
As I was getting ready to leave, Sr Francis came into the chapel. I thanked her and the rest of the sisters for welcoming me.
Two things on prayer struck me in that visit: space and specificity. We all need that space to be alone with God, with Mary and the saints in prayer. In a rat race culture we're all in, this could be a challenge. But, as I have seen from some people's experience, if we ask God to give us that space (and time), He'll grant it! Being specific with what we pray for is also good because it keeps us focused on what we need, on what frustrates us (be it events, people, or ourselves), and on what comes from the heart. Writing it down especially when you're running out of time helps a lot because it allows you to let go and let God do the rest. It is also heartwarming to know that someone else, like the sisters, are praying for your requests too. I felt good making that visit to Our Lady. I am happy thinking that she will always be here to guide and protect me, to guide and protect all of us, her children. We need Our Lady, we need the message she gave in Fatima 100 years ago. Entrusting ourselves to her is the way forward if we wish to follow Jesus and obtain the peace which we badly need (Think about Manchester, Marawi, London, Syria, etc.) and which He alone could give.
Take, O take me as I am Summon out what I shall be Set Your seal upon my heart And live in me. I watched and listened intently as my daughter and her fellow first Holy Communicants sang this song to the delight of everyone in church. I was one proud dad - my daughter has received the Body of Christ for the first time on that sunny 14th day of May!
My mind brought me back to early December last year, when we parents met in school with Fr Gerry Murphy (our parish priest at that time), Ms Reilly (head teacher), and teachers to prepare for our children's first Holy Communion. An Enrolment Mass was held at the Infant of Prague Church (where the first Holy Communion Mass will be held) on 21 January 2017 to formally present the children to the parish. This was followed by a series of meetings once a month from February to May. Children were also provided with two books: "Love and Forgiven" which focused on the celebration of their first Sacrament of Reconciliation and "Meet Christ with Joy" which focused on the celebration of their first Holy Communion. We were encouraged to guide our children in completing these books. For Nidz and I, it felt like going back 30 odd years ago when we made our first Holy Communion. While I helped Chiara with the text that needs to go into these books, Nidz assisted with the pictures and drawings. Teachers regularly monitor children's progress.
Apart from these, we were also invited to become involved in the Vigil Masses in church from January to May. Parents took turns in facilitating a "Children's Liturgy" wherein the candidates for first Holy Communion have their own celebration in the sacristy. Part of this celebration is to read the Gospel, make a brief reflection on what was read, and do an activity related to the reflection. (The "Children's Liturgy" runs parallel to the Liturgy of the Word.) After the "Children's Liturgy", the children go back to the sanctuary to present their work. Nidz and I facilitated two liturgies. In one of those, we taught the children to sing "Let it shine" which was met with a round of applause from the congregation. Fast forward now. Nidz and I sat next to each other, happy to see our daughter reaching another milestone in her journey of faith. We were blessed to have my father Mario and youngest sister Kristina coming from New York to also witness Chiara's special day.
After the Mass, lots of clicking sounds could be heard from cameras and mobile phones as first Holy Communicants and their families posed for photo opportunities in or near the sanctuary. Later on, we made our way to the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Community Centre for a sumptuous meal of Filipino dishes, a joint effort we shared with three other Filipino families. But before that, we were asked to see the Poor Clare sisters. In the monastery, Chiara, Mia, Reyna, and Megan made a repeat performance of their song. The sisters were elated!
During the reception, guests gave short messages to the first Holy Communicants. Papa gave an impromptu speech. Chiara later thanked everyone in behalf of her friends.
If there is one word that sums up this first Holy Communion celebration, it is take. Our children take the Lord's Body and eat it. We parents, as well as other members of the family, the parish, the school, etc. take once again that calling to nurture our children's faith. Above all, the Lord Himself takes these children - takes us all actually - in spite of our imperfections so that we may have life to the full (John 10:10).
To Chiara and her fellow first Holy Communicants, congratulations. Jesus takes your hearts and has found a new home in them. Make Him feel welcome so that He would live there at all times.
Bless the Lord, my soul And bless God's holy name, Bless the Lord, my soul Who leads me into life.
Do these lines ring a bell? I first heard these lines sung repeatedly in October 1990 when there was this parish assembly in church. A Korean brother, a member of the Taize Community, gave a talk about his community and their forthcoming event in Manila the following year. Taize Community is founded by the late Bro Roger Schutz when World War II broke out. According to its website, the community "is made up of over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds, coming from around thirty nations. By its very existence, the community is a “parable of community” that wants its life to be a sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and between separated peoples."
Nada te turbe, nada te espante;
quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.
Nada te turbe, nada te espante:
sólo Dios basta.
I find Taize's prayer service quite different from the traditional devotions we were so used to such as novenas, Holy Hour, etc.I find the Taize way of prayer to be more relaxed, more spontaneous. Don't get me wrong, each prayer would have their own peculiar structure. Regardless, each of these aim at giving glory to God.
O luwalhati sa Diyos
O luwalhati sa Diyos
O luwalhati sa Diyos
Luwalhati sa Diyos!
I was delighted that during the Christ the King procession in Gagalangin in 1992, the songs that were sung were from Taize's repertoire, thanks to a colleague Arnold Vidar. The following year, when it was the parish youth's turn to make an hour's vigil before the Blessed Sacrament, we used the Taize style of prayer.
Liwanag ng buong mundo, halina Jesus halina.
Liwanag ng buhay ko, aleluya!
1993 was the last time I heard of the Taize songs. Until last Tuesday.
It was 7 o'clock in the evening. My family and I made our way to the Poor Clares Convent Chapel to attend a Taize Prayer Service. I think this is the first time it would be held in the parish. A lady was already giving a short introduction as we took our seats. She also made an announcement about this event during last weekend's Masses. The service was mostly composed of meditative singing, but there was also a time to listen to God's word, to spend a few minutes of silence, and to pray for various intentions with an opportunity to light a candle for one's intention.
Bless the Lord, my soul
And bless God's holy name,
Bless the Lord, my soul
Who leads me into life.
By singing the songs repeatedly and with devotion, I felt as though the lyrics were my own. As I "own" it, I felt my soul striving to open itself to God. And as it opened itself to God, the more it became one with its Maker. Tuesday was a busy day and the prayer service gave me, my family, and, I am sure, everyone present an opportunity to lift up our hearts to the Lord and to refresh ourselves. Personally, it revived my Taize experience! We look forward to attend the next service. In the meantime, like Mary, we burst into song:
Magnificat, magnificat, magnificat anima mea Dominum
Magnificat, magnificat, magnifat anima mea!
Ang puso ko'y nagpupuri, nagpupuri sa Panginoong aking Diyos.
Last New Year, the movie featured on TV was "Sister Act 1". Most would remember it as the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer in Nevada, who was hidden in a monastery as Sister Mary Clarence after witnessing a crime committed by her mobster boyfriend Vince LaRocca.While in the monastery, she 'woke up' the sisters to their calling by her involvement in the choir. When this movie was shown in 1992, I wasn't able to watch it for some reason. I only had a glimpse of it when some friends from the Legion of Mary performed it during the farewell party to Fr. Mario Enriquez who was then parish priest of Gagalangin. Never thought how some of the performers such as Jeanette Guevarra, Margie Quinio, and Nana Tayang Bernardo could belt out the songs, and dance with gusto.Their performance was a hit!
I only saw this movie years later over 2 pitchers of Red Horse Beer (never thought it was Red Horse until we finished drinking!) with a friend in Bulacan. The songs were great such as these 2.
Friends, here's "My God"!
"More, sisters!", you said? Right, here comes "I will follow Him"!
This year has been designated by Pope Francis as the Year of Consecrated Life. We oftentimes wonder how religious priests, nuns, and brothers could live up to their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. For the world, it seems that their lives in the convent is boring and meaningless. I came across an article about a lady who works for a magazine staying for a few days in a monastery. To her amazement, she found the nuns to be happy and content with their decision to leave the world for Christ and their role in the Church and the world:
I must say that I am touched by the Poor Clare nuns in our parish for their simplicity, kindness, generosity, and cheerfulness. Christmases won't be complete without a gift from them, be it a rosary or a doll for Chiara, a cake they baked, a bottle of jam they made, or a Mass offered for our intentions.
The nuns (and their fellow religious across the globe) have something - no, someone - deep in their heart: Jesus to whom "There isn't an ocean too deep, a mountain so high it can keep, keep me away, away from His love".
Each of us has been touched by the unique charism of these religious. We have been molded in the schools they run, we may have fostered a devotion or two which they promoted (e.g. Rosary by the Dominicans, Stations of the Cross by the Franciscans, Brown Scapular by the Carmelites, Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Jesuits, Perpetual Help Novena by the Redemptorists, etc.), or we may have sang songs they have composed. Let's support them in our prayers and other good works so their lives would be a continuous chorus waking up the world.
***
Pope Francis has done it again! A year ago, when he announced the names of the new cardinals, people - including those whom he appointed - were surprised. This year, he surprised us again with his selection of prelates who will be receiving the red hat during the Consistory on Valentine's Day. Gone are the days when prelates from 'cardinalatial' sees would automatically be chosen as a 'prince of the Church'. It already happened in the Philippines last year when the Holy Father selected the ordinary in Cotabato instead of his counterpart in Cebu. (My hunch is, if this will go on, time will come that archdioceses like Manila or New York or Westminster might not be led by a Cardinal.) Pope Francis is indeed showing us the right way of looking at these positions not as career, but service. (Prior to his first consistory, he already mandated that only priests aged 65 and up can be named 'Monsignor'.) I hope and pray that our pope would live longer to continue his reform of the Church and that his selection of cardinals, bishops, and other servants of God's people would continue his legacy. I hope and pray too that everyone would support him. Finally, let's ask God to guide and protect him in his pastoral visit to the Philippines this month.
***
May the good Lord have mercy on the souls of Josephine Darang, Ricardo Leyson, and Estelle Carson. These three have passed away towards the end of last year. Ms. Darang was a columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer known for her fervor in spreading various devotions to our Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the saints. One time, she wrote an article in our annual "The Seven Last Words" online devotion. She also helped us publicize this and other projects. Mr. Leyson was the father of Richard Leyson, former President of Tanghalang Anluwage, Inc. Ms. Carson was an elderly fellow parishioner here in Bulwell whose gentleness and smiling face have often touched me. May they rest in peace! My sincerest condolences to the bereaved families.
The merry month of May in the UK always has 2 public holidays (commonly known as bank holidays) held on the first and last Mondays of this month. While the former is called 'May Day Bank Holiday', the latter is know as 'Spring Bank Holiday'.
May is the month when everything comes to life. Leaves that have fallen from trees last autumn have been replaced by new, verdant ones. Flowers start to bloom. Birds who may have migrated to safer areas during winter have returned chirping. More time for gardening indeed! More sunshine? Well, there were days this month that you would describe as 'glorious' rather than 'gloomy'. (It's back to the gloomy weather these past few days, but that's another story!)
For me, these 2 bank holidays were occasions when I got engaged with nature. During the May Day Bank Holiday, we (Nidz, Chiara, and me) went to Floralands Garden Centre (http://www.floralands.co.uk/), a 15-20 minute drive from our home. Together with Bon Frio, one of our friends, his kids Miguel and Megan, and my god daughters Nadine Sulit and Julia Rapada, we walked through a huge parcel of land where there was a playground we rode on a small train, to the kids' amazement. The route was full of greenery. Afterwards, we walked to the farm where we found and fed animals such as pigs, calves, donkeys, sheep, ducks, rabbits, chicken, goats, etc.
The pigs and calves were asleep when we went there in spite the kids shouting at them to wake them up. I enjoyed feeding the donkeys. At first, the kids were afraid to place food on their hand and offer it to the animals. But when they saw me feeding them, they were enthused. Pointing at one of the donkeys, I told Chiara "That's St Joseph's car" explaining to the little one that there were no other means of transport during his time except donkeys (or other similar animals such as horses and camels).
We later moved to another another area of the farm where plants and garden décor of various sizes and shapeswere on sale. We concluded the day with a meal courtesy of our friends Susan and Meng Sulit.
Fast forward now. Just a few days ago, some members of our rosary group paid the Poor Clare Monastery (http://www.poorclaresnottingham.org.uk/) a visit. As suggested by Fr Gerry Murphy, our Parish Priest, we went there help the sisters spruce up their 'guest wing' garden. Days previous to our gardening outreach, the sun was in its glory. However, the forecast for that Monday wasn't good. We prayed to St Clare for a good weather. As I woke up that Monday, the sun has already appeared. I smiled and got myself ready. After packing things up, we went to pick up a Julia and brought her and Chiara to the Sulits who kindly agreed to look after them. Other friends also brought their kids there. We picked up 3 friends Juliet Talanay, her daughter Maxille Anne, and Jona Estioso; collected food from another friend Rachelle Abrera, and then made our way to the monastery. We were welcomed by Sr Francis who has to dash off for the Mass. Geoff and Ana Caingcoy, Bon Frio, Chris and Mary Ann Provida, and Jude Amamio and kids Anton and Lulu came in succession. All in all, we were 13. After a short prayer in front of a statue of Our Lady, we buckled down to work. Both Fr Gerry and Mother Mercy came to see us later and thanked us for our assistance. Mother Mercy has previously told us that the area we'll be working on was the garden for guests (Fr Gerry called it "The Guest Wing"). Some of its former guests have donated benches or decorated a portion of it in memory of a deceased loved one. I saw a bench dedicated to Anne Lokes, an admired parishioner.
The work we did ranged from getting rid of weeds to trimming some plants; from cutting tree branches to tidying up the area. By late afternoon, it started to rain. Yet, we all carried on, maintaining that lively Filipino way of working. Mother Mercy came to see us again and she kept on thanking us, remarking that the area now "...looks like (a garden proper to a) monastery". She said "Salamat" and "God bless you". When I bade her goodbye, she assured me of the nuns' prayers for our group.
The story didn't end there though. After leaving the monastery, we headed to the parish hall where Fr Gerry asked us to weed out the wall connecting the hall and the monastery. It was still drizzling, yet we kept our focus weeding out the wall and trimming some plants by the pavement.
Like in the previous bank holiday, we had a small salu-salo at the Sulits' residence. I slept that night thankful to the Lord for guiding us in our outreach and for the goodness of people who looked after our kids or prepared food.
These bank holidays in May have made me realize how good God is by creating such a wonderful world for us to behold and, more importantly, to look after. Be it feeding animals or gardening, these activities allow us to be part of God's creative role - collectively or individually, rain or shine!
One evening, Chiara and I were at the dining room. She was busy watching some kids' show through her BlackBerry Tablet while I was concentrating on a article for the web. Suddenly, she laughed quite loudly. At first, I was annoyed, but thought to myself: "When was the last time I laughed out loud?". I realized I haven't been laughing as frequently as I used to be. Filipinos are usually a happy people. We smile, we laugh, we make jokes out of almost anything to the point that it can become offensive to individuals and other cultures. There was a joke during the Martial Law years that went like this. There were two people on board a plane. One of them said to the other, "Throw money from the plane so that people would be happy." "No," said the other, "Throw Marcos out of the plane and that will make the people happy!" As a people we have a funny bone that could easily be tickled by the likes of Dolphy (RIP), TVJ (Tito, Vic, and Joey), Vice Ganda, etc. Making us laugh, I found out isn't just comedians' job. Even politicians and men of the cloth have devised ways to draw laughter from their audience. What's this on Facebook about a joke made by the feisty Senator Mirian Defensor-Santiago? "Kung mahal mo ang isang tao, ipaglaban mo. Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, paglabanin mo." There is an incident that happened when I was a teenager that still makes me laugh out loud every time I remember it: Mommy Rosie paid her older sister Tia Lils a visit. When she was about to leave, Tia Lils asked us 4 boys -- my brother Gio, my cousins Erwin and Eldin (Tia Lils' sons), and I - to get Mommy a tricycle as she needs to go to another place. No one seemed interested to go out and walk about 40-45 yards away to get a tricycle. Besides, it was quite a sunny, hot afternoon. Later, I realized nothing's going to happen if all of us would ignore my aunt's request. So I walked to the tricycle station and got a vehicle for my aunt. As I was approaching the house, I saw Tia Lils outside. When I got down from the tricycle, she told me that Mommy has left - riding a tricycle that someone else brought (I think it was Gio or Erwin who beat us to it!). She wasn't finished talking when we saw another tricycle making its way to the house with Eldin on it! Instead of being crossed, my aunt and us just laughed at our folly! It has been said that "Laughter is the best medicine". If it is, then we should have more of it, otherwise life would be an unbearable burden.
***
A few days ago, I received a letter from Sr. Mary Francis O'Connor, a nun from the Convent of Poor Clares in Arundel. She used to be Mother Mary Francis when she was the Abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery in Bulwell. I printed her a copy of my article last week. She wrote: "It was good to hear of all you are doing on your...is it 'web site', it must be helping many people. May God bless and help you in your work for Him. There is so much harmful rubbish published today." Thanks, Sister!
When we were moving from the Sherwood area to the Bestwood area in Nottingham almost 10 years ago, one of the first things I thought of was where is the church located. By doing some Google-search, I found where the church is located. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish has its own website and I surfed through it, enjoying the pictures of the church on display in the web. I left a message on the web's guest book.
We moved eventually to Bestwood, started to worship at Our Lady's, and got to know more the people there. Out of the blue, someone sent me an e-mail welcoming me to the parish. No, it wasn't the parish priest. Nor was it someone from the parish pastoral council. It was one Sr Margaret, a nun from the Poor Clare Monastery which just next door to the parish church. I was surprised and, at the same time, touched by Sister's gesture. Surprised because, based on what I was told in the Philippines, Poor Clare nuns don't interact with people outside their convent. Touched because, in spite of that 'border' between those inside the monastery and outside, I felt being one with her community. That oneness continues till this day.
My family sees the sisters as a part of our support system. We contact them every time we need prayers, for ourselves or for others. So much is our closeness to them that we named our daughter Chiara Francesca, after Saints Clare and Francis, the founder of the Poor Clares and the Franciscans respectively. When Chiara was baptised, the sisters at that time (Mother Mary Francis and Sr Margaret) were unable to attend the ceremony, but they gave her numerous gifts.
On another occasion, while visiting the sisters at Christmastime in 2009, Mother Mary Francis gave her rosary to Chiara - she saw that the little girl was getting uneasy then. I thought she just gave it to her to play with so I returned it to her before going home. She told me to keep it, for my daughter. Little did I know that that would be our last meeting - both sisters moved to another monastery south of England early the following year. We still continue to keep in touch through letters.
Even though there was a change in leadership and composition of the monastery, the sisters have continued to show the same kindness and warmth to us. Mother Mercy, the present Abbess, is very complimentary to the Filipino Rosary Crusade-Nottingham North. She once took Chiara by the hand and brought her to their chapel to show her a statue of St Clare. Both of them knelt and prayed in front of the woman's statue. Last Christmas, the sisters gave our group a box of cakes and, a doll for Chiara!
St Clare's rule for her order is "to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience,without possessing anything as my own and in chastity". "Without possessing anything as my own". For the materialistic this is unthinkable. For the selfish this is suicide. For the power-hungry this is madness. Strangely, St Clare and her daughters (mind you, they have been in existence for the last 801 years!) shame those whose notion of happiness is to acquire or worse hoard material things. I suddenly remembered Msgr David Forde's punchline in his homily last Sunday: "Enjoy your wealth, but don't let it control you". Gifts, a rosary, a box of cakes, a doll, prayers. Whatever the nuns gave, they gave cheerfully. St Clare and her daughters through the ages mirror Jesus who "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Thank you, Poor Clare sisters (be it in Bulwell, Arundel, or elsewhere) for your generosity of heart, simplicity of spirit, humble service, and joyful friendship. May our faithful Lord bless you always through the intercession of St Clare! Happy feast day this 11th of August!
I once told my wife of my dream of organizing the Rosary devotion among Filipinos in Nottingham, similar to the Block Rosary we had at home. She shared in my aspiration. That dream took two years to be realized though.
27th June 2009, feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, I had a chat with my friend and kumpare Ronald Abrera about my plan which he showed interest in. I began to do some brainstorming, some reflection, and some prayers.
One summer afternoon in July, as we paid Jackie Rapada a visit, I intimated my dream to Precy Lagman, an experienced organiser of our annual Christmas party and other events. Ate Precy liked the idea and assured me of her support by starting to contact other Pinoys. Originally we planned to have the Rosary across the whole of Nottingham, but felt it was too ambitious. We had another meeting with other interested kababayans and, looking at the interest we have gathered, found that we could have the devotion in the Bestwood and Daybrook Areas of the city. Participating families’ availabilities were ironed out and towards the end of the same month the timetable was finalized.
An image of the Immaculate Heart Mary that will be brought from one home to another was purchased from the Poor Clare Sisters Repository in Bulwell along with rosaries, a candle, and prayer leaflets. Luckily I (and other parishioners) managed to track down Fr Paul, who was having tea that time, and asked him to bless the religious articles bought.
1st October came and that dream started to unravel before my eyes. People gathered to pray at the Lagman and Rapada Residence. At a 3 or 4 night-intervals the image of Our Lady (along with a Crucifix from the Lagmans) was transferred to another house. As of this writing, we are already on our 7th house! As you can see, each home and the happenings thereof have been featured as news items in our web of which we are receiving a number of positive feedbacks on the group’s devotion. Our parish newsletter has also included this as part of its announcements for two weeks in a row.
October is nearly complete. We still have 2 homes left before we have our Closing Event on the 31st. Yet as early as now I am very, very grateful to the Lord for blessing this dream. Thanks too to Mama Mary whose unrelenting guidance was there from Day 1.
Credit also goes to my own family for their support and for the 9 families and other kababayans whose faith, resiliency, patience, understanding, cooperation, and zeal have contributed in more ways than one to make this devotion vibrant and successful. I look forward to next year working with these wonderful people, attracting more members, and propagating much better this devotion to Our Lady.
Kristina, my youngest sister, once commented how touched she was to see how we Pinoys have been supportive of one another. Through the Rosary devotion, we have made ourselves rooted in prayer. And having that foundation, I believe, we would be more able to reach out to others - the way the Lord would want it to be. In the process, others would truly recognize us as Mary’s sons and daughters.
Catching up on the loads of mail we received when we were away for our trip to the Philippines 2 years ago, we were surprised to hear that Msgr David Forde was leaving our parish on the first weeks of January. One Saturday evening, we attended the Mass which would be the first one to be presided over by Msgr Forde’s successor – the youthful Fr Paul Newman. During his homily he gave a short introduction of who he was. We learned that he had that calling to the priesthood at an early age and was previously assigned to the Diocese’s Youth Centre (a.k.a. The Briars).
What touched me during his homily was his awareness of working together for the good of the parish (parishes actually as he is also looking after the neighbouring Divine Infant of Prague Parish). People would have looked up on their parish priests as the source of all knowledge and direction in the life of the Christian community. But for me, listening to Fr Paul, made me realize that he’s one who wishes to engage with all parishioners and allow them to contribute in their own way for the growth of the parish.
Indeed, in his first few months he mobilised the people (including the Poor Clare sisters) in raising funds for the refurbishment of the church. By the end of 2007, Our Lady’s was ready to celebrate Christmas with the walls, beams, Our Lady’s image and the crucifix being repainted, a new carpet was installed for the sanctuary, and the patio being remodelled to name a few.
Realising the cultural diversity of Our Lady’s Parish and the need to celebrate this, he initiated in September 2007an international cuisine event featuring the various international meals prepared by parishioners. Two days later, the Sunday Mass was so special as readings and the Bidding Prayers (a.k.a. Prayer of the Faithful) were said in various languages. I had the privilege of proclaiming the Second Reading in Filipino. Inspired by this gesture, I proposed that our website be included in the parish’s website as a link and vice-versa. Through this partnership both communities have been supporting each other since then. Fr Paul was also involved in this Holy Week's "The Seven Last Words" project.
His engagement with people includes the little ones too. Every time those attending the Children’s Liturgy come back from the sacristy to present what they have discussed and worked on in their liturgy, Fr Paul makes it a point not only to talk to the facilitators, but most especially to the children, offering them praise and encouragement.
I have often heard Fr Paul address me as “My friend” to which I am very grateful for.
Fr Paul, as you celebrate your 20th Anniversary as a priest on 20th July, may you continue to be that friend who would inspire us in bringing God’s love to His people so that more and more souls would come together to praise and serve Him.
Ad multos annos!
***
Best wishes too go to Msgr Mario Enriquez, former parish priest of St Joseph Parish de Gagalangin, who celebrates his 29th Sacerdotal Ordination Anniversary this 18th July.
Msgr Mar, as you would know, has been instrumental in establishing our organization in that parish. He has been a source of guidance and strength when the group was at its infancy stage.
Like Fr Paul, he has also whipped the community into shape by promoting lay empowerment which saw more lay faithful participating in the affairs of the parish via the Worship, Education, Service, Temporalities, and Youth (WESTY) committees of the Parish Pastoral Council and the historical Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV)which fielded an enormous number of youth parishioners (that included me!)to volunteer in ensuring a clean and honest national and local elections way back in 1992.
One Saturday evening, we attended the Mass which would be the first one to be presided over by Msgr Forde’s successor – the youthful Fr Paul Newman. During his homily he gave a short introduction of who he was. We learned that he had that calling to the priesthood at an early age and was previously assigned to the Diocese’s Youth Centre (a.k.a. The Briars).