SLRP Formally Launches Year of the Poor

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On December 31, 2014, just as the year was about to end and the new one was being ushered in, the parish of SLRP formally closed the Year of the Laity (Taon ng Iglesia ng mga Layko) during simple rites at the start of the  New Year's Eve Mass.

Immediately after closing the Year of the Laity, the parish welcomed the Year of the Poor  (Taon ng Iglesiya ng mga Maralita), with PPC Chaircouple, Kuya Tony and Ate Lina Feliciano, leading the ceremony. Father JB blessed the  banner for the Year of the Poor, signaling the parish's turning its focus this time on the marginalized of society.  In declaring 2015 as the Year of the Poor, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) summed up its objectives this way: "Itinatalaga natin ngayon ang ating sarili sa taong 2015 ang adhikain ng Iglesya ng Maralita.  Ngunit kinililala rin natin na may kapangyarihan mula sa Diyos ang mga dukha upang ipahayag ang kasaysayan ng dukhang si Hesus na nagpapalaya at nagpapaginhawa.  Binubuo ang Iglesya ng mayayaman at mahihirap, makapang-yarihan at mahihina.  Nararapat lamang na maging kaisa ang Iglesya sa pagpapanumbalik ng integridad at katotohanan, katarungan at kapayapaan.

This year's Year of the Poor comes third, after the Year of Faith and the Year of the Laity in the nine-year observance in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Catholic Faith in the Philippines in 2021. In the coming six years we shall be observing the Year of the Eucharist and the Family (2016), the Year of the Parish as a Communion of Communities (2017), the Year of the Clergy and the Religious (2018), the Year of th Youth (2019), the Year of Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Dialogue (2020) and Missio ad Gentes (2021).

  

A Christmas Chorale Competition for Kristong Hari

Last December 13,  2014, the parishes comprising the Vicariate of San Isidro Labrador joined forces and came up with a chorale songfest to support the building of the new Kristong Hari Parish Church and Shrine for the Youth, under the Chairmanship of Father JB Abellana, Vicar Forane, ably assisted by Fr. Roland Tuazon, Head of the Organizing Committee and Fr. Mark Cruz, Head of the Technical Committee. Various ministry representatives from the various parish organizations made up the different committees. The Vicariate of San Isidro Labrador is made up of the parishes of Our Lady of the Anunciation in Mindanao Avenue, Our Lady of Consolation in Mira Nila, St Joseph in Napocor Village, San Lorenzo Ruiz in Tierra Verde, Santuario de San Vicente de Paul in Tandang Sora and The Our Father in NIA Village.

The 2-hour chorale competition entitled "The King is Born" showcased the best of the vicariate's talented choirs. Bp. Tobias gave his Welcome Remarks to start the evening. This was followed by the Invocation led by Fr. JB Abellana, then by the introduction of the panel of judges. The competition immediately got underway with the Our Lady of the Anunciation chorale singing first, followed by San Lorenzo Ruiz, Our Lady of Consolation, San Vicente de Paul, The Our Father Parish, and St Joseph, in that order. Each group performed two numbers - the first was a warm-up number which was not scored and the second number, the competition piece. Interspersed were some special guest performances by the Deaf and Mute Foundation, a song number from the San Isidro Labrador Parish Youth Ministry and a dance number by the St. Joseph parish PYM Dance Crew.

Just before the announcement of the winners, Fr. Roland Jaluag, parish priest of Kristong Hari, gave his Thank You message for the support extended by  the vicariate to its ecclesial project.

All the groups gave their best and all were champions in their own right, but, as in all competitions, there had to be a winner. Overall Champion was the San Vicente de Paul Parish Chorale, followed by St. Joseph Parish Chorale in second place and Our Lady of the Anunciation Parish Chorale taking third place.To cap the show, all the choirs came together in the Tutti number as they regaled the audience with their joint  rendition of popular Christmas songs. 

Congratulations to all the performers as they gave their best, all for the glory of God and their desire to contribute to the building of the Kristong Hari Parish Church and Shrine for the Youth.

Fr. Nino's Advent Recollection

Fr. Nino Etulle giving his Advent Recollection

Dec 6 - As we begun preparing for the coming of Jesus, the parish holds its annual advent recollection early in the season. This year's recollection was conducted by a newly ordained priest from the Sacred Heart of Jesus religious community.

 

Fr. Nino Etulle, a priest ordained just a year ago, in his talk, focused on his pastoral ministry at the parish of San Roque in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City where he was assigned right after ordination. The poor, the marginalized was where he began his ministry. With about 50,000 families living among the poorest in a densely populated area, he together with his parish priest and a deacon, lived with them and ministered to their basic needs.

 

As we begin the Year of the Poor, his talk was a timely and apt call for us in the  parish to feel for these less privileged of God's people living in our midst. He drew on his daily experiences in their parish. The three of them have seen first hand the day-to-day sufferings and perseverance of these people in their devotion and thanksgiving to God. No matter how poor, he says, these people are, they still give of what little they have in building their parish community. The love of God, he says is evident in this community, with its thriving BEC kapitbahayans sharing God's blessings among themselves.

Fr. Nino impressed upon his audience the humility of serving the needy, the abandoned and the marginalized and encouraged them, in the coming Year of the Poor, to reflect upon God's blessings and reach out to the poor for we are all God's children in this pilgrim journey.

For an advent recollection, it was pleasantly surprising that the audience was deeply touched by Fr. Nino's sharing that they expressed their personal feelings and asked him a number of questions of his experiences in San Roque.