Inang Desay (Mary, Untier of Knots) Visits SLRP

Image of Inang Desay arrives in SLRP

    On the evening of July 26, 8PM to be precise, the pickup truck carrying the image of Inang Desay, Mary, Untier of Knots, arrived at the parish. Spearheaded by our Parish Youth Ministry, led by Arriane Santos, and our Ministry of Altar Servers, led by Justin Callejo, they carried the image of our lady into the church entrance and into the welcoming parishioners, led by Fr. Rechie, our parish administrator.

Blessing of the Image

    A short procession followed immediately where the image, borne by Fr. Rechie, was carried to its resting place at the right side of the altar. The image was blessed, positioned on its pedestal, and incensed.

    Fr. Rechie led the prayer ceremony. Arriane read the welcome prayer, after which the gospel was read and the prayers of the faithful was offered.  Six PYM representatives carried the novena articles (such as notepad, ballpens, the novena prayer and the pieces of string with knots) to be used by the parishioners before the altar which Fr. Rechie blessed. A 3-minute silent prayer for the intentions of the holy Father and the universal church, the diocese of Novaliches and the parish of SLR followed. 

    After the singing of the closing song to Mary, Arriane introduced the San Isidro Labrador Vicariate Youth Coordinator, Richard Bautista, who gave an overview of Mary, Untier of Knots. According to him, this devotion is being propagated in the Diocese specially for the Youth. It is the hope of Bp. Tobias that it will eventually spread the devotion to the entire diocese. Inang Desay, as she will be called, will have her place of honor at the Shrine of the Youth, the church of Kristong Hari in Commonwealth, when it is completed.

SILV Youth Coordinator
giving the overview of Inang Desay

    It was Pope Francis, then bishop of Buenos Aires, when he was in Germany, became a devotee of Mary, Untier of Knots (http://catholicstraightanswers.com/why-does-pope-francis-have-a-special-devotion-to-our-lady-undoer-of-knots/). When he returned to Argentina, he brought her image and propagated the devotion to her in his diocese. In similar manner, it is the same devotion that Bp. Tobias would like to propagate in the Diocese of Novaliches. 

   It is said that the Lady Undoer of Knots was in biblical reference to Mary, who through her obedience, undid the knot which Eve, through her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace on the human race. (For a historical background to our Lady, pls follow this link: http://www.piercedhearts.org/hearts_jesus_mary/apparitions/untier_knots.html)

Our lady will stay with us for five days until July 30. So if you have time, you may visit her at our church and pray the novena from 3-8PM daily until Saturday when she leaves for her next parish visit.

First Novena Mass Ushers In Fiesta 2016 Preparations

     SLRP officially started its spiritual preparations for the forthcoming fiesta with the first Novena Mass to San Lorenzo Ruiz last July 24 during the 10:00AM mass. Fr. Rechie Gier was the main celebrant. On this Sunday, he expounded on the gospel reading where the apostles asked Jesus to teach the how to pray.

It was a fitting start of the novena as it is a form of prayer, recited over nine periods. In SLRP's case, the novena devotion to SLR starts nine Sundays before his feast.

      In his homily, he expounded on what our important focus should be when we pray. According to him, it is not the form nor the kind of prayer that is important but what is one's intention in praying. He asked the parishioners gathered if they had already had their intention when they came in for Sunday mass. What is our purpose or intention for coming to Mass and praying? Jesus taught His disciples the Our Father as a way of praying to God.

      He shared a short and meaningful commentary of his Theology professor, a German priest by the name of Fr. Rudy Horst on the Our Father. According to Fr. Horst,

     - do not say "Our" if you live in isolation with your egoism,

     - do not say "Father" if everyday you do not live like a son or a daughter,

     - do not say "Who art in heaven" if you think only of earthly things,

     - do not say "hallowed be Thy name" if you do not honor Him,

     - do not say "Thy kingdom come" if you confuse him with material success,

     - do not say "Thy will be done" if you do not accept it when it is painful,

     - do not say "Give us this day our daily bread" if you are not worried about people

             who are hungry, who are without means to live,

     - do not say "Forgive us our trespasses" when you bear you brother a grudge,

     - do not say "And lead us not into temptation" if you intend to keep sinning,

     - do not say "Deliver us from evil" if you do not take position against evil, and

     - do not say "Amen" if you do not take the words of the Our Father seriously.

     It was a new take on the words and meaning of the Our Father, and especially makes one conscious of one's intention when praying.

Fr Rechie blesses the youth

PYM in their dance number

     After communion, Fr. Rechie gave a blessing to all the youth present after which the PYM presented a dance number that conveyed the message to the youth to actively participate in our society and help build  a better social environment in our communities. In the mass, Fr. Rechie also announced that the Sunday 5PM mass will now be the Youth Mass to give importance to the youth and to encourage them to participate more in parish activities.

Lunch at the convent

    After the mass, a hearty lunch among the priests, members of the youth and mass media and Cruz Compound,  were gathered at the convent. It was a befitting start to SLRP's fiesta preparation.

Dehonian Priests Administers SLRP

Rev. Fr. Rechie Gier, SCJ
Parish Administrator

 On July 1, 2016, the Congregation of the Priest of the Sacred Heart became the administrator of the parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz upon their appointment by his Most Reverend Antonio R. Tobias, DD, Bishop of Novaliches last June 2016,  Rev. Fr. Rechie Gier, SCJ, in turn, was assigned as its parish administrator until the time that a new parish priest shall have been installed. 

Fr. Rechie, a young priest, arrived in the parish last Monday, July 4, to take on his new assignment as the parochial vicar or parish administrator. Prior to this assignment, he was assigned as Formator in SCJ's Formation Center in Cagayan de Oro. He also was assigned to the Diocese of Pagadian and served in Ipil. 

He is no stranger to our parish as he attended theology and formation studies here in the Dehon House in Tierra Verde II and was ordained a priest in 2010 here in our parish.

Rev. Fr. Candido Bayron, SCJ

He will be assisted by Rev. Fr. Candido Bayron, a 2-yr priest of the SCJ, who, like Fr. Rechie, took up his theology studies here with the Dehon House and was ordained to the priesthood last November 2014, also here in our parish.

Both of them were supposed to take up further studies but God had a different plan for them. They will both be assigned to our parish and await the arrival of the appointed parish priest who is expected to be in the parish by the end of July.

Let us all give them a warm welcome.