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.

SLRP Launches Jubilee Year of Mercy and Year of the Eucharist and the Family

Last December 15, on the eve of the Christmas Dawn Novena, the parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz joined the whole of the Catholic Church in ushering in the Jubilee Year of Mercy and the Year of the Eucharist and the Family.

The Year of the Eucharist and the Family is the second year of the nine year preparation of the CBCP and the Catholic churches in the Philippines for the 500^th year anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in our country.

Leading the simple launching activity was Fr. JB Abellana who read the Diocesan Memorandum. He was assisted by the PPC Chaircouple Kuya Peter and Ate Lina Tamayo and Vice-Chaircouple Kuya Boy and Ate Heidi Temporal who unveiled the markers.

SLRP Hosts Dinner-For-A-Cause for Kristong Hari Parish

Bp Tobias with Fr. Roland Jaluag of Kristong Hari Parish,
Fr. JB Abellana and invited guests

The Parish held a dinner for a worthy cause last May 15 to coincide with the pastoral visit of His Excellency Bp. Antonio R. Tobias, DD. This was in response to our Bishop's invitation to help raise funds to build the Kristong Hari Parish and Shrine for the Youth along Commonwealth Avenue. A total of 150 tickets were printed and sold to the different ministries, organizations, parishioners and friends at Php 500 each.

Aside from His Excellency, the highly successful dinner was also graced by the presence of Fr. Roland Jaluag, parish priest of Kristong Hari. A short video clip of the proposed shrine was shown after the dinner proper. Kuya Peter Tamayo, the PPC Chairperson welcomed the guests on behalf of the parish. A couple of songs were rendered by Ate Cora Pangyarihan while some from the different youth choirs also helped liven up the evening. Ate Josie Cruz & Ate Heidi Temporal facilitated the program and lady volunteers from the different ministries served as ushers. The project raised a net total amount of P82,214.

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.

Vision And Character

Bro. Vic Gutierrez

After a one week delay caused by the onsluaght of Typhoon Glenda, the 2-hour formation talk on Vision and Character, was held last July 25, here at our parish Church. The speaker for this talk was Bro. Vic Gutierrez, the co-founder of Couples for Christ and Ligaya Ng Panginoon Catholic communities. This is the first in a series of talks on spiritual formation designed for parish workers. At the start, he outlined three reasons why formation talks are important. These are: (1) concern for ourselves. As parish workers/leaders, are we sure of our entry into to heaven? (2) learning the right attitude of serving the Lord. Being a volunteer church worker carries with it a big responsibility. (3) learning the right attitude as a christian servant. Those who serve must regard themselves as true servants ("alipin").

What is Vision in the context of a parish worker? We know of visioning exercises done by companies, institutions and organizations, both in the corporate and religious worlds. But Bro. Vic posed this question to the audience, made up mainly of parish "servants". As servants of God, how do we see ourselves, from a personal point of view, in our service. He spoke of coming up with an image of how we would like our (personal) service in church to be, of framing an inner goal and motivation that reflects our purity of intention. It speaks of why I serve in church and how it compares to the vision of the organization or ministry that we are a member of? Are there more differences than similarities?

Fr. JB and Ate Agnes Gutierrez (Bro Vic's wife) 

He then talked at length on Character which shapes the service we give to the church. What is Character? Is it how people see us? According to Bro. Vic, character is one's inner disposition to act in a morally good or bad way as as different situations present themselves. It is what you are and what you do when no one is looking. As christian servants one must be conscious at all times of one's character especially so that church workers are the target of Satan because they have influence over others.

As true servants of God, having a personal vision of our service coupled with a solid character is not a guarantee that will find fulfillment in our service. We need to also discern if our service is indeed what God ordains for us. According to Bro. Vic, his advice is for one to PRAY, PRAY and PRAY for guidance that God shall continue to enlighten us on the right service.    

 And in all of these, he said that church service, be it in organizations and ministries, requires OBEDIENCE - obedience to the will of God and obedience to our leaders. This is the only way for us to serve, in complete obedience, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed us by obeying the Father even unto death. He did share some anecdotes and personal experiences in his almost 40 years of service to the Lord.

The next formation talk is scheduled for the 22nd of August, 2014 with the topic of OBEDIENCE.

Bro. Vic being awarded a Plaque of Appreciation by the PPC

SLRP Enthrones the Image of the Divine Mercy

Last June 27, 2014, Friday, on the occasion of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the image of the Divine Mercy was enthroned in a solemn ceremony officiated by our parish priest Father JB Abellana This was made possible through the joint efforts of the Apostleship of Prayer and the Worship Ministry in coordination with the Diocesan Divine Mercy organization. Our parish is one among the first parishes in the diocese to answer the call of Bishop Tobias to spread the devotion to the Divine Mercy.

After the enthronement, a Eucharistic Mass was celebrated in honor of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. During the mass, the members of the Apostleship of Prayer renewed their pledge of commitment.

A simple fellowship took place immediately after the Eucharistic mass that culminated the enthronement ceremony.  

Cardinal Tagle Talks Good Governance

In preparation for the coming 2016 national elections, the Public Affairs Ministry (PAM) of the Diocese of Novaliches organized a half-day talk which was held in St. Vincent de Paul Parish and which had  the theme “We Choose to be Brave: Filipino Lay Leaders are Today’s Good Governance Advocates”. The main speaker was His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle. Afterwards the PAM leaders discussed the objectives, setup and plans for the information drive and mobilization of the faithful in choosing the right candidates. The highlight of the activity was the signing by the representatives of all 12 vicariates  of the diocese, of their commitment to good governance.

In his talk, the Cardinal expounded on good governance- what it means and what it  demands from both the leaders and those governed. He mentioned three key requisites  that need to be considered: (1) trustworthiness, (2) personal good governance and (3) communal good governance.  For him, good governance starts with each of us. We need to look at who or what  governs us personally (our value system) and set these aright before we can choose good leaders.

Father JB Celebrates His 30th Sacerdotal Anniversary

Last Friday, June 6, 2014, in a quiet but fitting celebration, our parish priest FJB was feted to a simple breakfast on the occasion of his Pearl anniversary as a priest. Parishioners, the PPC officers and well-wishers from the religious congregations, greeted him after the early morning mass.

A short program was prepared in his honor. Ate Lina Feliciano offered a prayer in behalf of the parish for FJB’s continued commitment and general wellbeing. Then Ate Cora serenaded Father JB with two songs. Ate Josie Cruz led in the presentation of the birthday cake and the token gift of the parish.

As a gift, FJB was presented with a special bottle filled with pink (FJB’s favorite color) sand and 29 white pearls. According to Ate Josie Cruz this is a lifetime gift to FJB.

A special bag was also given which contained 6 blue pearls. FJB was asked to get one blue pearl and drop it into the bottle together with the rest of the 29 pearls. The 29 white pearls represent the 29 years of  FJB’s service as an ordained priest. The blue pearl he dropped represents his first year as parish priest of SLRP. The 5 remaining blue pearls which he will drop yearly will, God willing,  represent his remaining years here in SLRP. The bottle has enough room for more pearls for FJB to reach 100 years!

In his short message, FJB thanked the community of SLRP for remembering him on this special day. He further mentioned that it was his dream to be a priest and that SLRP is his dream parish. His wish is that the good Lord will allow him to continue with his chosen vocation until his last breath.

Stewards of Creation — Commissioner Yeb Saño Talks on Climate Change

Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Nadarev "Yeb" Saño

Last May 23, 2014, at the height of the sweltering summer heat, the parish of SLRP, through the initiative of the Catechetical Ministry, welcomed environmentalist and the Philippine Commissioner on Climate Change, Naderev “Yeb” Saño, who gave a talk on the current state of our environment. He talked at length of the slow and irreversible damage that man and his “industrial progress” have wreaked on Mother Nature, its geographical structures, the fragile ecosystem and its flora and fauna.

He made special mention of the state of the environment in the Philippines which he still considers one of the best and most beautiful places on earth. He warned of the terrible damage climate change has done to the country – the devastation of lives, homes and livelihood of millions of Filipinos caused by the onslaught of Yolanda, the most powerful typhoon the world has ever had up to this time; the depletion of the forests which is home to many endangered animals endemic to the country; and the destruction and pollution of our seas and rivers that threaten our dwindling marine resources. He explained how the population of our national bird, the Philippine Eagle, in the wild is an indicator of the health of our forests.

He also mentioned the various programs of their agency, such as mass education, environmental campaigns for better protection and consciousness of our surroundings, rebuilding of damaged ecosystems and the reduction of global carbon emissions. He warned that if we do not act now to arrest this destruction of our planet, we shall see and experience stronger typhoons, massive flooding, and devastated lands.

He asked the audience to make a difference and help turn around the impending catastrophe. He enumerated several actions we can do on our own like cleaning up our mess (i.e. collecting and segregating our garbage), protecting the environment (i.e. not burning trash, not polluting our waterways) and promoting love of nature (ie, treeplanting, stopping the kaingin system, hunting, and cutting trees).

Commissioner Yeb is one who is passionate about the environment. We remember him as the Philippine delegate who was teary-eyed when he delivered a passionate speech at the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland last year and went on a fast. He says his once a month fasting for the environment has made him a better climate negotiator.

For those who would like to know more of Commissioner Yeb's advocacy and programs, here's a link to Fast For The Climate website  http://fastfortheclimate.org.

   

Commissioner Yeb Saño and wife Eunice with Father JB and SLRP parishioners

Activist songwiriter and singer Joey Ayala provided the front-act

                                                                              

Pilgrimage to Antipolo 2014

It was still dark and relatively cool when parishioners left the comforts of the parish last May 10, 2014 to participate in SLRP’s Holy Rosary and Community Mass set for 5:30AM at the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the hills of Antipolo City.

Upon reaching the cathedral, we prayed the rosary in one of the adjunct halls in preparation for the scheduled community mass of SLRP at 6:00AM. This was the first time the recitation of the holy rosary was included in the pilgrimage activities. A full complement of liturgical ministers (altar servers, lectors, MBG, lay ministers and the choir) accompanied FJB as he celebrated mass that morning. There were also representatives from the SSDM, Legion of Mary, Apostleship of Prayer, Knights of Columbus and the PPC.

After the mass the congregation gathered for the traditional photo shoot in front of the cathedral followed by the community salo salo of hot lugaw and puto. 

Sa Ngalan ng Pamilya

by Ate Cora Pangyarihan

April 14, 2014 – With only one month of rehearsals, the whole cast of Sa Ngalan ng Pamilya eagerly waited for show time as the minutes ticked by. At exactly 8:00PM, the show started with an invocation through a video presentation, followed by the Philippine National Anthem. And then it was lights out. As the lights came back on, the act opened with the children busy with their gadgets, while “Inday” strutted her way to answer the door.

The story revolves around a family, headed by Carlos as the very strict father, and Rosario as the submissive wife, and their seven children. With their father’s strict ways, the children rebelled against him which led to a tragic twist, leaving their mother stricken with unfathomable grief. The story ends when Carlos realizes his errant ways and takes the chance to change with the youngest who was the only one left.

The play is an adaptation of Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero’s “The Forsaken House”, originally scripted in English and set in the 1970s. Re-written in Tagalog and adapted to present-day setting by yours truly, the play was presented by members of the Gospel Choir in cooperation with other members of the Music Min and Parish Youth Ministry as a fundraising activity to benefit all choir members – to fund a workshop for choirs. Future re-runs to a wider audience is still in the planning stage.

Holy Week 2014

True to its liturgical mandate, this year’s Holy Week celebrations were austere and simple compared to the past. Beginning with the Palm Sunday activities all the way to the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday liturgies, the emphasis was focused on the participation of everyone, especially the laity in the various celebrations, rituals and processions.

Palm Sunday began with the dawn procession at 4:30AM around the five areas of the parish with the blessing of the kubols in Tierra Verde 1, St. Dominic 4, UP Professors Subd, Dona Faustina Village 1 and Cruz Compound. The procession then ended at the church in time for the 6:00AM mass.

From Holy Monday to Wednesday, a simple mass in the morning and the afternoon was celebrated. The stations of the cross were observed every afternoon with the newly installed stained glass in the Formation Center providing the guide for the faithful..

On Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, the Chrism mass was held at the Cathedral Shrine of the Good Shepherd in Fairview where the oils of anointing (of the sick) and chrism (for the sacrament of Confirmation) are distributed to all parishes after these were blessed by the bishop. Then the parish workers gathered for agape in the late morning after their return from the Chrism mass. It is the only day in the Triduum where the faithful are allowed to eat their full meal  before the final fast of Good Friday. 

In the afternoon of Holy Thursday, the Washing of the Feet of the Disciples was re-enacted by Father JB and twelve parish workers (acting as disciples) who each brought a friend, relative, acquaintance or worker in his/her employ whose feet they washed too. 

This year the disciples were represented by twelve new members of the different ministries.

After the mass, there was the solemn procession of Blessed Sacrament within the confines of the church after which it was reposed for vigil up to 12 midnight at the Altar of Repose. Different ministries, the religious and the laity took turns Accompanying the reposed Christ in vigil in memorial of his passion.

The next day, Good Friday, saw the community gather for the Seven Last Words, a reflection on Jesus’ last statements as He hang on the Cross that fateful day. This year, it was the religious in the parish who shared their personal reflections on Jesus' last words. 

Two representatives each from the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ (Sis Eliza Rao and Sis Linlee Vios) and the Missionary Sisters of Queen of the Apostles (Novices Mildred C. Dura and Merilyn L. Amancio) and one from the Daughters of Mary Sis Violy Domingo, a seminarian from the Priests of the Sacred Heart Bro Chris Alburo  and the Sacristan Mayor of our parish Norman Dequia gave their sharing.

The Good Friday mass service commenced immediately after, in somber and solemn reverence. Despite the sweltering heat, the faithful came and filled up the church to be one and remember Christ’s great sacrifice for us. There was the dramatization of the Gospel led by the LECOM and friends in church service. 

After which followed the rituals for the veneration of the cross where the crucified Christ was slowly unveiled before the traditional kissing of the dead Christ. 

As the afternoon wore on and with dusk approaching, the procession of the Santo Entierro wend its way through all the areas of the parish and ended with the evening Vigil at the main altar of the church.

In the evening of the next day, Black Saturday, the Great Easter Vigil, the climax and summit of the Catholic faith, was held in simple yet meaningful ceremony in conformance with the liturgical guidelines. There was the blessing of the fire, the lighting of the Paschal Candle before the entrance procession. 

Then followed the Blessing of the Water and the Renewal of Baptismal promises before the long readings. This was the first time in a long time that all the liturgical readings ( 7 readings from the Old Testament, 1 Epistle and the Gospel) were read and in their full texts. The readings of the Easter Vigil depicts the whole of Salvation History, from the creation of the world to Abraham being chosen to be the father of God’s nation to the Exodus to the Babylonian exile to God’s promise of the Redeemer and His eventual passion, death and triumphant resurrection. This time there was no lighted fire falling into a pile of wood and charcoal, there were no more garish decorations, there were no fireworks and there was no dancing during the Alleluia. 

t was just a simple confetti shower and turning on of all lights in the church that symbolized the happy feeling of the resurrection.

Early on Easter Sunday, there was the traditional Salubong with the risen Christ brought to church by the menfolk coming from St. Dominic 4 while the Grieving Mary (Mater Dolorosa) was brought by the womenfolk coming from the Adorers’ Chapel in Tierra Verde 2. An Easter egg hunt for children (and adults feeling like children) was held at the church grounds after the 8:00AM mass. 

Well this is the first Lenten and Holy Week activities done under the new Litrugical guidelines. It definitely was more solemn and meaningful reflection on Christ’s  passion.