National Pilgrimage

September 12 is a red letter day for the Archdiocese of Lipa. All roads lead to Carmel, the site of the famous "shower of roses" during the late 40s, as Lipa hosted the Third National Pilgrimage for Peace, Reparation and Consecration. More than eight thousand pilgrims from all over the country -- delegations from Davao, Ilocos, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Tarlac, Quezon, Marinduque, and of course, host province Batangas -- flocked to Carmel to listen to the conferences and then attend the Mass in the afternoon.

The above photo shows our interview with Sec. Cerge Remonde, a former KBP president with whom I was acquianted even during the martial law days as an actgive media person. Cerge hails from Cebu City. Fr. Ilde Dimaano has his baptism of fire in covering an outdoor activity like this. This is his first since he took reins of the FM radio of the Archdiocese. We were able to interview Ms. Tintin Versola Babao of ABS-CBN, who was also there as a devotee.

(These photos are courtesy of Bing Recio!)

Emceeing for Fr. JQ

This was a photo taken when I emceed Fr. Jun's fund-raising concert at the cathedral. He'd be holding another one when he celebrates his ordination anniversary sometime this October. He asked me to again emcee the show. Of course, I'll do anything to help!

This is me and Fr. Hermogenes Quiambao a.k.a. Fr. Jun or Fr. JQ. (Fr. Jun and I are both godsons of Msgr. Elias Poblete, now a retired priest in Pansol, Calamba. Our ninong just celebrated his 65th sacerdotal anniversary this year at San Pablo Cathedral.) We are shown here comparing notes during our SOLTARE II in Queen Margaret Hotel in Lucena City. He is so excited to learn how to use his top-of-the-line mobile phone. I showed him some of its features -- as if I was an expert. The truth of the matter is that I still consult people like Fr. Ilde to teach me how to manipulate my own Treo 650 he he he.

SOLTARE II

Last August 21-25, the Bishops and priests of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lipa (Batangas, Quezon, Marinduque and the Island of Mindoro) gathered at Lucena City for the Second Southern Luzon Tagalog Region Priests' Retreat and Congress. Stewardship is the main theme of the retreat. For the first time, we had a teleconference with a priest-speaker. Fr. Andrew Kimberely could not make it so from his St. Thomas More Parish at the Archdiocese of Denver, he talked to us for more than an hour. The power of modern technology at the service of the Gospel!
The two top prelates of the country, former Metropolitans of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lipa, were there: His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales of Manila, and His eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal of Cebu. There were around 320 Arch/bishops, priests and deacons who participated in this one-week retreat-congress in Lucena City.
Here are some pictures taken from that almost a week affair!


See if you can identify priests or bishops you know. If you want some updates on them, just post your requests in this blog. I am willing to provide you updates on your priest-friends, including tsimis (joke only).


Please pray for us, priests, so that we may not only be faithful but also holy priests. Pray that the apostolic zeal may continue to breath its consuming fire in this region of the country. Pray for more vocations to the priesthood -- and to the religious life as well. Pray that these servant-leaders may have the compassion of Christ, the High Priest. We need your prayers as we are also vessels of clay!