Category: Ministries

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OFS

Christmas, the Giving of Self OFS Advent Recollection By Cristina Teehankee

P1140860We refer to Christmas as the season of giving and party celebrations. Most of us try hard to prepare party food that we often like to eat rather than the food friends and family would want to eat, say our Recollection Master, Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM Parish Priest during the OFS Advent Recollection held November 17 at Munting Kanlungan, the Prayer House of OFS professed member, Sis Lily Manalo in Tagaytay City.

Fr. Reu summarized our Advent preparation for the coming of Christ in key words that allowed the Secular Franciscans to grasp its meaning:
1) Prayer – is being aware of God. Every creature is a representation of God. We therefore must be authentic and sincere to where God assigned us to be to be Christ to others.

2) Listen – When we listen, we are not an empty space. The way we listen is normally picked up by who we are and the way we are. But rather we should listen to the way God wants His message to be conveyed to us in an atmosphere of prayer.

3) What is it that our Lord Jesus wants us to give – not necessarily material things but may be time, attention, forgiveness, visiting the sick, talent, treasure, service, self.
4) Move out of our comfort zone where necessary as our blessed Mother Mary set up herself serving Elizabeth.

In summary, prayer leads us to listen to God as He invites us to give the highest form of giving, the giving of self. The Theology of the Incarnation is the expression of God’s love for us in giving Himself to us through Jesus.

God is the one who is at work in us. We open our head – heart – hand in preparation for Advent and welcome Jesus to do His project and work through us. Our life is a continuous preparation to receive Jesus using our head-heart-hand.

There is an invitation for us to provide a home for Jesus. Jesus did not have a home and was born in a manger. Can we create a home for Jesus in our heart, Jesus’ home? How are we going to prepare our heart to be a home for Jesus? What’s in our heart to make it a most precious place?

Our home needs hospitality that will include the hand. It is our hands who do the job. Work collectively to make the environment of our home hospitable and respectable in the spirit of friendship. Our code of conduct in the Parish should be a hand of hospitality to be a helping hand to others. Doing this gives hope to humanity. The Manger is our hope.

The Manger reveals that we all are not perfect. The coming of Jesus is not because we are sinful. But because of God’s love for all of us. Jesus is the crowning glory of God’s creation. If we are not perfect, I can still be a better person.

Let us prepare our head-heart-hand for the coming of Jesus “fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10)

Categories
Prison

“I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU CAME TO ME.” – Matthew 25:36, by Alli Raval – Prison Ministry Head


October is Prison Awareness Month. We are celebrating the National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW) with The Taguig City Jail (TCJ) inmates this coming week October 26-30, 2015.

Once a year we place our focus on the prisoner. Look at how often criminals were mentioned in the bible, how they are looked down upon by society, yet the prisoners were among the special ones that Jesus mentions in his final discourse in Mt. 25:36. The last person who spoke to Jesus was a prisoner. Pope Francis has always found time to visit prisoners. Perhaps it is because almost all of the prisoners are from the poor. We see the poor all around us with palms opened knocking on our car windows, but nobody can see the inmate who is locked away from society and whose palms can only extend beyond the small opening of a prison bar.

The San Antonio Prison Ministry brings the touch of Jesus Christ to these inmates. We have various activities for them throughout the year like medical and dental missions, master chef cooking contest, sports activities, film showing, aside from our masses, recollections and catechism classes. Our biggest project in the Prison Ministry is to bring Christ to the home of the prisoners through a chapel.

We helped build a chapel in Makati City Jail (MCJ) and it has changed a lot of lives. Many of them attend the Saturday masses and the weekly catechism classes. They developed a hunger to get to know Christ more and through the years we have witnessed their deep devotion to God and Mama Mary, and the conversion of their hearts. Today we have been called to help build another chapel in Taguig City Jail.

There are 1,000 inmates in the TCJ facility. There are 20 cells for the men and 4 cells for the women. A small cell of around 50 sqm.,accommodates 40-50 inmates. They have triple deck make-shift beds and 1 bathroom which they all share to take showers and wash their clothes. They have no privacy, no visitors and not much time to move around. They do not even have a visiting area. Their families are all cramped in the corridor if they ever come to visit.Their twice a day mealsare small portions of fish or pork and on better days they have chicken necks and rice.

But the saddest part of all is that the time it takes to solve their cases. A simple case takes years, mainly because they have no lawyers. Seeing them, sitting in their personal space, with blank stares and tears in their eyes, hearing their stories and feelings of uncertainty, fear and abandonment deeply touch and break our hearts and our volunteers as well.Most of the inmates in TCJ are abandoned by their families and so they are very excited and happy to see new faces and new people to talk to, to comfort them and pray for them.

We would like to invite any interested parishioner to join us in our activities and spend a couple of hours with the prisoners. You can also donate some toiletry items and food and most of all share your monetary blessings as we work to build God’s church in prison.

When Pope Francis’ visitedinmates in the USA he went down to greet every one of them and embraced some of them. “It is painful,” Pope Francis said, “ when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities. It is painful when we see people who think that only others need to be cleansed, purified, and do not recognize that their weariness, pain and wounds are also the weariness, pain and wounds of society. The Lord tells us this clearly with a sign: he washes our feet so we can come back to the table. The table from which he wishes no one to be excluded. The table which is spread for all and to which all of us are invited.”

“This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society.”

“All of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from. All of us. May the knowledge of this fact inspire us all to live in solidarity, to support one another and seek the best for others.”

“He comes to save us from the lie that says no one can change, the lie of thinking that no one can change. Jesus helps us to journey along the paths of life and fulfillment. May the power of his love and his resurrection always be a path leading you to new life.”

Categories
OFS

Francisfest 2015 Beneficiaries: St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center

1
The St. Francis Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center is a safe haven where the Secular Franciscans (OFS) of our Parish serve needy mothers and their children living in the poor communities of West Rembo, Makati City. The OFS and involved parishioners of Santuario de San Antonio support, animate and encourage spiritual growth as well as provide livelihood opportunities to its constituents. The Center now serves 12 mothers and their children aside from occasional members and other community residents who drop in.

Following in the footsteps of our Patron St. Francis, the Center encourages members to live the Franciscan way of life by providing a venue where they learn to serve God and their community, and to care for and enhance the environment whenever possible. They also learn and share how to simplify lifestyles, develop compassion for one another by listening and understanding, thus becoming brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Center maintains the twin projects of Santuario de San Antonio Parish Foundation (SSAPF) organized on September 10, 1991: the St. Francis Friendship Home and La Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino, often referred to simply as the Center or the St. Francis Friendship Home. The compound was once used to house the Trichet Learning Center for handicapped children who were taught basic hygiene and education. When the Learning Center transferred to a bigger venue in Taguig in the summer of 2011, the Center immediately started its new mission, the St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center on September 9, 2011.

The Center welcomes members of all ages, from infants to the elderly, making a vibrant interactive community that enriches physical, spiritual and character value formation. It now tends a veggie malunggay mini-garden, a modest National Bookstore Library for the young, and a Friendship Home Library for all ages. The Center conducts Bible study and sharing sessions, summer activities for mothers and the youth, holds feeding program, provide other means of community support as well as participates in Franciscan and community based fiesta celebrations. Very important too are the counselling services, the livelihood and job placement opportunities.

The Center also maintains a Thrift Shop where donated items are available at affordable prices – used clothing, various household articles, office equipment and other useful, miscellaneous goods. We encourage our parishioners to rummage through their closets, kitchen cupboards and office equipment for useful items that they can donate.

Above all, the St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center can enrich our own lives when we listen with compassion and genuinely understand the common problems faced by the poor. We cannot always provide solutions to many of life’s problems but with the Spirit of Christ guiding us, we can truly share a willing ear, an understanding heart and a helping hand.

The Center needs financial and moral support to keep the St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center going. Our urgent need is to provide more livelihood opportunities and a medical care assistance program for our community of poor families.

Categories
Marian Cenacle

Angels By Letty Syquia

1Recently, the Marian Cenacle Group of the Contemplative ministry of our parish organized a talk on the angels and invited one of the few real experts on angels. He is Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P., a Dominican priest and the secretary general of UST. He is a professor of Theology at the UST Central Seminary and a member of the official team of exorcists of the Archdiocese of Manila. Fr. Winston gave his talk before an overflowing audience at our parish center. He cited teachings and beliefs on angels and identified his basis and sources, and whether they are based on dogma, doctrine, traditions and teachings of the early Fathers, Doctors of the Church, revelations made to saints, Papal dissertations, teachings of the Magisterium etc. In other words, he made it clear that his talk was not drawn from his own conclusions but from the teachings/catechism of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Winston divided his talk into 2 parts since there are two kinds of angels: The Good Angels and the Fallen Angels (demons and unclean spirits). Fr. Cabading starts by saying that the reality of human greatness and the tragedy of human misery in the face of death cannot be fully grasped without the understanding of the world of spirits – the angels. God created angels from the beginning of time and being spirits, they have no end.

The Assumption of the Virgin by Francesco Botticiniat the National Gallery London shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics.
The Assumption of the Virgin by Francesco Botticiniat the National Gallery London shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics.
There is a hierarchy of angels in heaven wherein the highest angel minister to the Most High and these are the seraphims, cherubims and thrones. There are those who implement the blessings of God given to the material world and enable God’s will be present to mankind; these are the principalities, the archangels and the angels. St. Michael the archangel is chief of the heavenly hosts. Angels after the archangels are closest to mankind and the material world. God has assigned to each one a guardian angel from the moment of conception and stays with him to the end of his earthly life. At death, it is they who bring us to God for judgment; whether they will accompany us to purgatory to console and to pray for us, or lead us happily to heaven or to separate from us sadly if the judgment is of eternal damnation.

2Our angels respect our free will but when they are invoked, they come to our aid immediately. If we fall into sin, they inspire us to repentance. They protect man and expel demons that seek to destroy a child of God. We have only to call them. The prayer to our guardian angel, taught to us in childhood, must always be prayed every morning and before we go to bed. The prayer to St. Michael by Pope Leo XIII is very powerful.

We may not ask the angels for their names.; only God can reveal it to us. We must be very careful in guarding ourselves from deceptions regarding devotions to the angels. Many deceptive New Age practices have come out naming them or asking for their names or an angel’s revelation that he is St. Michael or a seraphim.

There are only two kinds of spirits – the good spirits or the faithful angels, and the bad spirits or the fallen angels. These are the demons that were thrown to earth after their fall and we know them as elementals. God warns us against pagan practices and their idols that are in reality the evil spirits who are raring to be worshipped like God.

We communicate with the good angels through prayer and never through techniques or incantations, never through spirit questing, mediumship, witchcraft or any of those New Age pagan practices resorted to by many.
4 Who comes when these spirits are invoked? The devil disguised as a loved one, a relative, an angel of light or even Sto. Nino or the Blessed Mother.

Lucifer, the fallen angel
Lucifer, the fallen angel
The story of the fall of the angels shows the great love God has for man, even above the angels. Lucifer assumed that because of his angelic nature – closer to the nature of God – he should be the most eminent of all God’s creatures. But instead he saw that God gave this eminence to a woman. The incarnation was central to God’s plan in the creation. Lucifer’s attitude toward the incarnation was: Non Serviam. He rejected the incarnation because the word of God would assume human nature which was infinitely inferior to that of angelic nature. By rejecting the incarnation, he rejected the plan of God to have the presence of that ‘Lady’from whom the word is to be made flesh, and seated at His Right Hand as Queen of Heaven and Earth, of angels and of men. He rejected Mary’s elevation to be higher than the seraphims and the elevation of humanity to the level of the cherubims and the thrones. All these were too much for his pride and he rebelled. He is the cause of the sin against God because he wanted to be equal to God and to be worshipped. He sinned against Man (Jesus) because he saw himself far superior to Man (Jesus) and therefore more fitting of “divinization.” And so Lucifer declares: “I will not serve. (He will not serve the God-Man.)

Fallen angels have only one intention for man – to murder him by seducing him to pride and disobedience, which leads to sin which leads to death. Fr. Winston, an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila, cited examples of the devil’s trickery which he has seen and experienced during rites of exorcism that he performed and how the devil humiliates man by making a possessed person growl and crawl like an animal.

Fallen angels battle against man’s salvation. They torture men on earth but they torture those they have won over much more terribly in hell. Fallen angels are tortured by the knowledge that they are totally vanquished forever, they cannot attain beatitude, their power is limited by Divine governance, and that despite their efforts to bring men to hell, these men may yet go to heaven.

Seraphim Isaiah
Seraphim Isaiah

Fr. Winston says the devil is very active today, but we have our guardian angels and the saints and Our Blessed Mother to help us. The devil especially hates man because God loves us so much that He gave His only Son to ransom us from death. Satan only seeks our destruction and we must never be deceived by the seeming benefits he baits us with. Let us not be complacent especially when everything seems to be going well in our lives.

The battle of the angels is now brought down to earth. It is now the battle for souls. That is why to speak about the devil is not old fashioned or outdated or something of the imagination. We must be warned again. To win the battle we must know the enemy and his strategies. It is a reality and Jesus Himself warned us. By expelling them, He showed we must not co-exist with them.

The Whirlwind: Ezekiel's Vision of the Cherubim and Eyed Wheels (Illustration to the Old Testament, Ezekiel I 4–28), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Whirlwind: Ezekiel’s Vision of the Cherubim and Eyed Wheels (Illustration to the Old Testament, Ezekiel I 4–28), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
God has gifted us with intellect and free will to choose which side we want to be. He and all the good angels will always respect our choice. However, He has given us all the necessary weapons and help we need to recognize the devil and thus to reject him and his many deceptions, for the devil will never come to us as devils with all their monstrosity and hideous darkness. They come to us as spirits of light and beauty. But let us not be deceived!

The faithful angels will play a major role at the end of the world; they will be the ones to execute God’s final judgment.

By God’s gift of free will, the choice depends on us – which battle line shall we be?

Categories
Evangelization Ministry

ADULT LAY SPIRITUALITY SEMINAR By Javier Luis Gomez

Every time I mention the name of Father Phil Estrella, I keep hearing things like “Uy, Magaling yan,” or “He really gave me a lot to think about.” So I was really excited when Grace Padilla and the Contemplative Ministry told me that they had invited him to give his Adult Lay Spirituality Program here at San Antonio. On August 1, from 9am to 4pm, Fr. Phil will share with us the fruits of his long reflections on the laity and their role in the Church.

You don’t need to look very hard to see that the lay people make up most of the people of God. Probably 99.95% of all baptized are the laity. Father Phil wishes that the laity reclaim their rightful role in the Church and that the clergy support the laity in doing that. That’s what the Adult Lay Spirituality Program is for. It is Father Phil’s effort to guide the laity in bearing the fruits of their lay calling and stepping up to their role in the Church.
The Adult Lay Spirituality Program normally takes place over three days. But for San Antonio’s parishioners, Father Phil is going to compress the essentials into a single day seminar. It will begin with an introduction to Lay Spirituality and the trials that lay people face – what Father Phil calls the “Thorns of the Human Heart.” Then there is an invitation to embrace life and all its challenges with a mature faith. He will describe what it means to be an adult in your faith life. Finally, he will talk about the stages of faith. This will help each person see different landmarks in their faith journey and the role of spirituality amidst all of this.

If you feel like your faith has stopped growing, or if you feel like you may be called to greater things by the Lord, this seminar would be a good place to start. Each of us is called to grow in our faith and take responsibility for the gift we have received. I am reminded of the verse in Corinthians where Saint Paul says “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.”
It’s possible to treat one’s faith in a mature way, and Father Phil will gladly share with us his thoughts on how do to it.

The seminar will be free of charge on August 1, Saturday from 9am to 4pm in the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. For any questions, please text 09175807182.

Categories
OFS

OFS Feeding Program at the Friendship Home By Cristina Teehankee

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It was the 29th day of May, 2015, Friday before the last weekend of Summer Vacation. The day was special for the families that gathered in St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center, composed of the underprivileged mothers, fathers and children of West Rembo and its surrounding communities in Makati. It was the Recognition Day of the Order of Franciscan Seculars OFS Summer Feeding Program at the Friendship Home.

The air was filled with happy anticipation that something good was going to happen . . . each one hoping to be given an award for their dedication and presence in the Feeding Program. The La Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino was filled with Secular Franciscans, parents and children as early as 7:45AM, ready to start the day’s Agenda with prayer and thanksgiving. Fr. Tasang’s homily moved the hearts of mothers and children to be more involved and caring.

Immediately after Mass, the Program started with games for the children and mothers to build up their appetite for the nutritious Vita-Pro breakfast and lunch after. Thereafter, the children waited in anticipation to be weighed and attendance checked for the Best in Weight and Attendance categories; listened intently to their mothers as they told their life stories and eyes and ears glued to the Emcee to hear the winners for the Most Attentive and Family Awards.

In all these, the Secular Franciscans were beginning to form the parents and their children the good habits that parents should teach their children as part of their instructions for life . . . the value of prayer and thanksgiving . . .which can be a powerful resource for them in the years ahead.

Categories
OFS

BETTER WITH AGE . . . OFS NEWLY PROFESSED MEMBERS by Tina Teehankee

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Many of us fear aging with all the trouble it brings. The older we get, the worse we get physically. Our bodies keep ticking away in inevitable decline in spite of daily workouts, vitamins, organic food. Let’s face it . . . the decades that follow our twenties and thirties can no longer ensure long lasting physical health . . . our eyesight starts to go, then the knees, then the mind . . .

But believe it or not, it is possible to get better with age. While it is true that the older we get the worse we get physically, it doesn’t have to be that way spiritually. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, St. Paul tells us that “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

When we are gradually stripped of everything that props us up . . . wealth, independence, health, dignity, beauty, power, authority, control, self-esteem or all of the above . . . we are left more and more to rely on the power the Spirit within . . . the Spirit of Jesus who dwells in us . . .

We are happy to announce that in our Parish, there is a fraternity that gathers brothers and sisters no matter their age to understand a deeper meaning and purpose of life. The Secular Franciscans of our Parish spend time in God’s Word and invest in their spiritual well-being . . . Just recently, on the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, June 13, five Candidates who have undergone a series of Formation were admitted as Professed Members: Rowena Fierro, Maxie Sindiong Martinez, Dolly Mejilla, Helena Joy Pabalate and Gerry Reyes. They see the payoffs of time well spent . . . then . . . now . . . and later.

The lay Franciscans realize that although our outward shell decays, renewal come each day. Commitment to God’s Word and prayer give strength that does not fade away. The older we get . . . the better we can become . . .

Categories
SYA

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING, FORGIVENESS AND LOVE, Black Saturday at Taguig City Jail By LC Fernandez and Ria Campos

Photo 1_Group photo

Photos by: Victor Roman and Rocky Chan

As part of the recent Lenten celebration on Black Saturday, a group of more than 30 volunteers of the Single Young Adults (SYA) joined together to answer the call to share God’s love to a hundred selected residents of the Taguig City Jail (TCJ).

LC: It was my first time to go to the jail and spend time with the residents inside. I was actually excited because it was one of the first few SYA activities that I attended after joining the recent 29th SYA Weekend Retreat. I decided to join the activity because I was moved by the note in the SYA invitation to “spend some time with the least, the last, and the lost.”I thought I would get nervous around the inmates residents but I actually felt safe as I know my faith family is there with me and that we were there to share a moment, listen, talk to them, and most importantly, to commemorate Jesus’ suffering and death until his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

RIA: This was my second time in TCJ but have been attending prison ministry events for the last three years. I always come in a little nervous, because I don’t know what to say and am very challenged in Tagalog. We were tasked to talk about the Stations of the Cross and how the different stations were relevant to the residents and then to finally reflect and write a prayer on the station assigned to us.
It’s always a bit stressful and nerve wracking – what will I say? I may say the wrong thing? What if they ask me something about our faith that I cannot answer? However, when we broke into share groups and started explaining the stations, I felt like the Holy Spirit had given me the right words to say for each station and sufficient taglish to be able to communicate.


Two SYA volunteers were assigned to each group of TCJ residents in order to facilitate the discussions and sharing of reflections on each of the 14 stations of the Cross assigned to them, after which a prayer will be prepared. We started asking them how they spend their Holy Week when they were still outside of prison. They were hesitant at first but eventually some of them shared how they did the Way of the Cross. Most of them joined the “Alay Lakad” walked all the way from various places until they reached their destination in Antipolo. Another one was active in the Passion play, and one of them reminisced how she enjoyed cooking suman for her children and spent the quiet time with her family. With their stories, one would think how normal their lives were at that time, it seemed they had no worries, nor problems, and for a brief moment, I forgot we were actually inside an institution where their activities were very limited.

The reflections they shared about the stations were very moving. When the residents started sharing their reactions and their stories, you could see that their reflections were truly coming from the heart and not just words that they were saying that we might like to hear. They expressed how they related themselves to Christ’s sufferings: how they felt humiliated and gave humiliation to their families for the grave mistakes they did, how they tried to stand up and change only to fall back to their previous faults, how they see their families too share the cross they carry by taking care of their children instead of them doing that responsibility, how some of them felt alone, neglected, and forgotten. It was evident how they felt remorse for the reasons they were in jail. Yet when we shared on the station assigned to our group, the 12th station, when Jesus died on the cross, we all felt humbled of God’s love for giving up His life for our salvation from sins; that there is always hope and a new day to live a new life with Him.
Photo 4_Way of the cross
It was almost noon, and amidst the scorching heat, all of us did the Way of the Cross and recited the prayers made by the residents. We truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in the share groups as their reflections became evident in the prayers they made. Somehow, Ria and I felt proud that our share group was able to come up with a heartfelt and truly reflective prayer for our 12th station:
Lord, unang-una po, nagpapasalamat kami sa lahat ng biyaya at gabay na binibigay ninyo sa amin. Humihingi po kami ng tawad sa lahat ng kasalanan na aming ginawa na siyang dumagdag sa bigat ng krus na inyong dinadala. Panginoon namin, narito kami sa inyong harapan, humihingi ng katatagan upang malampasan ang lahat ng pagsubok na dumarating at darating pa sa aming buhay. Gabayan po kami ng iyong Banal na Espiritu. Hindi rin po kami nawawalan ng pag-asa upang magbagong buhay. Alam po naming hindi ninyo kami pababayaan at may mga tao kayong ginagamit bilang instrumento upang mabuksan an gaming isipan tungo sa pagbabago. Panginoon, hinihingi po namin ang kalayaan ng bawat isa sa lugar na ito. Amen.
Photo 5_Station 12
RIA: I think the residents felt that although they have committed grave mistakes, they are not abandoned by God. They may not have their families visit them but there are strangers who took the time to sit with them and listen to them. I feel like this was God’s way of reminding them that He loves them and wants them to change for the better. Although we may have more to share with them in terms of money and goods, they have a lot of things to share by their experiences and their words. We never have too little in which we cannot help others. Our small actions, like donating a bar of soap or spending a morning with people who need our time can go a long way.

The activity did not end there. Jerome Capili, a Prison Minsitry volunteer and catechist, who also celebrated his birthday at that time, shared his blessings by taking charge of the residents’ lunch. The SYA volunteers also shared the simple gifts of toiletry items to the residents. I will never forget how thankful the residents were after the activity.
Photo 6_gift giving
LC: Their tears during the sharing became smiles and their eyes were full of hope. Hope for freedom to do the simple things such as being able to share moments with their families, to live a new life outside with God’s guidance, and all the unspoken wishes, are what we pray for them. Hugs and well-wishes were exchanged, but most of all, the experience to remind the residents that they are never forgotten and that they are loved will stay in our hearts.
Photo 7_Chapel

Dearest Parishioners,
We would like to appeal for your help and support in building a “GREEN – MULTI- FAITH CHAPEL” inside the compound of Taguig City Jail. This structure will be of great help to the residents. They can have their weekly masses and other activities there. For pledges and donations in cash or in kind will be much appreciated. Please get in touch with me or with our Social Worker Ms. Nimfa Dumago at the parish office. Thank you very much.
Love and Prayers,
Alli Raval
Prison Ministry Head

Categories
Prison SYA

Ground Breaking of Multi-Purpose Chapel in Taguig City Jail By Jayme Blanco

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Last April 7, the Santuario De San Antonio Single Young Adults (SYA) visited the Taguig City Jail (TCJ) for the Ground Breaking of the TCJ Multi-Faith Chapel. The chapel will be designed and built by the SYA community through donations. Jolly Gomez gave a speech referring to Psalm 118, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Jolly further said that, “The cornerstone is what is used to build a firm foundation. The psalm refers to Jesus but I also referred to the inmates. They are rejected by society but our prayer is that through our chapel they can come out as Christ-centered people who will be the cornerstones of their family and community.’

Present were SYA Prison Ministry head Alli Raval, Arch. Pabs Suarez (SYA), Atty. Jolly Gomez, SSAP-PPC President Jayme Blanco, PNP Regional Director J/CSUPT Emmanuel Sicio, DSC, J/SUPT Clement Laboy and J/SINSP Jundelina Jagunap.

The chapel will be designed by Arch. Pabs Suarez. The architecture will have an open design to accommodate more seating space. Further, it can be used for different activities for the spiritual growth of the TCJ inmates. There are right now 800 inmates in TCJ. Everyone is welcome to join the Prison Ministry activities in TCJ which also includes cathecism, cooking contest, gift giving, etc. For inquiries and donations, please visit our parish office and look for Ms. Nimfa Dumago, SSAP Social Worker or call 843-8832.

Categories
SYA

29th SYA Weekend Retreat (March 13-15, 2015) By Mara Boquiren

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People find themselves attending our retreat for different reasons. Many come to deepen or restore their relationship with God. Others are there to find respite, gain clarity, or join a faith family. Some were compelled by a friend or relative to be there.

Whatever their reason for joining, they finish the retreat consistently receiving far more than they hoped for.

Such was the case at the recent 29th SYA Weekend. 24 young adults from around Metro Manila emerged from the retreat refreshed, renewed, and riding on a spiritual high. They were led by this Weekend’s Team A, who served as facilitators and speakers: Javier Gomez, Karina Escano, Pisha Banaag, Stephen Ang, Ellen Tabios and Hani Roa. Team A gave some of the most powerful talks I’ve heard in my life. They were very brave to have shared what they did – all for the benefit of our community. SYAers and retreat participants alike were deeply moved by them.

Here’s what some participants had to say about their retreat:
I met so many wonderful people this weekend that my heart is full of joy and love and I just want to say thank you God for bringing them into my life! You guys are awesome! – Sabina Santiago

My biggest takeaway from the 29th Weekend was that I realized that I’m now in a space of being happy and grateful for what’s happening in my life now. How the topics were arranged was perfect plus the openness and vulnerability of the speakers made us share more about ourselves with complete strangers. These strangers are now good friends and I can consider them as family. I am beyond grateful for the SYA Weekend experience and for the gift of friendship and family! – Argel Tiburcio

An opportunity to reflect on scriptural passages and witness how it affects the lives of others through their sharing. The sharing of fellow participants inspired me by their strengths and reminded me of humility and understanding by their weaknesses knowing that each of us have our own crosses to bear. – Joel Tirona

The Weekend started as decision to keep a promise made to my best friend but by the time Sunday rolled around, it was so much more than that. It was one of only two transformative processes I’ve ever gone through in my life and I am so grateful that I took the leap of faith that was needed of me. Taking a leap of faith requires courage and will, trust and openness; and the people I spent my Weekend with made it easier. They also made it infinitely worthwhile. –Madi Belen

Operations were run by Team B heads Alla Raval and Brian Medina. Workshoppers were our SYA Council: Vic Rufino, Shelli Tomacruz, Marly Laraya, Caran Zuluaga, LM Zuluaga, Mike Yuson, Oskie Dolendo, Pabs Suarez, Simon Villalon, Tricia Monsod, and Voltaire Tayag. Food was provided by Melo’s catering, care of Caron and Paul Macasaet as well as the generous donations of SYA members.

What is the Weekend Retreat?
The retreat itself is beautiful.

It starts out on a Friday night with a group of strangers (ages 21-39) of different backgrounds. Most of them with no idea of what’s to come. They are eased into the rhythm of the retreat by 6 SYA leaders, whom we refer to as Team A. The participants are then led through a sequence of talks, prayers and sharing sessions that unravel their minds, hearts and spirits.

Over the next 2 days, they come to terms with who they are and all that separate them from God.

It may be hard to imagine how a retreat that lasts only a little over 2 days can have such a profound impact on a person’s life. But this truly does happen to our participants – whether or not they’ve detected it. As you can see from their responses above, they finish with a mixed bag of emotions and realizations. Filled to the brim with joy, hope, and love.For most, the effect is immediate. For others, it takes just a bit longer. This only underscores the potency of the experience.

What is a faith family?
A faith family is exactly that. A family with whom we share our faith, values, time, and love for God. Our bond as a family is forged through serving our community and ministering tothe sick, needy, and imprisoned.

Why would you want to be a part of one?
You would want to have a faith family simply because it will make you a better and happier person. This happens because of two things: 1) Spiritual Growth and 2) Community

At SYA, we attend mass and worship God together. We visit and tend to sick children at the Philippine General Hospital as well as dejected prisoners at Taguig City Jail. We also teach young children and JPIC college scholars Catechism. At any given time, we answer calls to serve and share our blessings.

Because of the strong bond we develop over time, it is common for us to find friends, mentors, significant others, or spouses within our faith family. Our faith is the foundation for our lifelong relationships with one other.

Personally, I consider SYA as an extension of my own family. We value the same things. They know me well and accept me for who I am. I can turn to them for almost anything – fantastic conversation, sensible advice, or just some company whenever I want it. They are some of the best people I know. That’s why I continue to do what I do.I fell in love with the community. And I’ve been in SYA for only a year.

Strong faith families like ours are invaluable to a healthy conscience and our general well-being. And I am certain that they make the world a better place.

With that in mind, the retreat was also designed to be a microcosm of what we do in SYA as active members – mass, prayer meetings, and Eucharistic adoration (save for our work with different ministries). It is the participants’ first taste of what life as an SYAer is like. From the moment they enter the retreat and for as long as they are active, they are enveloped in our culture of warmth, openness, love, courage and acceptance.

If any of the above resonated with you, then perhaps it is time you consider doing something for God and yourself. Taking the Weekend is a terrific way to start.

How do you join an SYA Weekend?
Anyone ages 21-39 can sign up for an SYA Weekend retreat. We are on our 15th year and our next retreat will be on September 18 to 20, 2015. To reserve a slot for yourself or a friend/loved one, please contact me, Mara Boquiren (Smart 09985467175), or Ramon Blanco (Globe 09175201025). Registration fee is at PhP1,500.00; inclusive of all meals, snacks and materials.Come with an open mind and heart.

And see you at the 30th SYA Weekend!!

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