Category: Ministries

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coro

CORO DE SAN ANTONIO by Amelita D. Guevara

As the Coro continues to prepare Theodor Dubois’ Seven Last Words for Good Friday, a leading Filipino Baritone based abroad announced that he would be here for Holy Week. Andrew Fernando will be such a welcome addition to the rendition of this work as he sings the role of Jesus in this work. Our wonderful favorite soloists of the past years will still be here with us: Camille Lopez-Molina, soprano and Ronan Ferrer, tenor. Come and pray with us as we listen and be inspired to follow Christ’s Passion in song. Our three soloists will join the Coro from Holy Thursday up to the Easter Vigil.
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ANDREW FERNANDO
Baritone

Andrew is an international Filipino Baritone. He was the First Prize Winner of the prestigious 2003 Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition in the United States and an alumnus of the world renowned San Francisco Opera Merola Program. He was also a prize winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions in the Los Angeles district and in the Pacific region, the Palm Springs Opera Vocal Competition, a recipient of the Opera Buffs Inc. scholarship grant and the Grand Prize winner in the Pasedena Opera Guild Vocal competition in 2004 and a grand finalist in the Licia Albanese Puccini International Vocal Competition held in New York in 2003. He was Opera Pacific’s resident baritone from 1999-2002. Andrew is the 2013 Aliw Awards Winner for Best Classical Male Performer.

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CAMILLE LOPEZ MOLINA
Soprano

Camille studied voice at the University of the Philippines College of Music. She obtained her Professional Diploma in Music, majoring in Opera Studies, from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1996. She then proceeded to Vienna, Austria where she studied Gesang until 2001 at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien under Prof. Marija Sklad-Sauer and Prof. Julia Conwell. Camille is a three-time ALIW AWARDEE (2009, 2010 and 2011) for Best Female Classical Performer.

At present, she is a member of the Voice Faculties of St. Scholastica’s College School of Music and the University of the Philippines College of Music. She is also the musical director and conductor of the SSS Choral Society and the Viva Voce Ensemble, a group composed of young classical singers. She has been a regular guest artist in many special events in Santuario de San Antonio.

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RONNAN FERRER
Tenor

Ronan is one of the country’s best tenors. He obtained his Bachelor of Music in Voice Degree from the UST Conservatory of Music and his Master of Music in Voice Performance Degree from the Elizabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Japan. He is presently the appointed Coordinator of the Voice Department of the UST Conservatory of Music.

He was the official cantor in the concluding mass of the recent papal visit of Pope Francis held last January18, 2015 at the Quirino Grandstand.

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SYA

“JOURNEYING IN FAITH THROUGH SYA” By Johan Ferrer

syaI found out about the SYA Weekend reading its simple and straightforward announcement on the parish bulletin board 11 years ago. Back then, my relationship with God was through daily prayer & meditation, and attending Mass. I believe I was quite happy then, with my friends and my job. However, I couldn’t say I was happy with my relationship with God. I was wondering if I could attend not just Mass but also Church activities with people I could relate with. So I wanted to attend SYA. Unfortunately, I couldn’t because of scheduling conflicts. It took me 4 more years before I attended. I went to the retreat by myself, looking to reflect on how I could possibly get a better sense of direction in my life as a Catholic.

I’m an introvert, so it took me some time to warm up to strangers. But I felt very welcome and unjudged. I enjoyed the weekend and had many realizations, especially on how I could become a better Catholic. I attended the activities immediately after and still felt very welcome; it was as if I joined one big family.

Seven years have passed, and I still attend the SYA activities. I have become more vocal about my faith, wanting to attend Mass more and pray more. Attending and helping with activities of our Church ministries such as Luke 18, prison and hospital ministries, among others, have made me realize the power of service as a prayer. I have met people here who are good role models, in the way they live their life and with their faith. They are not just friends, they are like family to me. SYA is my faith family, and I have found my joy with them.

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SYA

29TH SINGLE YOUNG ADULTS (SYA) WEEKEND – “My SYA Faith Journey” By Earl Leonard Sebastian

I come from what society would describe as a close-knit, traditional and conservative Filipino-Chinese family. As practicing Catholics, my family regularly attended Mass, simbang-gabi and performed other Catholic obligations. I was also an altar server in our parish and I often prayed novenas. Yet, while most of my batchmates, relatives and friends had earned respected titles within their companies, I felt lost despite having my own Masters degree, an accreditation as a Certified Professional Marketer, a radio show host, writer and voice artist.I have already accomplished a lot and yet I still felt unfulfilled.I was at a point in my life where I was at a crossroads, juggling different things and trying to find my role in life. I was having a quarter-life crisis where I felt that things were not going the way I expected them to – financially, with my career and relationships. It was all piling up.

Things all changed when one day some friends invited me to join a retreat for single and young professionals in San Antonio. My first reaction was that the participants were probably all from rich and powerful families, how they would accept me? I was the type of person who was often found in the corner of the room afraid of conversing with everyone. How would I fit in? But I decided to take the chance and join anyway. Having just come from work, I was warmly welcomed by the alumni of the community and also met my new batchmates. They were friendly and kind. All throughout the weekend, after listening to the talks and interacting with my batchmates, it gave me this one of a kind feeling which was really so hard to understand. I finally understood what my journey was all about. Everyone had his or her journey in life, a cross to carry. Everyone accepted each other, no judgments, no prejudice.

After the retreat, I realized that I was able to find my Faith Family, my prayer warriors. They accepted me wholeheartedly and I know that they will always be there during my moments of happiness and grief. The biggest calling in my faith journey was when I was given a chance to serve my faith community as a team member and facilitator for the 26thSYA Weekend. Just like how the team inspired me and changed my perspectives when I joined, I am happy that I was able to meet thirty strangers and somehow become a part of their lives and inspire them by sharing my own faith journey.

The 29th Single Young Adults Weekend will be from March 13-15, 2015 (Friday evening to Sunday) at the 2nd floor of the Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center. Registration Fee is P1,500. Informational brochures and sign-up sheets are available at the Parish Office. You may also contact Jonathan at 09178367374 or jona.dcruz@gmail.com or Helene at 09178038808 or heleneuy@gmail.com for more information.

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Antioch SYA

The Weekend That Changed My Life By Adrienne Mendoza

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I entered Antioch with no expectations whatsoever except for the fact that I was scared to death at the thought they were going to beat or haze us (in my defense I’ve heard things about Days with The Lord so, yeah). For the very first time, when people talked about God and their strong beliefs towards their religion I decided to listen with an open mind and an open heart. As I was telling the friends I’ve made in Antioch, the experience for me in a single word would be: AMAZING.

I have never experienced anything as real as I did in that weekend. Going into Antioch, I was confused and I had a lot of doubts with things I’ve been dealing with in my life recently. Things at home and at school were on a downward spiral for me which wasn’t something I was really used to growing up. As I told those who attended the mass, it was when my roommate and my sister listened to me and both of them told me to pray to God for guidance and strength. It frustrated me because I didn’t understand what that meant because I never really felt a “connection” with God growing up and I never really prayed unless I needed or wanted something. The next day, my friend, Kat Aldaba asked if I wanted to sign up for Antioch. I immediately said no because spiritual retreats weren’t something I was into. But then I remembered my roommate and my sister telling me about praying to God and decided to give the whole Antioch thing a shot. What did I have to lose anyway, right? I was lucky enough that the head that Kat talked to allowed me to enter just a few hours before closing the slots – I got the last slot, woohoo! Lucky me!

There are a lot of wonderful things that happened during the weekend but I’ll only talk about three since I’d need a whole book to write everything. The biggest dilemma I had going into Antioch was whether or not Theater was the right course for me. Medicine has always been something I loved and also grew to hate. I was raised in a family of doctors who all studied in UST so you can put together the struggle when I say the course I took was Theater Arts in Ateneo de Manila University. I’ve always been very passionate about Medicine but the pressures my dad gave me became too much for me to handle so I decided to choose the course I wouldn’t feel suffocated in. Bad move though because I didn’t feel 100% happy. So going back to Antioch, the first talk was given by Radito Banzon, who may I add could have talked about a million other things but no – he talked about his future: Medicine. At first I was thinking it was a sign. Then I thought “No. That’s creepy. You’re over thinking.”

The second incident was the night of recon. In one of the stations I stayed at was the one involving forgiveness. The notebook with bible passages said Jesus forgave those who betrayed him and died for their sins. Now, I’ve lost friends through time because of different reasons and one being due to trust issues. One particular friend of mine, who was very close to my heart, broke our friendship because she went behind my back and did things with the guy I was dating at the time. It may seem like such a silly predicament and such a “babaw” problem but for me, betrayal is betrayal. It hurt me more than I expected, I felt like I had been slapped and laughed at by my then best friend. I didn’t understand why people did bad things to hurt me when I for one am someone who loves and loves with my whole heart. I hadn’t spoken to her for months since and there was always a sadness whenever I saw her or heard her name. So during my recon, I asked God to tell me what to do. I kept asking for a sign because I didn’t know whether or not I should forgive her for doing something so hurtful or to just remove her from my life completely. I finished confession and the entire process, still no sign.

When I went home with my sleep group, I felt exhausted and began to come to the conclusion that sometimes God doesn’t answer everything and it’s okay because he has more important things to deal with. So as I’m about to pass out, Issa Barte tells us candidates she has something to tell us. It seemed pretty serious so I was afraid but at the same time it annoyed me because I really wanted to sleep. She told us she had to give us something and we checked under our pillows and I found an envelop with my name on it. I didn’t understand what it was and as I opened it, I pulled out one of the many different colored pieces of papers and there I read my very first palanca. I literally started crying because I was in complete shock (also because I didn’t know what a palanca was). It was from HER, the friend. I also didn’t expect to receive anything from her since she was in Europe for JTA. The very first thing she said in her letter was: “I’m sorry. I know what I did was unforgivable and even if you decide to forgive me I know it is impossible to ever forget.” Now you may think it’s purely coincidence and it may be, but that is some crazy luck. And the thing is, it didn’t feel like coincidence. It really did feel like an answer.

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Lectors and Commentators OFS

OFS and LeCom Ministries Celebrate By Cristina Teehankee


We thank our Almighty God for the Christmas gathering last December 4, 2014 of the Order of Franciscan Seculars (OFS) and Lectors and Commentators (Lecom) Ministry. God’s Hand made it happen … for a purpose … and for a reason. The last minute changes of schedule beyond anyone’s control marked the entry of a new beginning … joining the living stones of the Church to put their resources together … paving the way to share and give … more love … peace … joy … and generosity … to our Franciscan circle of friends and brothers in Christ … our Franciscan Friars and the Our Lady of the Angels Seminarians that made the Christmas celebration a wonderful and joyful experience…

The Christmas celebration started with Spiritual thanksgiving: … praying the Franciscan Crown Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours and the joint celebration of the Holy Eucharist by Fr. Tasang Obico, OFM, SSAP Guardian and OFS Spiritual Assistant, and Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM, MMC Chaplain & Lecom Spiritual Adviser.

The whole evening was filled with energetic pace of parlor games, carolling, eating, dancing and gift giving. The Secular Franciscans and Lectors were happy to have the OLAS Seminarians in full force, together with the Postulants, Student Friars, and OLAS Franciscan Friar Heads: Fr. Cris Pine, Fr. Ireneo Tactac, III and Fr. Mark Adam. We were happy to have the presence of SSAP Parish Priest and Pastoral Team: Fr. Reu Galoy, Fr. Tasang, Fr. Jesus Galindo, and Fr. Serge Santos and other priests and our Parish Pastoral Council Officers Jayme Blanco, President and Edmund Lim, Vice President. Most especially, we were happy to watch Fr. Tasang join the OFS dance number and for being our Santa Claus for the night.

On a similar note, the Secular Franciscans gathered to celebrate Christmas with the friends of St. Francis in the St. Francis Friendship Home Livelihood & Spirituality Center, December 12, 2014. It was good to let our friends experience God’s love through us … loving them.

Our group of friends composed of young families living in West Rembo and surrounding communities started their program understanding God’s Word in their life and with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the La Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino with Fr. Tasang Obico, OFM presiding. Then after, they started the program prepared for us revealing their singing and dancing skills with gusto … combined with games and gift giving.

We would like to thank the following for making these special Christmas gatherings possible: Unilever Philippines, Sisters Nenette Jalandoni, Loretta Galang, Cecile Tan Teng, Dee Jalandoni Chan, Ria Vergara, Uwa Tambunting, Carms Mantecon, Baby Barba, Fely Dingle, the Lectors and Commentators and the Secular Franciscans.

Indeed … the joy of Christmas is being together and working together … with Jesus…

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Lectors and Commentators Parish Schedules

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Evangelization Ministry

THE POPE VISITS! By Javier Luis Gomez

Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines in 1970. Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines twice – in 1981 and in 1995 for World Youth Day. Now for the fourth time in our modern era, the Holy Father will be visiting the Philippines once again! As many people already know, Pope Francis will be visiting here in January – and all sorts of people are looking forward to this visit.

In order to increase the blessings and growth that we can experience through the visit of Pope Francis, we’ve been asked by the Church to prepare ourselves before he arrives. Cardinal Tagle writes that, “our excitement needs to be purified and strengthened by constantly listening to the Word of God, by frequently participating in the Eucharist, by sincerely repenting of our sins, and by habitually doing acts of justice and love.” Each and every one of us needs to prepare ourselves for his arrival.

Pope Francis himself, through his visit, hopes that the focus would not be on his own person, but on the suffering and struggles of the poor and the marginalized in the Philippines, specifically those who were affected by typhoon Yolanda one year ago. Despite all the growth that the Philippines has experienced many people continue to suffer. If we are to truly develop as a nation, we need to become a people of mercy and compassion.

Pope Francis has shown us a great example already. He is constantly in the news about the many things that he does to seek out and touch the suffering of the poor. Just recently, they reported that he is installing showers in the Vatican for homeless people. As beautiful as this all is, we can fall into the trap of admiring Pope Francis, without seeking conversion and change in ourselves. This is one of Pope Francis’ hopes for the visit – that we don’t just admire but also act! That we become people of mercy and compassion in both word and deed.

So, again we would like to invite everyone to attend our Advent recollections – both to prepare for the coming of Christ this Christmas and for the coming of the Holy Father next year. They will be on two consecutive Saturdays – on December 6 from 10am to 12nn and on December 13 from 10am to 12nn. Both our speakers will speak on our theme for the visit – “Mercy and Compassion.” It is a beautiful opportunity to step back from the bustle of Christmas and remind ourselves of what we need to focus on this season.

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Lectors and Commentators

Biblical Walk Through The Mass


A Biblical Walk through the Mass is a five-part study that provides a unique tour of the Liturgy. As Catholics, the Mass is the center of our Faith. The Lectors and Commentators (LeCom) Ministry headed by Dee J. Chan encouraged ministry members to join this study program. The program which is based on the revised translation of the Mass explores the biblical roots of the words and gestures experienced in Mass and explains their profound significance.

The program started Nov. 21 and is ongoing every Friday thereafter until Dec. 12. Right now the program is open only for LeCom Ministry members.

However, future sessions for the public will be made available next year. LeCom members who have attended say the study program has shown them, perhaps for the first time, why we say what we say and do what we do at Mass. The words and gestures are seen in a new light leading to a richer, more fruitful worship experience.

The study program is facilitated by Francis Horn. He guides everyone
throughout A Biblical Walk Through the Mass with a DVD series and book of the same name by Dr. Edward Sri, an American Catholic speaker and the author of several best-selling books. Reading materials, a set of workbook and book were prepared for LeCom members for a minimal cost of P300.

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Altar Server

To Serve Or Not To Serve By : Jonathan Huang

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I sometimes get asked by people why I became an altar server at my parish or why do I serve at mass? Some would even tease me that I could be doing something else that was fun instead of serving. And to be honest, I never really used to give it much thought. I guess you can say I just found myself serving at mass 4 years ago. How did this happen? Because my older brother was already an altar server at SSAP. So right after my first communion, I found myself serving with him and my dad, who’s a Eucharistic Minister as well.

It was only when the Altar Server Ministry of SSAP was formally formed with my dad as its Ministry Head that I started reflecting on my reasons for serving at mass. For one, I invited my best friend to join the ministry. And it felt really good to be doing something with my best friend that was meaningful. During the orientation, my brother quoted Pope Benedict XVI when he spoke to the new members : “When you’re close to the altar, you’re close to God”. That’s when I started thinking that by serving, I was also getting closer to God and showing my love for him. I realized all of a sudden the true meaning of what we get told during religion class : that God truly loved us so much that He had given us His only son, Jesus, who in turn, gave up his life so that all of us will be saved. And serving at mass is therefore my way of saying “Thank you” to God.

Our ministry is slowly starting to grow with more young girls and boys signing up to serve at mass. It’s actually fun being able to teach them and eventually seeing them serve on their own. My brother once told me that one day they’ll also be teaching other kids to serve and in fact, some have already brought in their siblings and showing them how to serve. I’m really happy to be a part of this and I’m hoping God is happy, too.

So now, if someone were to ask me whether “to serve or not to serve”, my answer would definitely be a loud YES to serve!

For those interested to be an Altar Server, pls. email ssapaltarserver@gmail.com.

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Lectors and Commentators

The Grace to Express By Letty Jacinto-Lopez

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On the feast of St. Francis, Father Jesus Galindo and Dee Chan, Head of the LecCom Ministry, presented and welcomed the newly commissioned Lectors and Commentators of SSAP: Jonathan Cruz, Janice Ledesma, Alexandra Li, Therese Necio, Niña Pañares, Carmen Rode, Raquel Soon and Marie Tycangco, together with 40 of the Ministry’s seasoned lectors who renewed their commitment to serve.

It would be nice to listen to how they found the zeal (and the courage) to stand before the faithful and read the word of God. The jitters hasn’t left me but it certainly helped to:

• Read (in advance) and be familiar with the Readings of the Day. However, it is no foolproof guarantee. Rev. Father Genaro Diwa, Head of the Liturgical Commission, related how one lector reached for the microphone and declared, “A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippines!”

• Come to church thirty minutes before the start of the mass. I kneel in prayer to Mama Mary, to my guardian angel and to my favorite saint to guide and hold my hand. One time, even after I marked the page, the fan blew the page away. I searched frantically but could not locate it (Tip: memorize the page number) and panicking now, I turned to Father John Muscat who got rattled and could not find the page, too. That must have been the looongest minute before we eventually sighed with relief. Whew.

• Let the assembly settle down in their seats before reading. Do not rush or scurry. Adjust the microphone so that it helps project your voice through the vast expanse of the Santuario.

• Invite Offerrors from all age group. Once, Melon Recto Silverio gave me a neat suggestion, “Invite that pretty lady in a wheelchair.” I thought, “Why not?” When I approached her, she hesitated but her daughter encouraged her, “Mom, it’s easy. I will push you while you hold the gifts.” Mother and daughter beamed graciously at having participated in the holy celebration.

• Wear comfortable footwear. A lector walked elegantly on her stiletto heels but her heels got caught on the platform and ka-plop! Chirping birds and stars gathered around her like a little rainbow.

• Remember, we stand, not to impress but to express God’s word. No ego, but just your voice that reads clearly and slowly the word of God.

Somehow, sometime, may our proclamation move the community to find inspiration, comfort and renewed faith in hearing God’s word. He continues to be a loving, kind and forgiving presence in our lives.

To God be the glory. Amen.

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