Canonization masses set

A triduum of masses is scheduled next week at the Redemptorist Shrine in Bacolod city to usher in the celebrations for the canonization of Popes John XIII and John Pau II.

It will begin on Thursday, April 24 to Saturday, April 26, 2014.

The two popes will be canonized in rites at the Vatican on April 27. The rites will be aired live at the Bacolod Public Plaza, at 4 p.m. as part of the Festival of New Saints celebration being organized by the Bacolod-based JP II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family and GMA TV.

The live telecast will be aired courtesy of Skycable, Rev. Msgr. Victorino Rivas, director of the JP II Institute, said.

The triduum will begin with the 5:30 p.m. mass on April 24 that will focus on the life and works of Blessed John XXIII to be presided over by Rev. Fr. Salvador Barcelona. It will be followed on April 25 with the mass on the "Life and Works of Blessed John Paul II" that will be presided by Rev. Fr. Ronald S. Quijano.

On April 26, 2014, the eve of the canonization, Rivas will preside over the mass that will focus on "Excerpts from the Documents of Vatican II"

Pope John XXIII had initiated the Vatican II Council that had opened up the Catholic Church in the early 60s.

The Festival of New Saints will also include a 10:30 am concelebrated mass at Redemptorist Shrine and a motorcade at 2:30 p.m.

At 4 pm , the live telecast of the canonization will begin. It will be capped with a Kapuso Night show by GMA.*

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Media join
Lenten recollection

Officers and members of the Negros Press Club attended the annual Lenten recollection at St. John Mary Vianney Hall, at the 3rd floor of the Bacolod San Sebastian Rectory Saturday.

The recollection conducted by Very Rev. Felix Pasquin, Director of Mass Media, and priests Rev. Fr. Deogracias Aurelio Camon and Rev. Fr. Segundo Chua, III and Rev. Fr. Narciso dela Cruz was also attended by Council of Past Presidents chairman Modesto Sa-onoy and NPC past presidents Ruperto Toga and Henry Streegan.

Pasquin said, “All of us need a time out. Just like in boxing and basketball, all the players are given a time out for them to listen to their trainer and their coach. All of us rush on with our deadlines and work load but we need a time out to listen to our spiritual coach, our Lord Jesus Christ who tells us about the game of life which is in line with His game plan.”

“A recollection is very important because it calls for the salvation of our souls. This is an occasion which we give importance to spiritual life and destinations being sons and daughters of God,” he said.

Camon shared a short meditation on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross emphasizing that, “our being human is not based on our sufferings and pains but in our being in God.”

Chua said the beginning of our relationship with God is through our desire to seek and yearn for Him in our lives.

“If we yearn to reconcile with God, we will have an eye lash to eye lash encounter with him.” Just like Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who wanted to see Jesus when He entered Jericho, he said.

Chua said “Our relationship with God should be a spousal relationship because we will always see to it that we don’t go against His will and that will become a criterion of our decision and the choices we make. Let us get in touch with our desire in God. Let us allow ourselves to be filled in with the Holy Spirit so that when we are filled with it, we can freely give. Only those who are spiritually filled can give.”

Meanwhile, NPC president Carla Cañet expressed her gratitude to the Diocese of Bacolod through the priests for sharing the words of God with the members of the media.

“Our time is worth spending in this kind of activity that truly lifts us spiritually as individuals and as media practitioners. I also encourage those, who think they lack the time, to give this activity a try next year because this is very spiritually moving and worthy of our time on Earth,” she said.

On the other hand, Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella said in a press release that “The observance of this week’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week is a time for prayer, to be with our family and the convergence with the rest of the Christian nation in commemoration of the life, death and resurrection of our Savior.”

He said he also hopes that the entire country, especially the residents of Bacolod City, will continue to trust in the Almighty and, despite insurmountable trials that may arise, never lose hope, the press release added.*CGS

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2 officers promoted

Three persons, one of them a policeman, were injured in a vehicular accident at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday, at the Felisa Road, Bangga Atom in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

Injured were Senior Insp. Benedicto Villarias, 44, his wife Sheryl, 41, both of Brgy. Mansilingan, and Ramil Mande, 25, of Brgy. Taculing, all of Bacolod, Bacolod Traffic Management Unit records showed.

The Honda XR motorcycle, with plate number YJ 6436, driven by Villarias with his wife as back-rider, was travelling south of the Felisa Road.

The Kawasaki Barako tricycle, driven by Mande, that was heading north, overtook from the opposite lane, and a collision occurred, the report of Police Officer 2 Vrian Onnel Paypon, traffic investigator of the Police Station 7, showed.

Paypon said Villarias, his wife, and Mande sustained various injuries and were brought to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.

Both the motorcycle and the tricycle were damaged, investigation showed.*SGG

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Religious concert tonight

A religious concert, “A Token of Our Faith, Hope and Love”, will be held at the St. John Nepomucene Church in Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod City, at 7 tonight.

This will be a Lenten reflection expressed through a repertoire of songs, by Token Lizares, also known as the Charity Diva, who said that the concert is for the benefit of the various projects of the parish in Sum-ag. She will sing her own composition, “Salamat Panginoon,” as her opening song.

Aside from “Salamat Panginoon”, Lizares will also sing songs of love, such as “Sino Ako” and “Tanging Yaman” and will also interpret three songs of faith, “May Bukas Pa”, “Via Dolorosa”, and, “People Need The Lord”, the famous “Mahiwaga”, “Father, I Want You To Hold Me”, and “Mercy Saw Me”.

Lizares is known in the local music industry as a contemporary of Imelda Papin and Eva Eugenio.

Her latest charity concert in Manila was for the benefit of the Holy Family-Bacolod Foundation, Inc. which provides care for orphaned girls.*

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