31 December 2011

Mission 143+44: The On-Going Project for the Reconstruction of the Retablo

Mission 143 44 Wall of Dots. Monitoring the donations. One dot is Php1,000.00. (Taken 13 July 2011)

Mission 143 44 Wall of Dots. (Taken 29 October 2011)

The old Retablo of the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, San Fabian, Pangasinan.

Start of the reconstruction of the retablo: 10 October 2011.

The replastering of the entire surface of the concrete structure (of the reablo).

Taken on 10 November 2011, a month after the project was started.

23 November 2011. The priming of the concrete surface of the retablo.

22 December 2011. Refining of the whole retablo to complement the existing color of the altar and ambo. This refining of the whole retablo includes the neutralizing, priming, surface preparation and paint application, and the application of gold-leaf enhancements on carvings and moldings.

25 December 20122, taken after the Christmas Mass in the morning.

The renovation of the concrete main retablo continues...

28 December 2011

Parish Nativity Scene and Parol

28 December 2011-San Fabian, Pangasinan. The paper mache Nativity Scene and Christmas parol were designed and made by Ms. Josie Garcia.

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“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 1, 8-10)

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“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger”.
(Luke 1, 15-16)

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While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn
. (Luke 1, 6-7)

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“They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Matthew 1, 9-11)

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Parish holds BEC Day

26 December 2011- San Fabian, Pangasinan. Various Basic Ecclesial 12262011455Communities (BECs) of the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, gathered together for a one-day celebration of prayer, unity and fun at the Parish Center, a day after Christmas.

Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan and the Archdiocesan BEC Coordinator, celebrated the Mass. In his homily, Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba said that it was very appropriate that the parish is celebrating the BEC Day on the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian Martyr for the faith. He further said that the Basic Ecclesial Communities should emulate the first Christian Communities in their prayer life, and  care and concern for one another.

The parish calls the Basic Ecclesial Communities as Cenacles. The communities have hinged their devotion to the Divine Mercy. They hold bible sharing and pray the chaplet of the Divine Mercy regularly. Some communities have initiated their own livelihood programs.

Bro. Antonio Supremido is the Parish BEC Coordinator.

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Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, Auxiliary Bishop and Archdiocesan  BEC Coordinator, exhorts the communities to emulate St. Stephen, the first Christian Martyr.

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The Cenacles of the Divine Mercy and BEC members having fun!

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Youth Members from Brgy Lipit-Tomeeng performing a dance number.

27 December 2011

Unique Nativity-Christmas Parol

27 December 2011 – San Fabian, Pangasinan. The nativity scene and the christmas parol of the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, has been featured in the Sunday Punch, a weekly Provincial Newspaper in Pangasinan. The following is its featured article:

UNIQUE NATIVITY-CHRISTMAS PAROL–Visitors and devotees are trooping to the San Fabian Parish Church for a glimpse of the Nativity scene re-created in the middle of a giant Christmas parol. The artistic modern creation by Josie Garcia, with the help of the parishioners, is now on display inside the church. The Blessed Virgin Mary is seen hoisting the newborn Jesus in adoration while St. Joseph reaches out to them.

(For the original article, kindly visit: http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2011/12/25/unique-nativity-christmas-parol/

15 December 2011

PRAYER FOR THE THEOLOGY SEMINARY

Construction Project

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Generous and loving God

Your blessings are beyond measure

And your love is constant and pure.

Bless our vision of a theology seminary

For the Church in Lingayen Dagupan,

Bless the work we have begun

Bless every priest and seminarian.

I promise to set aside everyday

An amount for the seminary

I will not get tired of giving

Until this vision is fulfilled

I will encourage others to give

I will beg others to pray.

I will not stop dreaming and hoping

That you loving God will make it happen.

Use me to make it happen.

May we have the new seminary,

When we celebrate our golden!

Amen!

---------------------------------

Pikakasi para Theology Seminary

(Construction Project)

O Dios a mabonlok tan maaro

ag-nasukat iray bendision Yo

mansiansia tan masuri so panangaro Yo.

Bendisionan Yo iyan pilalek mi ya sakey a seminario na theology

para say Simbaan na Lingayen-Dagupan.

Bendisionan Yo so kimey ya ingapo mi.

Bendisionan Yo so balang sakey a pari tan seminarista.

Isipan ko ya mangipireg ak ed inagew-agew

a kantidad para say seminario.

Ag ak nakesawan ya mangiter

anggad sayan pilalek mi so nagamuran.

Tanguyoren ko ray arum ya mangiter.

Mikasi ak ed arum ya mandasal ira.

Ag ak ontonda ya man-pilalek tan man-ilalo

ya Sikayo O Dios ko so manumpal ed saya.

Usar Yo ak pian nasumpal iya.

Oy la komon ta sayan seminario so nasumpal la

no sikami so masilibra na kuma-limamplon taon na arkidiosis mi.

Amen.

10 December 2011

ALD launches Fund Drive for the Theology Seminary

9 December 2011 – Dagupan City. “We need priests because we need Christ.” Hundreds of parishioners from the different parishes of the Archdiocese launching of Theologyof Lingayen-Dagupan listened to the homily of Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas in a holy mass to launch the fund raising project for the construction of the theology seminary of the Archdiocese. The launching of the fund raising project was one of the three events celebrated by the whole archdiocese.

Libro na Panangaro para Seminario

The  Fund Raising drive will provide for the initial fund for the construction of the Theology seminary.  It will focus on the “Libro na Panangaro para Seminario”. The initial drive is also an awareness drive regarding the construction of the new Theologate. It will tap the majority of the faithful of ALL the parishes, chaplaincies, pastoral stations and schools of the Archdiocese.

Notebook Cover
Each parish/chaplaincy/pastoral station/school shall be given a common “book”, “Libro na Panangaro para Seminario”. The book will contain the names, address, amount given and signature of the donor. The book after the campaign will be placed in the cornerstone of the new building. There is no fixed amount to be donated. The book will be offered during the 16 February 2012 Eucharistic Celebration opening the Golden Jubilee celebration of ALD. The archdiocese will celebrate its golden jubilee on 16 February 2013.

It is an appeal to history and posterity: that each one with their donation shall become part of the history of the seminary. The donors will be enshrined in the cornerstone.
“It is not the amount that matters. It is the love we have for God, for the church that matters the most”, Archbishop Soc further said in his homily.
A further more widespread fund drive will follow after the initial drive, “Libro na Panangaro para Seminario”.

Why Theology Seminary?

Archbishop Soc said we need priests because we need Christ. We need the seminary to form priests who will give us Christ!

The Archbishop mentioned that 400 hundreds after the first Augustinian friars came to Pangasinan, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan will build the first theology seminary in Pangasinan. “We need to form priests from Pangasinan, for Pangasinan, in the culture of Pangasinan. We need to form priest with the clergy of Pangasinan, among the people of Pangasinan”.

A Legacy that will transcend our lifetime.

Tarpaulin 2The Archbishop encouraged the people to share and to help build the theology seminary. “It is an opportunity given to you today to become part of the construction of the seminary. It is not always that we are given this opportunity. It is  a legacy that will transcend our lifetime. We will all pass away, but the seminary will remain beyond our lifetime, forming priests of Pangasinan  who will be  ever ready to give Christ to you!”

Palapad, San Fabian, Pangasinan

The Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan has assigned a lot in Barangay Palapad, San Fabian, Pangasinan measuring twenty seven thousand square meters as the future site of the theology seminary.
A pious lady architect who has been a recipient of the papal award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, Architect Susana Castillo, has made the design for the future seminary. Once completed, it will be able to accommodate eighty seminarians who can also take their classes in theology within the same compound.
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has already two formation houses for future priests: the Mary Help of Christians High School Seminary in Binmaley, Pangasinan and the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City.

The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan comprises sixteen municipalities and two cities including the capital town of the Province of Pangasinan. It has a Catholic population of one million two hundred thousand composed of thirty three parishes. There are only fifty nine diocesan priests and twelve religious priests ministering to the huge Catholic population.

As of the year 2011, there are one hundred three high school seminarians, thirty-two seminarians in philosophy and eighteen seminarians in theology. The nearest theology seminary is three hundred kilometers away from the archdiocese in Vigan City, the Immaculate Conception School of Theology.

Blessing of patronal statues

The blessing of the statues of the patron saints of the different parishes of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan took place before the eucharistic celebration. The slight drizzle could not hold back the enthusiasm of the parishioners from the different parishes to witness the blessing of the statues of their patron saints. The statues were put on the perimeter fence of the St John Cathedral. The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has 36 parishes, chaplainces and pastoral stations.
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Launching of Archbishop Soc’s Book

After the mass, the book of Archbishop Soc entitled “Stewards of Christ” was launched. The book is a collection of homilies, talks and conferences since he arrived in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in 2009. The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has embarked on a Stewardship Program since then involving the different parishes, chaplainces, pastoral stations and schools of the archdiocese. Archbishop Soc has consistently been giving stewardship talks to groups of lay leaders who he calls the “School of Lay Leaders”. These lay leaders have been attending lectures and conferences given by Archbishop Soc himself since 2010.

Archbishop Soc personally signed the books bought after the mass. The sale of the books will go to the construction of the theology seminary.

Target Cost: PhP 50 Million

12092011415The Archdiocese is raising the seed funds necessary for the start of the seminary construction project from the Catholic lay faithful and clergy of the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan. There is a remarkable enthusiasm among of the Catholic faithful with regard to the project. The fund drive hopes to raise five million pesos (PhP5M) from the Catholic faithful as the initial fund for the project. Obviously and understandably, this seed money will not be enough. The fund drive will need  to raise fifty million pesos (PhP50M) for the completion of the project. Archbishop Soc said, “Every donation no matter how small is a gift for the future of the Church. “
To kick off the fund drive, the clergy of the Archdiocese led by the Archbishop were the first to sign the “Libro na Panangaro para Seminario”. The Olupan na Laiko na Arkidiosis na Lingayen-Dagupan (ONLA) facilitated the initial signing and collection of donations after the mass.

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The statue of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, before its blessing and unveiling. The statue is located at the corner of Burgos and Jovellanos Sts., Dagupan City.
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(This photo courtesy of Marytizx Apilado Lacambra)