Devotees flock to Lipa for Virgin’s birthday

FORTY-EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the postulant Teresing Castillo on Sept. 12, 1948 in the garden of the Carmelite monastery in Lipa, Batangas, thousands joined the pilgrimage to the blessed place last Sept. 12.

They prayed for peace and celebrated the feast of the holy name of Mary.

Sept. 12 was declared National Day of Prayer, Reparation and Consecration by President Macapagal-Arroyo. Whether the influx of devotees to Lipa, where the image of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace is enshrined in the monastery chapel, would finally move the Philippine church hierarchy into declaring the apparitions as authentic and true is another matter.
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) led the call “let us go to Mary” and pleaded for peace and harmony.

CBCP declared 2006 as “Year of Social Concern” dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles expressed his personal belief in the Lipa apparitions. He said, as a young seminarian, he visited Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace in her chapel. He asked for “forgiving the past [when the devotion to her was stopped in 1951] and going on to honor Mary and love her as our Mother.”

Fr. Melvin Castro launched the Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace during the Sept. 12 Mass at the grounds of the Carmelite Monastery. It will work for the approval and recognition of the Lipa apparitions.

Our Lady’s presence
Sometime in 2003, Danny Dolor brought me to Tayabas, Quezon to show me the tomb of Bishop Alfredo Obviar, founder of the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese and the first bishop of Lipa.
We dropped by the Carmelite monastery and were able to go inside the garden where Our Lady appeared to Sister Teresing.

Immediately I could feel Our Lady’s presence by the warm feeling that enveloped me. I fell to my knees as if told it was holy ground.

Danny Dolor knelt, too, and we prayed for a while.

Book of miracles
When Mama Mary wants something to happen, it will happen. Such was the case with this writer’s “Purely Personal Book of Miracles” launched Sept. 8 at Manila Manor Hotel. The book is a collection of my columns published in the Inquirer the past 18 years.

Bishop Joel Baylon flew from Masbate to concelebrate the Thanksgiving Mass with Fr. Vir Mendoza of General Trias, Cavite; Fr. Diwane Cacao of the Sancti Dei Healing Center in Lopez Village, Los Baños, Laguna; Fr. Bernie Diaz of St. Vincent Seminary and former rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal; Msgr. Samuel Baculi of the Basilica of Piat in Cagayan Valley; and two Vietnamese priests.

Bobby Caballero was emcee. An icon of Our Lady of Piat on tarpaulin hung in the back. Tall flower arrangements came from the Society of St. Expeditus, Eucharistic Adorers League and Maris Dizon.

The beautiful High Mass was made more solemn by the Boses ng Diyos all-male choir brought by Tess Alsua, sister of Mark Jimenez. At least 200 friends celebrated with me.

I cried as I recounted how I suffered achalasia for five years before I wrote my first column “The Miracle of Our Lady of Manaoag in my Life.” Achalasia prevented me from having food normally.

The miracle came when Dr. William Olalia of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital operated on me in 1985. My Lola Cela prayed to “Apo Baket” (Our Lady of Manaoag) during those five years, my brother Joe told me after the operation.

So I told friends not to stop praying and not to give up. I kept praying until the miracle happened. Sound Publishing Corp. will make the book available at National Bookstore in two weeks.

Convention
Filipinos will attend the international convention of the Cofradia de Immaculada-Fatima in Fatima, Portugal. They will be led by Msgr. Josefino Ramirez, national spiritual director of the cofradia in the Philippines.

Other places to be visited are Lisbon, Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, Montserrat, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Cavadonga, Salamanca, Porto and Oviedo. Call 5211651, 5211638 or 5211698.

Feast day
Parishes dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy will celebrate her feast day Sept. 24: Taysan, Batangas; Matatalahib, Tarlac; Bahay Pare, Candaba, Pampanga; Novaliches, QC; and Holy Trinity Parish, Barrio San Nicolas, Bacoor, Cavite.

Barrios in Bacoor will join the karakol at 7 a.m. from Molino I. Mercy Naral donated the new vestments of “Nana Cedes” (the affectionate name for Our Lady of Mercy), Gina Manome gave the new crown while Boy Ponce provided the vestments for Mass to be worn by Bishop Chito Tagle and Fr. Boyet Santiago, parish priest, who will concelebrate the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

Goodbye
Former Legazpi Mayor Mely Roces died of aneurysm several days recently. Those who knew her were truly devastated by the news.

I have been the blessed recipient of Tita Mely’s kindness and hospitality when I covered the Ibalong festival in Legazpi in the early ’90s.

Tita Mely supported the arts and culture of Bicol, making us aware of how rich the people were in traditions. She was a very good mayor.

Condolences to her family, especially my dear friend Billy Roces, and the people who were blessed with her kindness.

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