By Fr. Anthony Sargento The month of October is especially dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. Most parishes celebrate her feast on October 7, encouraging devotion to Our Lady by the daily recitation of the rosary in their churches and the different communities. The Parish of St Vincent Ferrer in Sibaguan, Sagñay, aside from celebrating on the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, organized a Living Rosary last October 29 as the culminating activity for the Rosary Month. This was held at the Good Shepherd Garden in the parish ‪at 6:00‬ in the evening. A holy mass was celebrated and presided over by the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Anthony Sargento. The Living Rosary followed. It was participated by aspiring candidates for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan positions for Brgy. Sibaguan. They led in lighting the candles, forming a big rosary. Each decade had differently-colored candles to represent the beads. These were spread on the ground of the garden. The candles for the Creed and the first five beads were positioned on the steps of the convent. The intention for a clean, just, and honest Barangay and Sangguniang Elections were expressed during the Mass and Living Rosary. The activity brought all of the parishioners, both candidates and voters together, united in prayer and love for Jesus and the Blessed Mother.

By Dodong P. Valencia The 15th Marian Mission Youth Encampment (MMYE) was once again held after two (2) years of postponement due to pandemic restrictions. Anchored on the theme, “Mary arose and went with haste (Lk 1:38).” Around 500 participants composed of youths coming from various schools, parishes, religious youth organizations, Barangay Pastoral Council (BPC) Youth within the vicariate of St. John the Baptist and its neighboring vicariate in Partido district attended the two-day gathering held on October 21-22, 2023 at San Jose Cultural Center, San Jose, Camarines Sur. The St. John the Baptist Vicariate is composed of the parishes of St. John Baptist in Goa, St. Padre Pio in Sabang, San Jose; Most Precious Blood of Jesus in Omalo, Lagonoy; St. Francis Xavier in Halawig-gogon, Goa; San Jose, St. Philip and James in Lagonoy, St. Luke in Digdigon, Goa; and St. Vincent in Maangas, Presentacion. MMYE is an annual youth gathering which aims and serves to re-echo the Marian Youth Congress (MYC) held in Naga City last September. The event also commemorated the celebration for the Rosary month. It is intended for Partido students and youths who were not able to participate in the Peñafrancia festivities in the pilgrim city of Naga. Furthermore, MMYE is another avenue to enlighten, harness and motivate participants to deepen their devotion to Mary and instill the significance of Her intercession. As a gathering or convergence, MMYE youths are encouraged to develop and promote camaraderie among fellow youths, strengthen compassion and communion towards the synodal mission of the church. On the first day, Saturday, 2:00 P.M. immediately after the registration and arrival of participants, confession and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament were conducted. A Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by Rev. Fr. Luisito A. Occiano, Rector and Parish Priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph with Rev. Fr. Daniel R. Vegas, Director , Caceres Youth Commission, as the homilist. In his homily, Fr. Vegas, which inspired the youth by “love quotes,” emphasized some key reflections from the Sunday Gospel. On “priorities”, he said that spiritual priorities shall be prioritized over materialism. While he explained the danger of seeking the comfort that sets aside commitment to responsibilities and activities serving the community, church, family and neighbors to enjoy convenience in life on his discussion of “commitment over convenience”. He urges that the youth of today must be selfless rather than being indiferrent. On “ Christianity by conviction, not Christianity by convention”, Fr. Vegas accentuated that a true baptized Christian abides by the teachings of the church with true faith while reaching out to others in need. After the mass, a procession dubbed as “ Marian Walk” was joined in by more or less a thousand youth around San Jose Poblacion carrying the image of “ Ina” while reciting the rosary and singing Marian songs. At 7:00 P.M., there was a vocation promotion and a talk by Rev. Fr. Rex Luis Hidalgo. Formative sessions were conducted on Epic Quest: Youth in Discernment at the Holy Rosary Preparatory Seminary; Servitor: Youth in Ministry at San Jose Parish Church; Squad Goals: Youth in Collaboration at the parish formation center and Trailblazers: Youth in Legacy at the Cultural Center. A plenary session followed with testimonials from World Youth Day participants. A fellowship program among the participants was held during the second part of the program with band and choir singing, creative presentations and “Alay ki Ina”. The Parish Youth Ministry of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph is under the leadership of Richard Paco and Mae Climaco with the assistance of Manuel Moranda and Greggy Israel as advisers. Fr. Louie Occiano thanked the San Jose Parish Youth Ministry, the main organizers of the event, the LGU of San Jose through Mayor Jerold Pena and S.B. Members, guests, sharers, donors and sponsors of the occasion.

By Tere Esmeralda-Medina The Catholic Citizenship Education and Engagement (CCEE) of the Caceres Education Ministry launched SIMBAYANIHAN, a church social movement for the formation of good citizens through the organization of communities at the grassroots towards good governance. The symposium entitled “An Gobyernong Marhay, Minapoon sa Barangay” (Good Governance begins at the Barangay) was held at the hall of the Penafrancia Basilica last October 14, 2023. The symposium was attended by 232 representatives from 76 parishes of the Archdiocese of Caceres. Rev. Fr. Wilmer Tria, chairperson of Simbayanihan formation and head of the education commission of the Archdiocese gave a talk on” Social Transformation starts in the Barangay”. Another speaker, Mr. Rogelio Reyes, head of Simbayanihan secretariat gave a talk on “Community Organizing for Elections and Good Governance”. Camarines Sur Provincial Election Officer Atty. Noriel Badiola talked about vote buying and its repercussions on both the vote buyer and the vote seller. SIMBAYANIHAN or Simbahan at Bayan: Bayanihan Para sa Pagbabago at Kaunlarang Walang Iwanan is envisioned to be the leading church social movement for the sanctification of the faithful, formation of good citizens, organization of communities from the grassroots towards good governance and the building of solidarity among multi-sectoral groups for transformation in the country. The goals of the movement are 1) sanctification and moral recovery, formation and educational reforms; and 3) embodiment of social justice through works of mercy, works of development without marginalization, and works of justice and peace. In order to form good governance advocates and champions, the movement hopes to lead, inspire and consolidate all members of the Mystical Body of Christ: the laity and the youth through their religious organizations, religious movements and ministries, the basic ecclesial communities, multi-sectoral groups and other faith-based organizations – to participate in the institutionalization of programs to form good governance advocates and champions. These programs include UGNAYAN Outreach and Partnerships, KALAKBAYAN synodality and conscientization, and BAYANIHAN principled cooperation and solidarity. A brief workshop, facilitated by Julma Narvadez, asked the pariticipants to discuss how to organize basic ecclesial communities in their respective barangays down to the barangay level. Organizers of the symposium are Vicar General Rev. Fr. Joseph Wilfred Almoneda, Rev. Fr. Marcel Emmanuel Real, Executive director of Caritas Caceres, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Mojica, BEC Archdiocesan Coordinator and Rev. Fr. Tria, head of the Education Ministry.

By Dr. Marita P. Quimlat Thirty-six Persons with Special Needs (PSN) from 6 of the 11 parishes belonging to Cluster 5 of the Gilean Ministry of the Archdiocese of Caceres participated in the recent Second Gilean Living Rosary. The activity was held at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary Auditorium on October 13. The program started at three in the afternoon with Rev. Fr. Jaime Danilo Ll Viola, Archdiocesan Gilean Ministry Director giving a short talk on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and hearing the confession of the PSNs. He was later joined by Rev. Fr. Elmer A. Pandes, Asst. Ministry Director. After an hour, Frs. Viola and Pandes presided over the Eucharistic Celebration. In his homily, Fr. Viola stressed the importance of regular daily prayer in our spiritual lives and how it saves us from temptation. After the mass and a short break, the PSNs were joined by their guardians and parish ministry coordinators to compose the 60 participants of the Living Rosary. Lights were dimmed to allow the candles take the form of a rosary. Amidst the holy silence, the voices of the prayer leaders led by Maria de los Santos and Carmel Tojon as well as the choir with Fr. Viola at the keyboards resonated in the solemn atmosphere. Rev. Fr Marcel Emmanuel DP. Real, Director of Caritas-Caceres, dropped by to greet and give an inspiring message to the participants.

By Myrna S. Bermudo The Archdiocese of Caceres joined the Universal Church in celebrating the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees through a family retreat. It coincided with the first anniversary of KABAKLAY ministry, the Pastoral Program for Families of Migrants in the Archdiocese of Caceres. The Kabaklay Family Retreat had the theme: “Free to choose whether to migrate or to Stay.” “Let us remain steadfast in our mission to accompany and support families of migrants, both those who migrate and those who remain behind. Together, through tour collective efforts, we can continue to be a beacon of light and love for those who seek refuge in the embrace of our Church, “ said Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD., in a circular letter released on August 26. The gathering had 140 participants from 29 Kabaklay parishes and communities in the Archdiocese of Caceres. It aimed to celebrate and thank the Lord for the grace of a year’s fruitful ministry for the families of migrants in Caceres. Held on September 24 at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary’s Sts. Louie et Zelie Martin Auditorium, the whole day event started with the welcome remarks of Rev. Fr. Manuel H. Zagada, Director of the Ministry for Families of Migrants in Caceres (MFMC). Fr. Jboy Gonzales, SJ host of Kape’t Pandasal of Jesuit Communications, Inc. was the invited resource person who gave a reflection on “Sa sarabay na pagbaklay sana kita makaka-abot sa mawot niatong padumanan” (Only by walking together will we be able to go far and reach the common goal of our journey - Pope Francis). The activity was an opportunity to offer spiritual/pastoral support to the families through a family retreat and to explore further possible programs and strategies to expand and strengthen forms of services. The event also marked the ministry’s launch for parishes other than those of the pilot vicariates. The formed & trained facilitators/volunteers were also able to exercise their skills and to test spiritual dispositions. Capping the family retreat was a Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr. Joseph Wilfred V. Almoneda, Vicar General of Caceres with Fr. Zagada, Fr. Mayo Cesar Herrera and Fr. William Santiago, Director of Family Ministry in Caceres as concelebrants.

By Tere Esmeralda - Medina The Season of Creation which started on September 1 with the Day of Prayer for the care of Creation was celebrated in the Archdiocese of Caceres with a Liturgy of Creation at the Caritas-Caceres chapel celebrated by Fr. Marc DP. Real, Executive Director of Caritas-Caceres (Naga). Inc. A clean-up drive of the surroundings of the Caritas Caceres grounds followed in preparation for the tree planting for the closing of the season of creation. After publishing his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Pope Francis formally added the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation to the Catholic calendar as an annual day of prayer. In 2022, he officially invited Catholics to celebrate the full season from September 1 to October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. In the Archdiocese of Caceres the culmination of the season was done on October 2 with the Liturgy of Creation and tree planting from fourteen parish communities. Two other institutions joined the culmination by contributing knowledge on two relevant topics. “Waste Segregation” was discussed by Prof. Jennifer A. Ebona of the Camarines Sur Bicol State University of Agriculture. She presented technologies adopted by the Naga City Solid Waste Management as well as segregation which start at the homes. Also joining the celebration was Ms. Nathalie DR Maggay from the University of the Philippines – Camarines Sur Chapter (UPAA-Cam. Sur) who discussed “Plastic Use Reduction.” Ms. Maggay highlighted the negative consequences of using plastic, from health issues to the damage plastics inflict on human and animal species and the decades it would take to get rid of plastic waste derivatives. The Department of Agriculture FO5 provided planting materials aside from the seedlings received by members of the Self Help Groups (SHeG) of Palestina, Himaao and Ocampo. Participants to the symposium came from 14 neighboring parishes representing the parish pastoral councils and SHeG communities. Expressions of commitment to care for our common home was led by Rev. Fr. Real and Rev. Fr. Erwin Bismonte, Assistant Director.

By Fr. Francis A. Tordilla Now that the lights are out, the loudspeakers are mute and the crowd has thinned and gone. How is Inâ, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, “siempre la Reina de nuestra region”? I’d say her reign starts now when the pomp is gone; when the euphoria has died down. For her “queeness” is not that of being regal or dominant or spectacular. The new Queen Mother is a gentle but relentless force in fighting for the rights of the poor, the voiceless, and the suffering. When Fr. Maximo Juguera, CM, composed the hymn to Inâ in 1924, in time for her canonical coronation, he was deliberate on highlighting this reality so that we would never forget. In the third stanza we find: “Los pobres y tristes te buscan con fe (The poor and the downcast seek you with faith.) Te miran llorando les miras tambien. (They gaze at you with tears and you look at them too.) Al punto sus lagrimas se truecan en bien, (At once, their tears become well) Y a casa gozosos les vemos volver"(And we see them return home in joy). Devotees will be back to work soon. Tomorrow the daily grind starts. Is her reign with you? Try bartering help for the tears of the poor and the downcast and she will be queen for our land, por siempre.

By Myrna Bermudo Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Charles John Brown, DD, presided over the Eucharistic Celebration on the Solemnity of Our Lady of Peñafrancia after the fluvial procession along the Naga River on September 16, 2023. The Papal Nuncio, together with the Bicol Bishops, boarded the pagoda carrying the images of El Divino Rostro and Our Lady of Peñafrancia, from the Danlugan to the Dagsaan near the Peñafrancia Basilica. One hundred sixty boats in four lines were tied to the pagoda. The boats pulled the barge by the simultaneous rowing of the male voyadores wearing colored shirts. Devotees lined along the riverside were praying the rosary, waving their handkerchief and chanting “Viva La Virgin!” as the voyadores rowed and the pagoda passed by. After the Fluvial procession, a concelebrated Mass was presided by Archbishop Brown, together with the Bicol Bishops and clergy. A throng of devotees attended the Eucharistic Celebration carrying lighted candles. Caceres Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD welcomed the Papal Nuncio at the start of the mass: “Together with the bishops of Bicol and the rector of the Basilica, I warmly welcome you, Your Grace, Archbishop Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. In welcoming you, Your Grace, we joyfully welcome His Holiness Pope Francis! Dagos po sa Bicolandia, welcome to Bicolandia; dagos po sa Ciudad nin Naga, Welcome to Naga; dagos po sa Harong ni Inâ, welcome to the house of the Blessed Mother!” Below is the transcript of the homily delivered by Archbishop Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines: “Jesus, on the cross, tells his disciple, John, and Mary his Mother, he said to his disciple, Behold your Mother, here is your Mother, Mary. Most Rev. Rolando Tirona, Archbishop of Caceres, Brother Bishops of Bicol, celebrating this magnificent evening prayer vigil before the glorious feast day of Nuestra Señora De Peñafrancia gives me so much joy to be with all of you on this feast of the Archdiocese and in other dioceses as well. I see many religious women gathered around this plaza. But most of all, you, the faithful people of Bicol. It gives me so much joy to be with you this evening as the representative of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Pope Francis loves the Filipino people very much. Pope Francis whom I will see, God willing, next week in Rome, I sure will bring the greetings of all of you here in Naga, on this glorious evening of this beautiful vigil. Thank you for coming, thank you for showing me your love for your Ina, for your Mother. There She is. For me, as Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, I come to you, this evening as I said, with joy and appreciation, but also coming in a long line of nuncios before me. Going back ninety - nine years, in September 1924, when the Apostolic delegate, Archbishop Guillermo Piani, came here, and graced the Pontifical coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Then in 1985, the Apostolic Nuncio, Bruno Torpigliani, came here and elevated this church to the status of a minor basilica increasing the closeness that you have with the Holy Apostolic See in Rome and with the Holy Father. (On the 16th of September 1999, the Archdiocese of Caceres celebrated the 75th anniversary of the canonical coronation of the Virgin. A Solemn Re-Coronation of the Virgin was done by then papal nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Antonio Franco, DD, assisted by the former Archbishop, Leonardo Legaspi, OP, DD.) And then, four years ago, my immediate predecessor, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, who is now the Apostolic Nuncio in New York in the United Nations, came here in September of 2019, to celebrate this mass with you. He re-recounted to me personally, how edified, how impressed, how amazed, how astonished he was to see the faith here in Naga. So, I come, in a long line of Nuncios. And it gives me so much joy to share with you, your faith, to share your love, to your beloved Mother, your Inâ, Nuestra Senora de Peñafrancia. We have just participated in this wonderful Fluvial procession in the Naga River. In this beautiful procession, in which Our Lady and the image of Jesus, El Divino Rostro, carried in the pagoda down the river, with all of you in the side of the river rejoicing, praying, filled with joy to see the image of Jesus, the Divine Savior with a beautiful face, the face of the Lord, that St. Veronica captured when she wiped the face of the suffering Jesus, and of course, the image of Our Lady, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia. The image of a boat is very important for us, the image of a ship, the image of barge. Why is it important? We go back to the Old Testament, when we read the book of Genesis, when we read about the boat of Noah, the ark of Noah, at the command of God, in which Noah’s family and all the animals of the earth in the ark when the great flood came and destroyed all life on earth. This incredible story of the boat of life which preserves physical life. The physical life of Noah and his family and of the animals on the boat so that life can continue - physical, biological life. Then we go the New Testament, we see the images of the boat, we see Jesus at the shore of the lake, he gets into a boat and begins to teach, teaching people on the shore just like the banks of the river this evening, Jesus teaches on the boat. But which boat will you choose? Which apostle’s boat will you be getting into? The boat of St. Peter? The barge of St. Peter? Jesus asked St. Peter to be the leader of the apostles. To be our first Pope, first Holy Father. Jesus got into his boat. There is a beautiful comparison between the first boat and New Testament boat. The first boat, Noah’s ark, preserved biological life, and the second boat, the boat of St. Peter has preserved our spiritual life. And that boat of St. Peter has a name, the Catholic Church, the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. That is the boat of St. Peter and all of us, who was baptized and came out of the water and into the boat are in this boat of St. Peter, this boat, the Church, this the ark of salvation, not necessarily preserving the physical life, but preserving supernatural life, spiritual life, feeding us with the Sacraments leading us towards heaven. This beautiful boat, which is the Catholic Church, and how significant was this evening for us, has been the boat with the image of Jesus, the Divino Rostro, the image of Mary, Nuestra Señora De Peñafrancia in the boat, with the Bishops, is a symbol of the Church! And all of us, you are all with the Church, of course, you who were standing along the river banks, in the shore lines. The pagoda and the boats were just for few people, and tonight all of them were male. The Church are not converting the male, believe me. I see also more women than men in this beautiful plaza, tonight. But the boat is a symbol of the Church, the Bishops, Jesus, Mary going through times, leading us to the heavenly kingdom. What a great privilige to be Catholics, we are passengers on that boat. How fortunate for us to let children be baptized, to bring them out of the water in baptism and into the boat of salvation, the boat of St. Peter. This is symbolized by the pagoda with the images of Jesus and Mary down the Naga River, tonight. But you know, brothers and sisters, we are supposed to sail like the Catholic Church, with the boat of St. Peter, with the Pope guiding and all of us helping the Pope in this work of salvation. We need a point of reference. You need to know where to go in your boat. Tonight, it was very easy to know where to go, to sail in the Naga River because there is only one direction, only one point of reference. But, if you sail in the Naga River, or in the Bicol River and you keep going and you end in the Pacific Ocean and then there is no shore, it is a problem. The sailors of the past know how to go forward, they have a point of reference. When they can’t see the shore, and they can’t see the tide, they look at the stars. We can see the stars, tonight, above us. We look at the stars guiding us. And we realize that in the Catholic Church, we have a star guiding us. We have a Star of the Sea. We have a Stella Maris. And who is that, Stella Maris? It’s Our Lady! She is the one guiding us. If we keep our eyes fixed on Mary, she guides us. She guides the Church. She leads us. She shows us her Son, El Divino Rostro, the Holy Face of Jesus. Because Mary is never calling attention to herself. Mary is always pointing to her Son, Jesus, our Way, Truth and Life. So, if we want to navigate in the ocean of our life, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Mary, the Star of the Sea. One who guides us to her Son, Jesus. Showing us Jesus, pointing us to Jesus. Mary is our Mother. Mary is our guide. Mary is our Star of the Sea. We have no other star. It’s so beautiful to be children of Mary, it’s so beautiful to be a devotee of Inâ. That is why, I and those who came before me, came to share your faith, to share your devotion to Our Lady. I asked her to protect you, and to listen to all your supplications. Mary is a guide but she also intercedes for us like a Mother. Jesus gave to us her Mother. From the cross, when Jesus was dying, he said to St. John, Behold your Mother. He says that to us, tonight: look at your mother. She is the Star of the Sea. She will guide you. How beautiful that is. How wonderful it is to have and share our Catholic Faith. So, 99 years after Apostolic Delegate Guillermo Paini came here sept 1924, it gives me so much joy to share your Catholic Church, to remind you that you baptize your children. And to remind you to remind your neighbors to baptize their children, to bring the children into that boat (of the Catholic Church), into that Ark of Salvation that fills us life in the Sacraments especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist which we are celebrating this evening. As I said earlier, I have said that I will be in Rome and will speak to Pope Francis. I will tell him that you are praying for him. Please pray for Pope Francis. He always asks me to ask you to pray for him. He relies on your prayers. Viva la Virgen! Viva El Divino Rostro! Viva Nuestra Señora De Peñafrancia!” Before the final blessing, Archbishop Tirona announced the launching of one- year preparation to commemorate the coronation anniversary: “By the Grace of God, and in the presence of His Grace, the Most Rev. Charles John Brown, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, we are launching this evening the Year of Preparations for the historic celebration which will culminate on September 20, 2024, commemorating the 100th Coronation Anniversary of Our Lady of Peñafrancia as Siempre la Reina de Nuestra Region, Patrona de Bicolandia.”

By Myrna Bermudo Called “Pueblo Amante De Maria”, Bicolanos and devotees of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro once again flocked to the pilgrim city of Naga for the Traslacion procession. It has been three years since the pandemic and a void was created due to the restrictions. Thus, filled with fervor, an estimated 950,000 or almost a million devotees filled the streets last Friday September 8 to mark the start of Novenario at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. The Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by the Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD, Archbishop of Caceres, along with Bicolano bishops Daet Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, Libmanan Bishop Jose Rojas, Sorsogon Bishop Jose Alan Dialogo and the Bicol clergy. With the theme, “Journeying with Inâ in deepening our relationship with God in these challenging times,” Caceres Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD in his homily said: “Difficult times should never be the reason why we should remain down. But difficult times should be challenges to rise up again. In difficult times, be agents of change. May kakayahan kayong baguhin ang lipunan. Every time we journey with the Blessed Mother, and every time we deepen our relationship with God, difficult times are nothing because God and the Blessed Mother is with us.” He added that his heart is full of gratitude because the date of the Traslacion, September 8, aside from being the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mother, is the 11th anniversary of his appointment as 34th bishop and 4th Archbishop of Caceres. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in September 8, 2012. The images of Ina and Divino Rostro will stay at the Naga Cathedral until the Fluvial Procession via Naga River on the 16th of September. After the fluvial procession, His Excellency Charles John Brown, DD, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, will preside over the Eucharistic celebration. The Solemn Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia will be on September 17. The image of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia is a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary venerated in Naga City since 1710. Pope Benedict XV granted the image a decree of canonical coronation May 13, 1920. Thus, declaring Our Lady of Peñafrancia as the regional patroness of Bicolandia. The crowning itself occurred four years later on Sept. 20, 1924, led by the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Guglielmo Piani, at the Naga Cathedral grounds. The Archdiocese of Caceres is looking forward to mark the centennial of the pontifical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia on September 2024. The venerated image is housed at the National Shrine and Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

By Julma M. Narvadez “Boronyog is no longer simply a prayer group. It is now considered as the basic ecclesial community of the seminary. It means it is a microcosm of the whole seminary community. It is our new way of being a church inside the seminary,” writes Fr. Francis A. Tordilla, Rector, as he outlined that new Boronyog system of the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in Naga City. “The frequency of the prayer meeting provides a promising avenue for faith formation and sharing, camaraderie building and leadership training,” he adds. Under this system, the Working Committees of the Student Council Organization (SCO) are clustered similar to parish ministries such as Worship, Education, Socio-Pastoral and Temporalities. These committees such as Sports, Academics Documentation & Publication Spirituality Health, Physical Plant, and many others are run by Boronyog. This way, the “former individual-centered committee leadership is replaced by a community-based and collaborative leadership by putting the committee heads of the SCO within the Boronyog.” This development aims “to synchronize seminary formation with the pastoral thrust of the Archdiocese which is to establish a local church made up of basic ecclesial communities or Saradit na Kristyanong Komunidad.” Each Boronyog shall be led by a Kapitan or Cooordinator who should be a 12th Grade seminarian. The group will select a Secretary and a Treasurer. The SCO President, Secretary and Treasurer were elected from the Coordinators of the Boronyog. This structure underscores the strategy that SCO leaders must emanate from the Boronyog groups. This is consistent with the recommendation to parishes that the Parish Pastoral Council should be composed of SKK leaders. If the PPC is composed of lay leaders who are active in their respective barangays or sitios, they will be better equipped to represent the parishioners in the council. The PPC, immersed in the barangays and sitios, will know firsthand the aspirations, strengths and challenges of their fellow parishioners. Each Boronyog will have a priest-moderator whose primary role is to accompany the seminarian in both Spiritual and Human Formation. In addition, the moderator acts as a mentor in the various leadership roles of the seminarians in their respective Boronyog groups.

By Julma M. Narvadez This Peñafrancia Fiesta, devotees have another reason to celebrate. A mobile app about the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia will be launched to serve devotees worldwide. The app, developed and maintained under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Caceres through the Caceres Commission on Communication (CCCom), will be available in iOS and Android. As people have become more mobile and more dependent on digital communication, the app responds to the need for new tools for evangelization. Designed to propagate the devotion and connect devotees all over the world, it is an invitation to prayer and a reminder of Ina’s constant presence. Novena Prayers to Inâ and Divino Rostro and links to livestream coverage of Masses in the Archdiocese are available through the app. Other features include stories of devotion, access to the Caceres website and a guide to pilgrims as they visit pilgrimage sites in Naga City and nearby towns. From the app launched in 2017, enhancements were made to provide more information and make the app easier to navigate. The update began upon the request of devotees who longed for the reboot of the project. Among the devotees was Rose Cayetano-Cavagnaro of St. Mary’s Parish, Chandler, Arizona. She hails from Naga City and is now a parishioner at St. Mary’s where an image of Our Lady of Penafrancia was enshrined by Caceres Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, DD in 2017. InâGlobal features links to websites and social media accounts of Peñafrancia associations and ministries promoting the devotion all over the world. Main menu of Our Lady of Peñafrancia mobile app. The project team is composed of Fr. Marlon B. Tebelin, developer; Julma M. Narvadez and Shalee M. Flojo, secretariat. Fr. Emil D. Valeza designed the icon that will be seen on the AppStore and Google Play Store. CCCom is headed in Fr. Luisito A. Occiano.

By Myrna S. Bermudo The Hablondawani Integrated Services for girls and Women in Crisis(ISGWC) and the Good Shepherd Sisters (RGS) of Naga gratefully celebrated, through a Eucharistic celebration, their Pasasalamat ng Hablon sa Biyaya ng Tatlumpong Taon on August 19 at the Old Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. It was followed by an exhibit of art works made by the girl-residents, a short program and launching of a coffee table book. “Sana dai hilingon an buhay na half-empty but to always see it as half-full. Three things na kaipuhan isabuhay: prayer, trust, humility and surrender,” Most Rev. Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, DD, Bishop of Daet, said in his homily. He was the main celebrant in a concelebrated mass attended by some Caceres clergy. It was with prayer, trust and surrender to the God that the RGS sisters “with their fourth vow of Zeal, started counselling in Naga City. From Dagos Tabi Counselling Center, it was given a new name, Hablondawani Counselling Center and built a temporary home to serve the Archdiocese of Caceres in August 19, 1993. The sisters discovered that most of the problems brought by women clients were related to domestic abuses. Thus, a temporary shelter care program was added to help pre-pubescent girls in difficult circumstances get over the trauma of their painful experience as well as to help them get justice for themselves. With the influx of girls, a Good Shepherd Home was opened. Hablondawani became a temporary shelter of so many young girls who were entrusted to the RGS sisters,” said Sr. Ma. Francia Blando, RGS, the program coordinator RGS Naga community. “On this 30th year of Hablondawani, many have contributed a color strand in the weaving of hope of each girl we accompany.” Hablondawani, rainbow in Bikol, is the home of the Religious of the Good Shepherd (RGS) located in Green Field Street, Peñafrancia Avenue, Naga City. It offers and is continuously offering hope as a temporary home or shelter for girls and women at high risk and vulnerable to exploitation because of their life situations, especially the experience of domestic violence. Counselling and therapy services are given to girls who seek shelter through Hablondawani. At present, there are twenty girl-residents in the shelter, aged 9 to 19. Four are studying in senior high school, the rest are in junior high school and elementary school. In the Old Testament, a rainbow is a sign of God’s promise that gives people hope and assures human beings of God’s loving presence. “As the girls stayed in the shelter, they slowly experienced healing, hope, and peace. The presence of the Good Shepherd healing their wounds with compassion and great care has been very significant to them. Many miracles happened and are worth sharing so that others may gain inspiration from their stories and people will be encouraged to look to their future positively and with hope,” said Sr. Myra Atian, RGS, Hablondawani therapist. As part of community awareness program, the Naga RGS community went to the towns of Buhi, Del Gallego, Magarao, San Fernando, Garchitorena, Tigaon, Bombon and Pamplona. Two barangays from each town were visited and were given orientation program on Personhood, and Human Dignity, Basic Women Orientation, Gender Sensitivity and Laws on the Protection of Women and Children. Participants were parents and students who are especially vulnerable to abuse considering the proliferation of various schemes in social media. Twenty-five to 28 women from each barangay participated in the sessions. All barangays have a core group of gender advocates. Many mothers are grateful for these sessions. “The sisters and mission partners took the challenge of continuing the holy work by sharing the congregation’s mission of mercy and compassion through outreach service in several towns. Advocacy and preventive sessions were given to encourage women to learn and better understand that their rights and their children’s must never be violated and that all are equal in God’s love,” Sister Blando, RGS, explained. A five-member core group of women- gender advocates in barangay Penafrancia and in the barangays where the RGS sisters have visited in several towns in Camarines Sur have been created. As a result, partnership with these barangays has been formed. They became Hablondawani’s extended hands and feet in sharing its vision to share “compassionate shepherding.” Sister Blando recalls that “the services of the RGS started in counselling. Much of those who came, however, were abused inside the homes and had experienced domestic violence. There was a need for legal assistance, kaya dai puede ipuli an aki sa harong. Mayo pa kaidto nin community-based response. This shelter was created as a response to the need. This is also the reason why we are strengthening a community –based approach so the community will become a part of the re-integration process of each girl. Then there are also rising cases of sexual abuse in Camarines Sur. The pandemic was also a big factor in the rising number.” The temporary shelter has a 20-bed capacity. But Sr. Blando said that the number of beds is no longer enough due to many requests and are seeking shelter. “So we just give them counseling and therapy. Walk-in lang. We are now building a counselling and therapy room which is separate from the shelter.” Sr. Susan Montano, RGS, Unit Leader of Philippines-Japan Province, congratulated Hablondawani ISGWC, Inc. on its 30th year. She said: “We offer our thankful praise to our Shepherd God for three decades of journeying with the girls and women of Bicolandia, under the mantle of our beloved Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia! Our Mother Foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia reminded us that those we care for are often tempted against faith and hope, and so must never tire of ‘inspiring them with unshakable hope in Divine Mercy’. It is God’s merciful love that enabled each child and woman who has found a home in Hablondawani to continue and face life with hope despite the difficult times they went through. We are privileged to have been witnesses of God’s work.” The following are excerpts of the reflections on the Hablondawani experience of some of the girls. These are published in the coffee table book. “Ang Hablon ang nagturo kung papano maging Malaya; kung may problema man ililipad ko lang. Dahil kasama ko ang Hablon sa pagtahak nito; hindi ako magdududa, di ako mangangamba.” (Mayla) “Ako’y naging malaya na, ako’y nahilom na. Nawala na ang sakit at galit; ang nananatili ay pagpapatawad at pag-ibig.” (Sophie) “Ako ang kahoy, ikaw ang mayamang lupa; pinalago mo ako, binigyan ng malaking pag-asa. Hanggang sa ako ay matutong magbigay sa iba. Ang Hablon, ang kahoy, tayo ay iisa...” (Rizza) “Natuto akong magtiwala muli sa mga madre at sa Diyos. Dahil sa kanila, unti –unti akong nahihilom sa aking mga sugat at pagkabasag.” (Trishia)