0 A Chapel for San Pedro Calungsod

Since it opened last May, SM Aura Premier has been synonymous with luxury and global brands. Yet it still believes in enriching the community’s spiritual needs with the recent launching of the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel at the mall’s top level.

Surrounded by the Skypark with its lush greens and water features, the Chapel is the perfect place to stop, rest, and reflect. It is named in honor of San Pedro Calungsod, the first Visayan saint, who is considered a role model for the youth. Martyred in Guam for his missionary work in 1672, he was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II on March 5, 2000 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City on October 21, 2012.

Located at the mall’s top level, it gives worshippers a top of the world, closer-to-God feeling with its unorthodox yet highly aesthetic and tubular design. Shaped like an abstract cave, it has a semi-circular opening that evokes images of the cave of the Resurrection. Gracefully designed ribs lead to the backlit altar-front, inviting the faithful inside for reflection and prayer. The wood and marble finishes give the Chapel a simple natural feel. It also has 12 stations of the Cross, a statue of San Pedro Calungsod and the Virgin Mary.

The Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod’s dedication ceremony began with the unveiling of the marker took place, by   SM chairman Henry Sy Sr., Mrs. Felicidad T. Sy and their family with Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano. Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, Dd. led the dedication ceremony and concelebrated Mass with members of the Sy family and their guests. The bishop later presided the chapel’s ceremonial turn over to its chaplain Fr.  Romy Samaniego.

Capping the event was a MOA signing by SM Prime Holdings president Hans T. Sy and SM Hotels and Convention Corporations President Elizabeth T. Sy with Rev. Father Mariano Baranda, Chancellor of the Diocese of Pasig.

Quietly elegant, the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod can seat almost 300 people. Masses schedule are Mondays to Saturdays 12 noon and 5 p.m. and on Sundays, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. .

The Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod is located at the 7th level of SM Aura Premier, 26th Street Corner McKinley Parkway in Taguig City.

0 BO-PK, Team Rama bets hear Mass

It was unplanned, but supporters of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) filled the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel in the South Road Properties (SRP) to the brim for a thanksgiving mass yesterday afternoon.

Led by Cebu City mayoral candidate Tomas Osmeña, the BOPK slate, attended the Mass officiated by Msgr. Vicente Tupas, chaplain of the San Pedro Calungsod chapel.

Team Rama meanwhile heard Mass at 8:30 p.m. in the Rama compound in barangay Basak-Pardo.

According to Rama’s spokesman, the Mass was attended by about 300 people, mostly candidates and their families. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Jerome Cayetano, chaplain of the University of San Carlos.

After the mass, they will have an overnight vigil until voting opens at 7 a.m.

In his homily, Tupas likened the plight of candidates in general to the joys and sacrifices of Jesus Christ during his time.

He mentioned the joys of giving the best to the people, organizing the people, knowing what strategies to make and the support from the people.

“We pray for a favorable elections,” Tupas added. But to whose favor, nobody is sure.

BOPK north district congressional candidate Raul Del Mar came in late during the mass. He told Cebu Daily News that he had last minute meetings with leaders of various barangays in his house.

Right after the mass ended, Osmeña, went on stage.

“Lets pray for a peaceful election. And we’d like to greet also all the mothers. I think if all the mothers voted for BOPK, that’s enough,” he told the crowd who immediately applauded.

He then told the crowd to wait and then asked his candidates to go outside first so that they will be able to “greet the people as they leave.”

Some supporters wore “Type O” shirts, ballers and button pins. The candidates, though, wore their Sunday’s best with no trace of the colors blue and yellow which their party is known for.

Jose Santino S. Bunachita, Correspondent with reports from Doris C. Bongcac
Cebu Daily News

0 Calungsod chapel in SRP looted

The newly-built San Pedro Calungsod Chapel in the South Road Properties (SRP) was looted.

Acting Cebu City Police Office chief, Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr. said robbers took away P100,000 cash and an undetermined amount of bank checks from a drawer in the living quarter of nuns and other workers serving the religious facility.

The robbery was discovered last Sunday morning, he said.

Police investigators found the doors leading to the living quarter destroyed.

Inspector William Alicaba, Theft and Robbery Section chief, said that they will invite the two guards, a nun, the chapel secretary and others who have access to the basement leading to the living quarter to shed light on the robbery.

Police investigators are not discounting possibility of inside job in the robbery.

The money came from proceeds of baptism and weddings held at the chapel last week and was supposed to be deposited to the bank yesterday.

The nun’s quarters was located at the basement of the chapel in which one of the rooms also serves as an office where a plastic drawer containing the money was placed.

“There was no forced entry in the first door, but the door knob in the second door was destroyed, and the drawer pried open,” Natuel said.

The chapel was donated by the family of Henry Sy, owner of the SM group of companies that own the country’s biggest chain of malls.

It was formally opened in Nov. 29, 2012, a day before the Calungsod National Thankgiving Mass was held in the templete in a vacant SRP nearby.

The Calungsod chapel is located inside SM Seaside Complex that is still under construction.

Chito O. Aragon, Correspondent
Cebu Daily News

0 Calungsod chapel burglarized

The San Pedro Calungsod Chapel lost P100,000 and an undetermined amount of bank checks to burglars Sunday dawn.

Chapel employees discovered the burglary at 10 a.m. Sunday and reported the incident to the Mambaling Police Station.

Margarita Mateo, chapel’s secretary, told the police the drawer containing the wedding and baptism collection of the chapel amounting to P100,000 were missing last Sunday morning.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Acting Director Mariano Natuel Jr. said the burglar destroyed two doors in the chapel basement.

He said the first door, whose lock was destroyed, leads to the quarters, where the priest and nuns usually sleep.

“Kaning first door sa basement, inig abli nimo, daghan ang door para sa quarters. Then ang kawatan ni-destroy sa usa sa mga doors sa quarters which lead to where the drawer is,” explained Natuel.

He said no one was sleeping on the quarters and only the guard on duty on the basement was around.

A key is needed to open the drawer. Natuel said there were no signs that the drawer was forcibly opened, which means that the burglar has the key of the drawer.

The first level of the drawer is where the collection, worth P100,000, was placed, while the second level contained coins and P20 bills.

Natuel said the burglar only took the P100,000 and left the coins and bills with small denominations.

“Kani nga drawer usa ra ang yawe kinahanglan para maabli tanan (This drawer only has one key),” said Natuel.

Theft and Robbery Section Chief Insp. William Alicaba said there were only two employees who have the copies of the keys. He said they are still gathering for information from the two security guards on-duty, two nuns who have the keys and the chapel’s secretary.

He said the guards on duty from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be called as they were both on-duty from the time the money might have been stolen until the time it was discovered missing.

“We cannot comment yet if it was an inside job. We need to check first on the details,” said Alicaba in an interview with the media yesterday.

The St, Pedro Calungsd Chapel was built by SM Prime Holdings Inc. and is located within the 30-hectare SM Seaside Complex at the South Road Properties (SRP).

By Bernadette A. Parco and Jill B. Tatoy
SunStar Ceb