0 Pedro image to tour Cebu, Leyte parishes

To celebrate the first year since Pedro Calungsod became a saint, the Archdiocese of Cebu plans to bring his image to different parishes in Cebu and in Naval, Leyte starting tomorrow.

After a 10 a.m. mass at the St. Pedro Calungsod Parish in the South Road Properties today, the image of the young Cebuano saint will start its “Duaw Lungsod 2013” leg at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, then would proceed to the Sto. Tomas Villanueva Parish in Danao City tomorrow.

The mass at the chapel will be celebrated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and would serve as formal kick-off for the Duaw Lungsod.

The Duaw Lungsod starts today until Nov. 30, said Margarita Matheu, a member of the Archdiocese’s Secretariat.

From Danao City, the Cebuano saint’s image will be brought to the parishes in the towns of Daanbantayan, San Remegio, Balamban, Barili, Ginatilan, Samboan, Boljoon, Dalaguete, and Argao.

Cities

The image of St. Pedro Calungsod will also be visiting the cities of Carcar, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu City, particularly the Sto. Rosario and San Nicolas parishes.

The image will also travel to its namesake parish in Barangay Cantabaco in Toledo City on Nov. 2.

While on Nov. 16 to 18, the image will be brought to the parishes belonging to the Diocese of Naval in Leyte.

On Nov. 30, the image will be brought to the Templete at the SRP for a pontifical mass.

On Oct. 21 last year, then Pope Benedict XVI formally canonized St. Pedro Calungsod along with six new saints at the Vatican City.

Postponement

While the Archdiocese of Cebu postponed the 9th Visayas Pastoral Assembly in Consolacion, Cebu today due to the effects of the earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol last week.

Matheu told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that due to earthquake and the series of aftershocks that had rocked Cebu and Bohol, Palma decided to postponed the event with respect to the Diocese of Talibon and Tagbilaran in Bohol.

Both dioceses were severely hit by the earthquake, Matheu said.

Attending bishops and clerics from the dioceses of Tagbilaran, Talibon, Dumaguete and Maasin were supposed to join Palma in celebrating the first feast anniversary of St. Pedro Calungsod.

This year’s assembly was supposed to tackle the pastoral plans set by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the PhilipP) for next year.

By Justin K. Vestil
SunStar Cebu

0 The Saint A Year After

For a young man with humble beginnings, Pedro Calungsod is now being accorded with a 10-day celebration for his deep devotion and fidelity to the Catholic faith.

From an acolyte to a saint. That's a career path the millions of us will never get to tread. I have no problem with that; I'm fine as an erring human with a hearty appetite. Just so you know, Calungsod's life was not anywhere near ours. His was full of drama, suspense, danger and lots of masses and hours of kneeling.

From what researchers have dug about him, Calungsod was not one who hogged attention.

He was not one who would take a selfie 10 times a day and post each selfie on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. He would have shied away from the limelight, which he will have much of this month.

We give special attention to Calungsod every October starting last year when he became what we would never ever become: a saint. He was canonized on Oct. 21, 2012 in Rome.

A modern chapel and a templete have been built in his honor at the SM Seaside Complex at the South Reclamation Properties (SRP). The chapel is an architectural delight with its 100 uneven walls and streamlined interiors. I was there for the first time yesterday for the press conference on the first year anniversary celebration of the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod.

The chapel seats 800 people but only about 50 attend the single mass at 6 p.m. every day except Sunday. There are two masses on Sunday, at 9 a.m. and at 6 p.m. The SPC Chapel is open the whole day for supplicants who wish to offer their intentions and take selfies, not necessarily in this order.

Msgr. Vicente Tupas Jr., rector of the SPC Chapel, says that since the sainthood of Calungsod, devotees have told him of the "graces and miracles" they have received through the intercession of San Pedro Calungsod.

On Oct. 12-20, the chapel will have daily activities to promote the feast of Saint Pedro Calungsod. Novena prayers and masses will be held every 3:45 p.m. and again at 5:45 p.m., and a chaplet of the Divine Mercy and Holy Rosary at 3 p.m.

It's not all prayers though. Not everyone has the focus and endurance to pray like the late Pedro Calungsod or the Pope. So there's a poster-making contest and a free art workshop, a medical outreach by the Sweet Alert Society, and a fun run.

The fun run on October 20, Sunday, is going to be held at the Cebu Business Park. The distances are 3K, 5K and 10K and finishers of each distance get a medal.

The medal, engraved with the face of San Pedro Calungsod, is blessed. A runner who cheated on the distance will be revealed when he starts to burn upon wearing the medal. (Joke only, Msgr. Tupas.) Calungsod was a man of truth so piyait must die.

Sorry, I meant, cheaters have no chance at sainthood.

Big day is on October 21, Monday. Expect traffic congestion at the SRP leading to the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel.

Pilgrims who travelled to Rome last year for the canonization of Calungsod have a special mass at 8 a.m., just before the pontifical mass at 10 a.m. Since they're pilgrims, they will not mind hearing another mass even if it's a longer one. They did this in Romehear two, three Calungsod masses a day. But it would really be a stretch if they wait for, and attend, another mass at 4 p.m.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has described Pedro Calungsod as "a very popular saint." Let's boost his popularity by taking part in the celebration of his first anniversary of his canonization.

Calungsod was Bisdak.

Michelle P. So
Caught in the Net