0 Cardinal reveals challenges to Calungsod’s sainthood

ROME, Italy - The path to sainthood is hardly lined with roses. According to Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the case for St. Pedro Calungsod’s sainthood was beset by questions over his actual existence and motivation for martyrdom. Was Calungsod real? “Did he really exist? Because the Church does not beatify ghosts!” Cardinal Vidal said in an interview, quoting authorities from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints when presented with Calungsod’s case for the first time. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is directly under the Roman Curia, is the body that takes charge of the beatification and canonization of saints and all the...

0 Saint Pedro’s image back in Philippines

MANILA - Despite heavy rains, Filipinos still gave a warm welcome as the official image of Saint Pedro Calungsod arrived in Manila Thursday. Hundreds of people waving Calungsod and national flags welcomed the statue upon its arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 4 p.m. from Rome. The three-foot tall wooden image of Calungsod was being carried by Fr. Charles Jayme, the official custodian of the statue. The official pilgrim image was flown to the Vatican for the canonization of Calungsod, the second Filipino saint, last October 21. From the airport, the image was brought via a motorcade to the University of Santo Tomas...

0 TV personality challenges youth to emulate Calungsod

MANILA - A television personality has challenged every Filipino particularly the young to emulate the virtues of the 2nd Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod. GMA 7 News Anchor Mike Enriquez in an interview with YouthPinoy! said that Calungsod’s sainthood invites every Filipino to emulate the martyrdom and the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod as a witness of Christ to the world. GMA 7 News Anchor Mike Enriquez hosting the Calungsod simultaneous event in San Juan Arena. Organized by the Catholic Media Network (CMN) and GMA 7. Photo Courtesy: Yen Ocampo of CBCPNews. “We must take this as a challenge especially to the youth to discern for their call...

0 Young people celebrate 2nd Filipino saint

MANILA - The canonization of Pedro Calungsod on October 21, was a very special day to all Filipinos around the world particularly the young Pinoys who joined the country in welcoming the new Filipino saint. In Manila, thousands of faithful and young people gathered at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish covered court to witness the canonization rites at the Vatican through live streaming. Aside from Saint Pedro Calungsod, 33 other young saints were introduced to the audience during the program, to make them understand that holiness is not only for priests or religious but for everyone, especially the youth, according to Fr. Bobby Dela Cruz,...

0 Youth can be saints like Pedro - priest

MANILA - A Catholic priest from Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish encouraged young people to imitate the values of the newly canonized Saint Pedro Calungsod. “Young people will see that even a child or a teenager can be holy like Pedro. So they can see that in their generation today, they can still be holy and be a saint,” Fr. Bobby de la Cruz said. He added that holiness is not reserved only for priests or nuns, but everyone can be holy by following God’s way. “By making Pedro a model of holiness, young people can think of following his way because it is the way to a closer relationship with God,” dela Cruz furthered. Meanwhile, Fr. Tirso Gliponeo,...

0 Young people can be missionaries like San Pedro Calungsod—priest

MANILA - A Catholic priest commented that young people can be missionaries like Saint Pedro Calungsod by doing simple ways in their day to day life. Sto. Niño Parish youth director Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT said in his homily in the culminating mass on Calungsod day in Tondo that in simple ways, the youth can be missionaries and can imitate Saint Pedro Calungsod as a model missionary. “We must make Saint Pedro an example by imitating his ways like being happy, energetic, obedient, faithful and most of all, Godly and devotional,” Gliponeo said. He added that the youth may really be the hope not only of the people but by the Church and everyone...

0 Priest advocates ongoing program for Calungsod awareness

MANILA - With the canonization of the 2nd Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod, a Catholic priest has suggested ways to continue raising the awareness of Filipinos, particularly the youth on the life and works of Calungsod. In an interview, Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT, said simple catechism in schools is one way of making the saint known especially to Filipino kids and students. But for the out-of-school youth, the priest said, the Church must have concrete programs not just pamphlets or books. “This way, we can reach many Filipinos, particularly the youth and those who are un-Churched. And the youth ministry in every parish can be the prime movers...

0 Pedrito dolls meant to inspire kids to sainthood

ROME, Italy, Oct 23, 2012 - Aside from aiming to trigger a social media maelstrom and drum up interest in the canonization, St. Pedro Calungsod’s mini version, Pedrito, is intended to inspire kids to sainthood. Kids may soon be wanting to be the next St. Pedro because of his little version, Pedrito. (New Media Team) According to Eilleen Esteban, head of the New Media team under the National Commission for the canonization of Pedro Calungsod, who thought up and brought Pedrito to life, she hoped that through the Pedrito dolls, “[kids would] rather someday dream of becoming a saint than a super hero.” “Because there are no real super heroes,...

0 INFOGRAPHIC: Who is Pedro Calungsod?

An infographic on the Philippines' second saint. ...

0 Filipinos all-out at Calungsod canonization

For thousands of Filipinos, distance was not a hindrance for them to be present at the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod yesterday. VATICAN City, Oct. 22, 2012 - Aside from demonstrating the strongest presence at St. Peter’s Square yesterday, Filipinos —from the religious to the laity—gave all out support for the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod and even during the pre-canonization liturgical services. Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, and Agana Archbishop Anthony Apuron concelebrated with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI at yesterday’s mass. Monsignor Ildebrando Jesus Leyson...

0 Filipinos dominate St. Peter’s Square for canonization

VATICAN CITY, Oct 22, 2012 - Despite no available official crowd estimates for the Filipino pilgrims present at the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod, it can be safely said that there were more Filipinos in St. Peter’s Square yesterday than any other nationality. Daniela Petroff of the Associated Press said, most of the hordes of people who attended the canonization rites yesterday were Filipino. According to Petroff, a ballpark figure of 12,000 could be pegged for the number of people gathered for the canonization yesterday of seven new saints coming rom various countries like the US, Germany, Spain, France and Italy. She added, the large...

0 Stamps serve as ‘mobile’ promotion of Calungsod’s sainthood

MANILA - The historical canonization of Pedro Calungsod today will not only be imprinted in textbooks, newspapers or in the web. It will also be featured in a limited edition of postal stamps, which will serve as a “mobile” promotion of this young Filipino’s martyrdom. The Pedro Calungsod Canonization stamps were launched during a Mass sponsored by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (ECCCE) at the historic Mary Queen of Peace Shrine along EDSA in Mandaluyong, this noon. Priests and officials of the Philippine Postal Corporation unveil the samples of the limited edition Pedro Calungsod Canonization stamps...

0 Faith is the door to a whole new ‘dimension’ - bishop

ROME, Italy, Oct 21, 2012 - In an apparent effort to reach out to the younger generation, Bishop Patricio Buzon used pop culture references to describe how the “door of faith” is a portal to the mystery and life of God Himself. “Back to the Future”, back to faith Speaking during the second Triduum mass to celebrate the canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod, Buzon said faith is similar to the DMC-12, the time machine Michael J. Fox’s character used to travel back in time in the movie “Back to the Future”. Borrowing the imagery of the door used by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in his Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, Buzon said believers are...

0 Calungsod inspires Filipino art

ROME, Italy - When Pampanga ecclesiastical artist Willy Layug talks about Calungsod with an irrepressible energy one instantly knows the young martyr is an inspiration – not just spiritually, but artistically as well. Unmistakably Filipino Layug has just finished work on a new retablo or a tableau depicting the martyrdoms of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Saint Pedro Calungsod. Pampanga artist Willy Layug is at work on a relief of Bl. Pedro Calungsod in Rome as Pedrito looks on. (RL/CBCPNews) It will be installed next week at the crypt chapel in the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, the residence of Filipino priests who undergo further studies...

0 SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD HUWARAN NG MGA KABATAAN (with MP3)

(Titik ni Timoteo M. Ofrasio, SJ – Musika ni Arnel Aquino, SJ)  Sa ‘yo’y pagpupúgay handóg nami’t álay Sántong kaláhì at aming kabánay[1], Huwárang tángì ng mga kabatáan, Magíting na anák ng kabísayáan. Pagsisilbíng ganáp ang tánging hangád, Átas ni Cristo’y tapát na tinupád, Maáyong Balitâ[2] ay ipínamanság, Kaháyag[3] ni Cristo ay iyong pinasínag. KORO: San Pedro Calúngsod, túnay na huwáran San Pedro Calúngsod, angay pagasúndon[4] sa mga kabatáan. Nahímong katábang[5] ng páring butíhin Na si Diego Luís, sa kanyang gawáin Sa maláyong dapít[6] piníli n’yang itanghál Kaligtásan ng táong sa Diyos ay mahál. Hindi ka nasindák...

0 New teen saint a reminder of laity’s role in Pacific evangelization

AGANA, Guam, October 20, 2012 - While little is known about the life of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, his canonization brings to light the role of the laity in the evangelization of the Pacific in the 17th century. Blessed Calungsod, among the seven people to be declared saints by Pope Benedict XVI Oct. 21, came to the Mariana Islands in 1668 and was one of a group of lay catechists who assisted the Jesuit missionaries in their Pacific mission. “The importance of San Pedro is, at 18 years he became a saint, which means he is an example for youth,” said Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron of Agana. The archbishop was among a contingent of clergy and...

0 Philpost issues Calungsod stamps

MANILA - A limited edition of “Calungsod stamps” will be issued on Sunday in honor of soon-to-be second Filipino saint Blessed Pedro Calungsod. The Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) will launch the postage stamp at the historic EDSA Shrine on October 21, coinciding with the canonization of Calungsod in Rome. The single stamp design illustrates Calungsod holding a palm leaf on his left hand and his right hand at the chest signifying his deep Catholic faith. Also within the stamp is an image of the missionary’s route to the Marianas Island where Calungsod was killed. Philpost is issuing limited edition of 50,000 stamps with denomination...

0 More aggressive faith education in media, please ―bishop

ROME, Italy, Oct 19, 2012―Faith should be broadcast, not just from the pulpit, but on TV, over the radio and online, according to Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas, who gave the homily at the first of the Triduum masses for Bl. Pedro Calungsod’s canonization. Massive and aggressive evangelization Speaking at the Basilica of ‘Sant Agostino this afternoon, Cantillas called for “more aggressive mass media faith education”, stressing the importance of learning about the content of faith. Talking in the packed 'Sant Agostino church, Bp. Precioso Cantillas said mass media should be maximized to spread the richness of the faith among Filipinos. Talking...

0 Factors to sainthood in Filipino OFW experience

DUBAI, UAE―As it turns out, certain aspects of the Filipino OFW’s experience like loyalty and sacrifice may be keys to a saintly life like that of soon-to-be St. Pedro Calungsod. During a long stop-over in Dubai on the way to the Rome canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod, Archbishop John Du shared that he thinks Filipinos’ innate loyalty could lead to sainthood. Palo Archbishop John F. Du being interviewed by CBCPNews Reporter Nirva'ana Delacruz at the Dubai International Airport during a stop over to Rome for the Canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod on October 21 at St. Peter's Basilica. Drawing from the life of Bl. Pedro himself, Du talked...

0 Novaliches to celebrate youth day in honor of Calungsod

QUEZON City, October 18, 2012—With the initiative of the Commission on Youth of the Diocese of Novaliches, a diocesan youth day will be held in honor of the soon-to-be 2nd Filipino saint Pedro Calungsod. In line with the nationwide celebration on the occasion of Blessed Pedro Calungsod’s canonization, the youth day titled “Amigo: Calungsod Youth Day” will be celebrated at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Covered Court on the same day of his canonization, October 21. The event will feature a festive and youthful celebration of the young Filipino saint that will start at 2:00 in the afternoon with the presence of the Diocesan Youth Cross and the...

0 Catholics to hold real-time events on Calungsod canonization

MANILA, October 17, 2012—In celebration with the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Rome on October 21, a ‘simultaneous’ big event will be held at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish in Manila from 2:30 pm to 7pm. Dubbed as ‘The Canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod’, organizers are expecting more than 1,000 young people from all over Metro Manila including the youth of the Archdiocese. A live telecast of the canonization rite direct from the Vatican will also be aired during the program. A closing mass will be celebrated by Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT, the parish youth minister and Fr. Jacinto Rey Padua, the parish priest of Sto. Niño de Tondo...

0 Calungsod on his way to Rome

Thousands of people line the road to see the official image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod during a motorcade from Cebu City to the Mactan Airport for a flight to Rome, 16 October 2012. Calungsod, a Visayan martyr, will be canonized at the Vatican this coming Sunday. (Sammy Navaja) www.cbcpnews.c...

0 Blessed Pedro Calungsod

Photo shows Fr. Charles Jayme of the Archdiocese of Cebu with the official statue of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the soon-to-be second Filipino saint. On Oct. 16, the statue will be flown to the Vatican with Fr. Jayme for the Visayan martyr’s canonization on Oct. 21.  (Sammy Navaja / Lungsorano...

0 Calungsod musicale to go on campus tour

MANILA, Oct. 16, 2012—The successful premiere showing of the Pedro Calungsod musical at the culmination of National Laity Week has inspired organizers to plan for a campus tour to introduce the soon-to-be saint Pedro Calungsod to the young. In a media forum today, Teen Saint Pedro Musicale Producer Bob Serrano said the focus of the musicale is for Pedro to be introduced to the young and be a model to them. “We want the young to know Calungsod’s faithfulness, purity, being able to serve without counting the cost and making sacrifice for a greater good. Those qualities of the teen saint will be acquired by the youth and made him their model,”...

0 Simultaneous events to be held on Calungsod’s canonization

MANILA, Oct. 15, 2012—Parishes, youth organizations and religious groups will hold activities during the canonization day of Blessed Pedro Calungsod on October 21. In the National Capital Region (NCR), the Archdiocese of Manila is gathering its faithful, particularly the young at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish for a program on the canonization of Pedro Calungsod which will be held from 2:30-7:00 p.m. followed by a youth mass at 8:00 o’clock in the evening. Another group will also organize an event titled “San Pedro 10.21” at the San Juan Arena in San Juan City from 1:30-6:00 p.m. bringing the canonization rite in Rome to the Philippines...

3 Beato Pedro Calungsod Primer now available on ebook

Here's your free copy of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod ebook (in both mobi and epub formats) which you can download and read using your Kindle or iPad or Android and other ebook readers. If you don't have an ebook reader yet, you can read this book on your desktop or laptop by using Calibre (which you can download here). For android devices, try using Zo Reader. For Kindle, just transfer the mobi file to your Kindle documents folder using the usb/charger. Enjo...

0 Calungsod Icon Flown To Rome

Thousands of Cebuanos sent off the official pilgrim image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod to Rome, Italy on Tuesday, October 16, less than a week before Pope Benedict XVI declares the 17th-century martyr a saint. The police in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu estimated the crowd at around 13,000. "Blessed Calungsod was received warmly by the entire community. The experience was very overwhelming because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the entire Church," said Fr Charles Jayme, the official custodian of the pilgrim image of Calungsod. Calungsod's image was transported from its home at the Cebu Archbishop's Palace for...

0 Cathay Pacific Carries Image As Passenger, Calungsod First To Enter Plane

CEBU, Philippines - With ticket number 30-D, Pedro Calungsod took a step closer to his sainthood by riding a plane for the first time in his life.   He was the flight’s first passenger, bound for the Vatican City where the ultimate prize of canonization awaits his catechistic journey that spanned four centuries. Before the historic flight, thousands lined up the streets to witness the image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod as it passed through the streets of Cebu City and Mandaue City all the way to the Mactan Cebu International Airport. From the Pedro Calungsod Shrine at the Archbishop’s Palace, the image was transferred to the Cebu Metropolitan...

0 A musical play on St. Pedro Calungsod at Meralco Theater

MANILA, Philippines – Teen St. Pedro, the Musical is a stage play on the young life of St. Pedro Calungsod of Cebu, the second Filipino saint to be canonized on Oct. 21 at the Vatican City. Calungsod’s life is an example of what faith in the Lord can do, of how one life can move others and of how the glory of God can be honored. He was a young migrant, student, catechist, missionary, faithful friend and martyr rolled into one. He was killed on April 2, 1672 by two unfaithful Chamorro natives in the island of Guam, formerly Marianas. The two-acts inspiration-filled musical play will have its public performance on Oct. 17, Wednesday, 7 p.m.,...

0 Mandaue choir prepares for ‘performance of a lifetime’

Angelic voices of young Cebuanos will be heard singing during the canonization rites in Rome for Visayan teenage martyr Pedro Calungsod. A total of  30 singers of the multi-awarded  Mandaue Children and Youth Chorus will leave for Rome on Wednesday for the “performance of a lifetime.” “We feel that heaven is with us,” said Dennis Sugarol, conductor and musical director, as he rehearsed yesterday with the children a mixture of songs in Cebuano, English and Latin that will be heard during liturgical celebrations on the eve of the canonization, the day itself, and a thanksgiving Mass the next day. Since its birth in 2004, the group,...

0 Binay to represent Noy in Calungsod canonization

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay will represent President Aquino at the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod on Oct. 21 at the Vatican. Aquino has designated Binay, also presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) concerns, to witness Pope Benedict XVI install the country’s second saint. “It is an honor to lead my fellow Filipino Catholics in witnessing this historic event. Blessed Pedro Calungsod’s life was one of service and I pray that his dedication and sacrifice will inspire the Filipino youth to live their lives in service of their fellowmen,” Binay said. The first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, was...

0 Calungsod’s official image ready for Rome

CEBU, Philippines – Four days from now, the official image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod will be transported to Rome in time for the Canonization rites of the second Filipino saint on October 21. In a press conference yesterday, church officials led by the Duaw Lungsod committee showed the image of Blessed Calungsod which will be used for the Canonization as well the celebrations after in the Philippines. Duaw Lungsod Chairman Msgr. Marnell Mejia said that the image will first be taken from the Pedro Calungsod Shrine in the Archbishop Palace compound on October 16 to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral through a motorcade at 4:30 in the morning....

0 Cebu lector claims Calungsod apparition

MANILA, Philippines – A lector in a parish in Toledo City, Cebu claimed that Blessed Pedro Calungsod made an apparition on Thursday noon. Rose Camomot, lector at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish Barangay Cantabaco, said Calungsod appeared to her at noon yesterday inside the church. Camomot said she saw Calungsod arranging some flowers inside the church. She noted that it was the second time that Calungsod appeared to her. The alleged apparition comes amid preparations of the entire Cebu province for the canonization of Calungsod in Vatican City on October 21. Calungsod will be the Philippines’ second saint after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. Meanwhile,...

0 Mandaue resident to head to Rome for rites

SHE never dreamed it was possible. But 74-year-old Chari Gerinea could only thank Divine Providence for the money given to her by a friend to buy a roundtrip ticket to Rome, Italy for the Oct. 21 canonization of Visayan martyr Pedro Calungsod. “It’s a provision from the Lord. It’s unbelievable. I don’t have enough budget. (But) God arranges everything,” Gerinea told Cebu Daily News. Gerinea, a mother of three children and resident of barangay Guizo, Mandaue City, got her visa last July 31. All she needs is to pay 110 euros or about P5,700 for her daily accommodation in a Franciscan convent in Rome. She said she doesn’t want to miss Calungsod’s...

0 Demand for Calungsod icons go up ahead of canonization

WITH a chisel on his left hand and a hammer on the other, 52-year-old wood carver Ramon Gillangao began pounding on a tree log in front of him. Ten minutes after, Gillango managed to carve out the face of the Blessed Visayan martyr Pedro Calungsod. “Dose na kabuok ang akong nabuhat nga ingon ani. (I was already able to carve 12 images of Blessed Pedro),” Gillangao said. With 30 years of experience, Gillangao is among the workers of a carving shop in barangay Basak, Cebu City who are kept busy sculpting images of Calungsod in various sizes ahead of the Oct. 21 canonization of the Visayan martyr. Since September 2012, the shop owned by 94-year-old...

0 Monumental service

A three-foot image of the Visayan martyr Pedro Calungsod will be brought to Rome as a “passenger” for the Oct. 21 canonization rites. The wooden sculpture of the soon-to-be declared saint will leave Cebu at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 16, said Fr. Charles Jayme, official custodian of the Calungsod image. The honor accorded to Pedro through the veneration of his statue should speak to our political leaders, who are now examining their war chests to allocate money for, among other things, campaign materials that will bear their names and images. No one has a picture of Pedro, who was killed by Chamorro natives in what is now Guam back in the 17th century...

0 Saint

It is only right that we should shape our new saint, St. Pedro Calungsod, in the colors of our own culture. As when Juan L. Mercado calls him an overseas Filipino worker or OFW. He is really telling us that we should come to “own” him as a Filipino in the most profound sense of the word. We could go one step further. We should also “own” the very concept of sainthood itself. This act is important. Around the time the “boy” saint was martyred, we ourselves were also the target of a comprehensive program of conversion. This program was at the heart of a greater program of colonization. We were converted and colonized for better AND worse. Unless...