0 Priest to sit beside Pedro image during flight

THE three-foot official image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod will be flown to Rome, Italy as a “passenger” in time for the Visayan martyr’s canonization on Oct. 21.

The official custodian, Fr. Charles Jayme, will be seated next to the image during the flight.

Fr. Jayme described his task of bringing the image to the Vatican as a “blessing.”

“For me, it’s a grace from God and a humbling experience… it is once in a lifetime. I was not expecting this to happen,” said Jayme, who was designated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as official custodian of Calungsod’s image.

The image will be placed inside an encasement made of Styrofoam.

“The image (will be among) the passengers (of the airplane), not cargo. Tapad gyod ming duha (We’ll be seated together),” he told reporters yesterday.

Offer

Jayme, who came to know about Calungsod in 1995 when he became a staff member for a stage play directed by Msgr. Rudy Villanueva, said airline company Cathay Pacific offered to carry the image as a “passenger.”

They will fly to Rome on Oct. 16 at 12:30 p.m.

Before the flight, Jayme said a solemn activity will be held on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. The official image of Calungsod will be transferred from the Archbishop’s Residence to the martyr’s shrine in the same compound on D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City.

The next day, at 4:30 a.m., the image will be transported from the shrine to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City. The image will be placed inside an urn.

Afterward, Msgr. Boy Alesna will celebrate mass.

A motorcade will follow at 6 a.m., sending off the image from the cathedral to Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City.

Jayme said they are billeted at the airport’s chapel.

Visit

The priest said he will also handle the “Duaw Nasud” Visayas and Mindanao tour for Calungsod’s image.

The image will visit 36 towns and cities in the country during the tour, which will start on Oct. 25 and end on Nov. 27.

“The same image that I’ll be taking to Rome is the same image that will be toured around the country,” said Jayme.

For Jayme, Calungsod is one of his inspirations as a priest.

Calungsod was the companion of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, a Spanish Jesuit missionary, in Guam. They were killed on April 2, 1672 after they baptized a child of one of the natives.

“To become holy, it is not necessary that we should do great things,” said Jayme. “But we do small things in extraordinary ways with heart.”

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 09, 2012.

By Kevin A. Lagunda

Post Comment