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De Aparri hasta Tuguegarao
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prof. romanillos with mrs josefina pablo
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TUGUERARAO. May 10, 2006. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Fr. Adrian Baculi and Procurator Fr. Joel Reyes—also Vice President for Administration of Lyceum of Aparri—treated us to a great breakfast at the seminary refectory. There was always time for Lauds and other morning prayers for caravan members and, fortunately, a lot of time for those tasked with reporting this major event for sending to www.recoletos.ph our faithful Biyaheng Recoletos chronicles at the Lyceum school internet laboratory.
At 10:30 in the morning, Rev. Ian Espartero, OAR, commenced Day 10 at Saint Peter Thelmo Parish church at Aparri, with a brief biography of Saint Ezekiel Moreno and a history of the Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines. His baritone voice echoed at the parish church as he narrated to the congregation the wonderful things in the life of St Ezekiel and the marvels God has wrought on cancer patients through his powerful intercession. He concluded with a heartfelt plea for vocations among the people of Cagayan Valley.
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josefina pablo holding the stampita she took from
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Meanwhile, outside the church a healed devotee of St Ezekiel disclosed to this writer how St Ezekiel had touched her life. Mrs. Josefina Crisologo Pablo, a resident of Aparri and piano teacher, had been diagnosed to have cancer of the breast. In 2004, she was about to wrap something with an old newspaper when she chanced upon an article titled St. Ezekiel Moreno, Palawan Missionary. She cut it out and the colored photograph—now in sepia brown and carefully wrapped in plastic—has been her treasured estampita and she devoutly prayed to the Recollect saint ever since. The doctors informed her that the size of the breast tumor had miraculously diminished. She has pledged to promote the devotion to St. Ezekiel more zealously than ever in Aparri, especially in hospitals. She promised to share God’s blessings with other people through the numerous estampitas that the prenovices, Bro. Philip Rollon, Bro. John Paul Liwagon and Bro. Invenzor Melgazo had given her. She also purchased an image of the Saint from Bro. Peter Fritz Ng. Bro. James Castelo recorded the whole testimony for posterity with Fr. Leander Barrot’s Canon camera.
Fr. Soy Hernando was assisted at mass by Recollect deacon Espartero. The healing priest highlighted in his homily in English the healing power of God. His mass over, Fr. Soy went on to heal scores of Aparri folk. Several devotees were “slain in the Spirit,” while others were visibly moved—with tears flowing from their eyes—by the God’s healing power through St Ezekiel’s prayer. Still others were seen sobbing in a lonely corner of the divine temple. When asked why they wept, they would simply say they felt happy, as if touched by the loving hand of God.
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with the newly elected bishop of bontoc-lagawe,
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Msgr. Rodolfo F. Beltran, parish priest of Aparri and erstwhile of Tuguegarao cathedral parish, was among the nearly a hundred people who devoutly attended the mass and Fr. Soy prayed over him too. He would be consecrated as bishop of Bontoc-Lagawe on 16 May 2006 by Tuguegarao Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan and two other ordaining prelates.
Msgr. Beltran had fond memories of the Augustinian Recollect formators of Casiciaco in Baguio City. As rector of San Pablo Regional Seminary, he had come to know them well and he remembered Fr. Emeterio Buñao, Fr. Cornelio Moral, Fr. Cris Palomar and Fr. Joephil Trayvilla. He was glad to learn that Fr. Lauro Larlar had been elected prior provincial and reelected in February 2006.
“What I really admired most in the Augustinian Recollects was their humility, community life, sense of religious family and belongingness,” said Msgr. Beltran of the Baguio formators and those that his brother—a Dominican priest at Colegio de San Juan de Letran—had met at the NCAA encounters. “They were very friendly with one another, with other fellow priests in our seminary and in Baguio,” he added.
When informed the night before about the caravan, Msgr. Beltran felt very happy. “It was a great occasion to meet with you and for you to share with the parishioners the healing power of St. Ezekiel Moreno in this part of Cagayan,” he continued.
He ended the interview, saying: “I congratulate them on the 400 years of presence in our country, for the kind of missionary work they are having, and they are doing a lot for our local Church, and I hope they’d have the same zeal, if not even more, for the building of the Body of Christ.”
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our lady of piat shrine with msgr. samuel baculi
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After lunch at the parish rectory and short rest the caravan moved on Piat, Cagayan to visit the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat venerated as the patroness of Cagayan Valley. Her beautiful image made of paper-maché has been venerated since 1604. The parish priest Fr. Samuel Baculi was very hospitable indeed. He served the caravan members with delicious local delicacies as merienda.
De Aparri hasta Tuguegarao we today trekked to the Spanish-style arzobispado where Archbishop Talamayan waited and gave us a warm welcome. Fr. Soy prayed over Arch. Talamayan who had been suffering for days from stomach ailment. The Spanish-speaking prelate and member of the Academia Filipina de la Lengua correspondiente de la Real Academia Española was healed and this morning he traveled to Aparri for an important visit.
The strenuous day ended at Max’s Restaurant and a fine dinner was served to the famished caravan members through the generosity of Mrs. Rose Gumarang, a close friend Mrs. Sonia Roco, great benefactress of our Recoletos nationwide caravan 2006.
Mabuhay ang Recoletos 400!
Mabuhay si San Ezekiel Moreno!
- Prof. Emmanuel Luis Romanillos
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