austraLasia #3228
PARAÑAQUE: 2 June 2013 -- Gerald Manley Hopkins, in his poem, The May Magnificat, said: “May is Mary’s month and I muse at that, and I wonder why?” Well, as Salesians, you will really wonder why Mary is so much present in every community—it is because Mary is our Mother and guide, just like Don Bosco.
The Seminaryo ng Don Bosco (clerics sector) and the EAO Salesian Brother Formation House capped off the month of May with two special activities especially devoted to the Blessed Mother—a Marian Pilgrimage and a Special Rosary.
Last May 21, some brothers went to the Diocese of San Pablo (in Laguna, south of Manila; whose bishop emeritus is a Salesian, Leo Drona) to make a pilgrimage to centuries-old churches and Marian shrines in order to heighten their devotion to Mary and to enrich their knowledge about the cultural and religious heritage of the Philippines. They visited and prayed in seven pilgrim churches, and were able to hear from some devotees testimonies of miracles attributed to the Blessed Mother. The last stop was the Diocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Canlubang.
On the evening of the Feast of the Visitation, the brothers closed the month of May with a special Rosary where everybody contributed to a multi-cultural praying of the rosary. The Pater and Ave Maria were led in English, Japanese, Malagasy (Madagascar), Pijin, Tetum, Vietnamese, Bisaya (FIS), Burmese and Bahasa Indonesia. In between the mysteries, the different language groups serenaded or recited a poem to honor Mary. Carefully picked flowers from the seminary garden were offered to Mary while singing the Salve Regina.
In the good night talk of Fr. Gerry Batad, SDB, the economer of the Seminaryo, he stressed that the end of May should not be the end of the Salesians’ devotion to Mary. It should rather be a means to heighten our devotion. He challenged everyone that we should be the primary devotees and propagator of devotion to the blessed mother (especially the title Mary, Help of Christians) because she is our guide and teacher.
Many of those who remained in the seminary are the in-coming first year theology students and the Salesian Brothers. The rest of the community members are sent to different Salesian communities both in the FIN and FIS for their summer apostolate; while some went home to make their perpetual profession (2 Salesian Brothers in VIE; a cleric in PNG).
Interestingly, the Seminaryo belongs to the parish of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians where they also helped in the animation of the novena Mass and actively participated in the many festivities.
Marian month concludes at Parañaque
PARAÑAQUE: 2 June 2013 -- Gerald Manley Hopkins, in his poem, The May Magnificat, said: “May is Mary’s month and I muse at that, and I wonder why?” Well, as Salesians, you will really wonder why Mary is so much present in every community—it is because Mary is our Mother and guide, just like Don Bosco.
The Seminaryo ng Don Bosco (clerics sector) and the EAO Salesian Brother Formation House capped off the month of May with two special activities especially devoted to the Blessed Mother—a Marian Pilgrimage and a Special Rosary.
Last May 21, some brothers went to the Diocese of San Pablo (in Laguna, south of Manila; whose bishop emeritus is a Salesian, Leo Drona) to make a pilgrimage to centuries-old churches and Marian shrines in order to heighten their devotion to Mary and to enrich their knowledge about the cultural and religious heritage of the Philippines. They visited and prayed in seven pilgrim churches, and were able to hear from some devotees testimonies of miracles attributed to the Blessed Mother. The last stop was the Diocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Canlubang.
On the evening of the Feast of the Visitation, the brothers closed the month of May with a special Rosary where everybody contributed to a multi-cultural praying of the rosary. The Pater and Ave Maria were led in English, Japanese, Malagasy (Madagascar), Pijin, Tetum, Vietnamese, Bisaya (FIS), Burmese and Bahasa Indonesia. In between the mysteries, the different language groups serenaded or recited a poem to honor Mary. Carefully picked flowers from the seminary garden were offered to Mary while singing the Salve Regina.
In the good night talk of Fr. Gerry Batad, SDB, the economer of the Seminaryo, he stressed that the end of May should not be the end of the Salesians’ devotion to Mary. It should rather be a means to heighten our devotion. He challenged everyone that we should be the primary devotees and propagator of devotion to the blessed mother (especially the title Mary, Help of Christians) because she is our guide and teacher.
Many of those who remained in the seminary are the in-coming first year theology students and the Salesian Brothers. The rest of the community members are sent to different Salesian communities both in the FIN and FIS for their summer apostolate; while some went home to make their perpetual profession (2 Salesian Brothers in VIE; a cleric in PNG).
Interestingly, the Seminaryo belongs to the parish of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians where they also helped in the animation of the novena Mass and actively participated in the many festivities.
