Feast Day Celebration in the Philippines | 2019
Celebrations were underway around the world in honor of St. Josemaria’s Feast Day (June 26th)! If you would like to share photos and stories of your local celebration please forward them to: info@stjosemaria.org.
Following are a note and photos from this year’s celebration in Muntinlupa City, Philippines:
Thought I might share with you some photos from the Feast Day Mass held today in San Roque de Alabang Parish (Mantinlupa City, Diocese of Parañaque, Philippines). The Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Rustico V. Cruz, parish priest. This is only the second year that the parish is celebrating St Josemaria’s feast day. A video showing the biography of St Josemaria was shown before the start of the Mass. Around 70 people came in attendance. Fr. Rusti, in his homily shared that he has known Opus Dei since his university days. He explained St Josemaria’s universal call to holiness by citing some examples of what people can do in one’s daily life: focusing on and offering to God one’s ordinary work such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry, doing manual labor, etc. He also shared that perhaps if people were only more aware of God’s presence in their lives, there would be no corruption in society and everyone would live in harmony and prosperity.
San Roque is a recipient parish of the Philippine Food Bank Foundation, which is an initiative of some of the members of Opus Dei. The Foundation seeks donations of soon-to-expire products from well known companies and distributes to them to marginalized families. These are done through parishes, religious orders, charities, orphanages, schools. Food items donated so far are milk products, donuts, juices, bread and pastries, toothpaste, shampoo, etc., in its efforts to help make a difference. To date, the Food Bank has helped over 3.6 million beneficiaries in many parts of the Philippines and even other countries such as Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Portugal. Calling to mind St Josemaria’s words in the Furrow, no. 27, “Give! without counting the cost, and always for God”, the Food Bank aims to reach more marginalized families and help to uplift them.
Jackie Alcantara
Photos from the Muntinlupa City, Philippines Celebration on June 26, 2019:
St. Josemaria Institute
The St. Josemaria Institute was founded in 2006 to promote the life, teachings, and devotion to St. Josemaria Escriva among all men and women who desire to find meaning and happiness in their daily lives by growing closer to God. The St. Josemaria Institute produces and distributes digital and print media as a means to spread Christian values around the world and to help people navigate and live well in the digital age.
