A Blessed Easter Week!

In the lengthy 40 days from Palm Sunday through the Lenten week to Easter Sunday, so much has happened, not only in the world around us, but in ourselves and in our souls.

In the past few years, I missed Palm Sunday morning Mass and the blessing of the palms, since I would usually attend the Easter Vigil Mass. However, I make it a point to watch the Easter Vigil Mass later in the day on TV broadcast live from Rome with the Pope celebrating. This year, besides the traditional palms held by the religious, most of the congregation held leafy olive branches. I remember noting this for the first time years ago, when I was in Rome during the Lenten season, where tropical palms are scarce, and olive trees are prolific, and actually olive trees figured in Christ’s life especially in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This Holy Week, I was able to attend a spiritually uplifting three-day morning retreat at the Sacred Heart Center. Retreat master Jesuit Fr. Johnny Go, brought us through Christ’s Holy Week from The Garden (of Gethsemane) on Maundy Thursday, to The Hill (of Calvary) on Good Friday, and The Tomb (of Christ ) on Black Saturday.

Good Friday, the traditional preaching of the Seven Last Words was aired on TV from noon to 3 p.m. from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and from the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Manila. I caught Msgr. Achilles Dakay’s preaching in Cebu and SVD Fr. Rod Salazar’s from Manila. Dakay used to be the chaplain of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and our station manager at the ALU labor station, dyLA, before he transfwrred to the Archbishop’s Palace. When Fr. Rod was still with the University of San Carlos, I used to attend his Black Saturday retreats at the Convent of the Pink Sisters in Banilad.

Other Holy Week activities this year included the Buhing Kalbaryo on V. Rama Avenue, directed for the past two years by Archie Modequillo, a former dyWF fellow broadcaster, and now columnist of The Freeman. Then there was the traditional Sugat on early Easter Sunday morning at barangay Guadalupe and in Naga City.

Meanwhile, with all the religious preparations in Cebu as well as in Rome for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, I realized his feast day is actually April 2nd. Another religious holiday this month is the Feast of the Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 15th.

Before I move on to other subjects, allow me to mention the recent passing away last March 29th of Samson Lucero, former History professor at USC, columnist of The Freeman and an across-the-street neighbor of mine in Banawa . Do remember him in your prayers.

A death on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week and whose interment was held Wednesday this week was that of Angelo Castro, Jr., TV broadcaster, and newscast host. He was remembered by Malacañang as among the last from an era of “gentlemanly broadcasting” I used to watch him on TV, remembering when he approached me at a Cebu broadcasters’ gathering some years ago because his father had old him about me.

His father, Angelo Ruiz Castro was our first program director in pioneer Cebu Radio Station kzRC, later dyRC. Angelo was a true professional radio man from whom I learned a lot in my early years on radio. After he went to the States on an assignment, I had hoped to see him but missed the chance when I was in San Francisco, hoping to see him later. It was not too long after that I learned he had passed away. His son Angelo Jr. took after him in both good looks and professionalism. God rest his soul.

For more current events, now that the Corona impeachment trial is still on hold to resume in May, the case of the Saint Theresa’s College high school graduates continues through court injunction and counter suits. I agree with St. Theresa’s standing firmly on their disciplinary decision, in accordance with the rules of the school, apparently earlier agreed upon by the students and their parents, in disregarding the court’s injunction, apparently the wrong court in this case. The girls did graduate, their grades in behavior adjusted as passing, although they were disallowed from marching on stage to get their diplomas.

Unfortunate that this case was publicized, not by the school, but by those who saw it on Facebook and were apparently “scandalized.” Kudos to the media for being fair and proper in their reporting of this case until it “leaked” out more in detail about the girls’ unseemly, improper behavior that would reflect badly on the school. Nuff said.

I would like to report in detail on our Cebu Girl Scouts Council Annual Board Meeting to mark the end of the Triennium 2009-2012 when our newly elected officers, board members, and members at large take over, but that will have to hold for next week.

In closing, let me mark memorable dates this month. Actually, April 29th was the opening of the Local World Youth Day celebration. Last Monday, the 9th, was the birthday of Atty. Mario Ortiz, a good friend from early broadcasting days on dyRC, and the husband of fellow Girl Scouts of the Philippines board member Julita “Lita” Ortiz. A belated Happy Birthday, Mar! The day, the 9th, was also the Philippines’ Araw ng Kagitingan, Our Day of Valor, as well as the Fall of Bataan during World War in 1942, and also the anniversary of the Fall of Cebu to the Japanese troops.

This month also marked the 63rd birthday of our past GSP Council President Paz Radaza, now mayor of Lapulapu City. She marked her birthday with the turnover of a building for Lapu-Lapu barangay councilors. Belated Happy Birthday, Paz! She will certainly be preparing for a grand 491st anniversasry of the heroic Battle of Mactan on April 27.

Till next week, as always, may God continue to bless us one and all!