Street of Sin ‘consecrated’ on Wednesday

Welcome to the street of Sin.

Marking the 83rd birth anniversary of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, Catholic bishops and city officials today (Wednesday) will lead rites renaming a Mandaluyong street after the legendary prelate.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas and Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, both of whom served as Sin’s secretaries, will join several bishops and city officials in rites renaming the E. Rodriguez street in Mandaluyong as Jaime Cardinal Sin Street.

The street intersects Shaw Boulevard and runs along Villa San Miguel, the residence of the late archbishop. When welcoming guests, Cardinal Sin used to jokingly refer to the villa as the “house of Sin.”

“The idea to rename the street was put forward soon after the death of the charismatic Church leader, one of the heroes of the Edsa People Power Revolution,” said the Archdiocese of Manila in a statement.

“The blessing is also a way of ‘consecrating’ the neighborhood where a revered man of the Church once resided,” it added.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the ceremonies include the unveiling and blessing of the street signs: the corner of Shaw Blvd and Sin Street; Pascual and Sin Streets; De La Paz and Sin Streets and V. Victorino and Sin Streets.

Aside from Archbishop Villegas and Bishop Reyes, the other bishops who are expected to attend the event include former Pasig Bishop Francisco San Diego, current Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, Cubao Bishop Honest Ongtioco, Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez.

Mandaluyong City officials and a relative of Cardinal Sin were also expected to be present.

“After the unveiling and blessing, a short entertainment program will be held for the people mostly from the area, that will feature a magician to remember the occasions when Cardinal Sin would gather children in his residence to watch clowns and magicians,” the Manila archdiocese said.

“There will also be an exhibit of photos and memorabilia of Cardinal Sin at Villa San Miguel where one of the featured items is a vestment which had been worn by Blessed John Paul II and Cardinal Sin. Fireworks will conclude the event,” it added.