Anniversary of Pedro’s sainthood: ‘God will never abandon us’

AMID the series of tremors in the past few days, Cebuanos yesterday celebrated the first anniversary of San Pedro Calungsod’s canonization with Masses in three churches.

Clad in red liturgical vestments, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma presided over the 10 a.m. Mass at the year-old Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod at the South Road Properties (SRP).

“Tuesday last week, we experienced an earthquake. In many challenges, we need to pray to God, we need to exercise our faith even more.

We should entrust everything to the Lord and we know God will never abandon us,” Palma said.

Masses were also held in the Calungsod archdiocesan shrine in D. Jakosalem Street and in the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral presided by Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

The anniversary also kicked off the Duaw-Lungsod or pilgrimage of Calungsod’s image to various places in Cebu and Naval in Leyte.

Calbayog Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, a Cebuano and former Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Antonio Rañola joined 40 priests in concelebrating the Mass.

In his homily, Palma recounted the events during Calungsod’s canonization in Rome last year.

The 63-year-old prelate thanked the Lord and those who made Calungsod’s journey to sainthood a reality.

“How do we treasure our faith? How do we live for our faith? Our pilgrimage to Rome would be useless if we will not become saints like Pedro Calungsod. We should try to grow in our faith and relationship with the Lord,” he said.

Palma, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said the devotion to Calungsod is no longer confined to the people in the Visayas.

He said Calungsod’s intercession is now being sought all over the world.

“Before the canonization, Pedro Calungsod was claimed by people in Cebu, Iloilo, and Bohol. But now, he belongs to the world,” Palma said.

He encouraged the faithful to transcend their devotion to Calungsod by imitating the teenage Visayan martyr.

After the Mass, devotees sang a hymn to Calungsod as people gathered to touch the glass case that contained the image of the Visayan martyr.

Calungsod’s image, which was brought to Rome for the canonization last year, will be brought to various places in Cebu and Naval, Leyte.

The first stop will be Danao City before it will be brought to Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Bogo City, Balamban, Cantabaco in Toledo City, Barili, Ginatilan, Samboan, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Argao, Naval in Leyte, Carcar City, San Nicolas in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Sto. Rosario Parish in Cebu City.

On Nov. 29, the image will stay at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

It will then be brought in a procession the following day to the Templete at the SRP for a Eucharistic celebration commemorating the Nov. 30, 2012 Thanksgiving Mass. /Ador Vincent Mayol, Reporter