Fr. Joey Faller DELFIN T.MALLARI JR.
LUCBAN, Quezon—The popular healing priest based here has called on President Duterte to join devotees at the Kamay ni Hesus (KNH) shrine in communal prayers for genuine peace to reign in the country this Holy Week.
“You (Mr. Duterte) are most welcome to visit our place and we will be happy to pray for you here at Kamay ni Hesus. You are our duly elected President. You have our support and prayers,” Fr. Joey Faller, the administrator of the shrine, which is under the supervision of the Diocese of Lucena, said in an online interview on Thursday.
Mr. Duterte is traveling to the Middle East this week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.
Faller, who pilgrims believe possesses a gift from God for curing the sick, called on the pilgrims to pray for government leaders and peace.
“And as you also pray for your special intentions, let us also pray for our leaders that they may be guided by God in all their endeavors and plans,” Faller, 52, said.
Mr. Duterte has been railing against the Catholic Church for criticizing his bloody war on drugs.
‘Prayer works’
But for Faller, Mr. Duterte as leader of the country “needs God’s guidance and continuous anointing by God.”
“Prayer works. It can change our life and our country,” he said.
Faller described the vast KNH complex as a “sacred place for worship and spiritual cleansing.”
More than 150 statues of saints are found in the complex.
Faller also called on the faithful to pray for the success of the government peace initiatives with the communist rebels and Moro secessionists in the south.
“The success of peace talks between the government and our brother communists and Muslims is always in my prayers for unity and harmony in our country,” Faller said.
“I pray for unity, healing and authentic change in our life as the modern-day chosen people of God. We are called to be ‘Pili na pino pa.’ We are chosen to be refined, to be purified,” he said.
Pilgrims and devotees
Faller said the 5-hectare KNH shrine was ready to welcome the throngs of devotees and pilgrims from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
On Holy Thursday and Good Friday, devotees are expected to flood the complex located about 2 kilometers from the town at the foot of Mt. Banahaw.
To accommodate the growing number of pilgrims every year, Faller said a “healing dome” would be built on a 2-ha spot adjacent to the shrine after Holy Week.
Faller said the original plan of putting up a fully air-conditioned edifice had been scrapped in favor of a simple and nature-friendly dome that could accommodate up to 7,000 pilgrims.
“The whole place will be like a garden to enjoy nature and the presence of God,” he said.
The dome is expected to be ready by May next year.
Faller said “Noah’s Ark,” a house of prayer for guests who do not want to go to the main church, was fully booked for Holy Week.
He appealed to devotees to respect every spot in the shrine.
“The shrine is a sacred place for prayer and meditation and not another picnic area,” Faller said. “In the areas where people are praying, maintain the spirit of your prayer and silence.”
He also appealed to pilgrims to maintain the sanctity of the place by not leaving trash behind.
“Use the trash cans. Leave only your footprints and not your rubbish,” he said.
Last year, Faller said most visitors to the shrine threw trash everywhere despite the presence of numerous garbage bins around the complex.
After Holy Week, the pilgrims left trash, mostly plastic, even inside the church and at the foot of the Risen Christ statue at the top of the hill.
The use of plastic wrappers and bags in the town has been banned by the Lucban municipal council several years ago.
Police estimate the number of visitors to KNH at 1.5 million to 3 million during Holy Week.