Historic Solemn High Mass Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy

Photos by: Ed Ceñir

In commemoration of the Feasts of Ss. Peter and Paul, the TLM community of the Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy organized a Missa Solemnis or Solemn High Mass last June 29, 2008. The organizers faced some great obstacles during the last 48 hours before the Mass as the deacon and subdeacon unexpectedly became ill. The Missa Solemnis was saved, thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, as Fr. Abe Arganiosa, CRS was available to be part of this historic occasion. Fr. Abe took the role of deacon while seminarian Bro. Mark Bunag filled the role of subdeacon.

My father, as most of us that day, had no experience of any solemn high masses in our whole life could only comment that it was beautiful and the most solemn mass he has ever ever experienced, how much more, he said, if we had formal training.

Congratulations to Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo, Fr. Abraham Arganiosa CRS, Fr. Froilan Rivera, Fr. Zenki Manabat, Sem. Mark Bunag, Dennis Maturan, Carlos Palad, cantor Felix Valenzuela and other nameless individuals whose help and contribution had a great part in making all this possible.

Our prayers for the quick recovery of Fr. Zenki Manabat and Fr. Froilan Rivera.


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TLM at St. Jerome Emiliani Alabang Metro Manila

Excerpts of the Extraordinary Form, now also called the "Gregorian Rite," at St. Jerome Emiliani Parish Church in Alabang, Diocese of Paranaque.



Congratulations to everyone involved in this historic Mass.

St. Jerome TLM Choir Practice

Pray! Pray! Pray!

From Fr. Z's WDTPRS blog.

O God, Who settest straight what has gone astray,
and gatherest together what is scattered,
and keepest what Thou hast gathered together:
we beseech Thee in Thy mercy to pour down on Christian people,
the grace of union with Thee,
that, putting disunion aside and joing themselves to the true shepherd of Thy Church,
they be able to render Thee worthy service.

(Translation from the Roman Catholic Daily Missal – Angelus Press)

Let's all pray for unity.

__________________________________

[Updated 27 June 2008 1056hrs]

One day to go.....

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.

Mass in Honor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer

Claire Navarro has shared with us the schedule of Masses in honor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer.

I'm sharing here the following schedules:

There will be a Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration in honor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, priest and Founder of Opus Dei

Tomorrow, Thursday, 26 June 2008 at 6:00pm*

at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral) Intramuros, Manila

*Priests will be available for confessions starting 5:00pm

There are also Masses in Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City on the same day with the following schedules:

05:45 am
06:30 am
07:15 am
08:00 am
12:15 pm
6:00 pm

Some more here:

DBP chapel 12:05pm

Bank of Commerce, June 27, 12:15pm

UP diliman chapel, 12:00 nn

Magallanes, 6:30 am

Merville, 6:00 am

Sacred Heart, 7:00 am

St. Andrew, 12:15

Christ the King Church, Main Church in Greenmeadows 7:00 am

Sancte Josemaria Escriva, ora pro nobis!

________________________

[Updated: 26 June 2008 1551hrs]
Schedule of Masses at the Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy in honor of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer:

6:00 am (Ordinary form) and 8:00 am (Extraordinary form)

TLM at the 4th National Convention of Diocesan Chancellors

The 4th National Convention of Diocesan Chancellors, that started yesterday, June 24th 2008, began with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite with Msgr. Moises Andrade, chancellor of the Diocese of Malolos, as celebrant. As the servers prepared the plenary hall of Pius XII Catholic Center, Msgr. Andrade gave a short cathecisis and explained briefly the different parts of the Traditional Mass to his fellow chancellors and guests. The chancellors and guests followed the Traditional Mass, from beginning to end, attentively and reverently and even received the Body of our Lord kneeling in adoration and awe.

During the second day of the convention, Msgr. Moises Andrade will give a talk on the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter given motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.

The 4th National Convention of Diocesan Chancellors is a three day event from June 24 to June 26, 2008 originally in Corregidor Island but moved to Pius XII Catholic Center in UN Avenue Manila due to high waves.

PLDM June 29 Solemn High Mass Invitation

Solemn High Mass
for the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul

Celebrated by Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo
with Fr. Froilan Rivera (Deacon)
and Fr. Zenki Manabat (Subdeacon)

Pauline Year, June 29th, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy
Maamo cor. Madasalin Sts. Sikatuna Village
Quezon City

Announcement: Catechism Orientation Seminar

An invitation for ALL single women who have the commitment to serve.

There is an urgent need for TRUTH at this time and age...

We are summoning all witnesses to the TRUTH -- found in Christ -- and heed His call to Spread the Word!

Join us in the Catechism Orientation Seminar this Saturday, 21 June 2008 at 9:00am - 2:00pm, UA&P, Dining Hall 1

This is a seminar for all Catechists and Catechist wannabees.
Seminar would culminate with a Holy Mass at the Stella Orientis Chapel and will shortly be followed by lunch.

Fee: 150 (inclusive of lunch)

RSVP: Claire Navarro email: clairenavarro@yahoo.com or Tess Vergara +63915-5728293 and email: texmtv@yahoo.com

UPDATE: TLM in Biñan Laguna

The Traditional Latin Mass in Biñan Laguna is now offered to our Lord God regularly every Saturday at noon at the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church. The extraordinary form of the Roman Rite is celebrated by Father JP Villanueva.

Deo Gratias!

Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos: "Not many parishes - all parishes"

Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos says that the TLM should be celebrated in "not many parishes - all parishes."

Story by Damian Thompson in the Telegraph here.

110th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Happy 110th Anniversary of Philippine Independence to all Filipinos around the world!

Request for Prayers: Mr. Richard Villavicencio

My prayers and condolences to the family of Mr. Richard Villavicencio. Richard passed away this morning at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. Our batchmates from Don Bosco are saddened by the news of his passing and he will surely be missed.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

Is Joining the Iglesia ni Cristo a Sin of Apostasy

I found an interesting article in a local apologetics magazine regarding the sin of apostasy (emphasis mine):

The Catholic Church places much importance on the education of conscience because conscience is the primary basis of moral life. She respects then the decision of anybody who decides to become a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo if this is a product of his conscience's dictate. We don't believe that any Catholic who joins the Iglesia ni Cristo becomes a servant of the devil. When such person does this decision on dictates of his conscience (believing truly in the teaching of the Iglesia as the "truth"), then he made a decision pleasing to God and good for his soul. A Catholic who joins the Iglesia ni Cristo, thinking of the economic benefits, or to please a spouse or a husband, is another story. Once God is subordinated to purely human interest, then a person really violates the sacredness of his conscience, committing a serious sin which is apostasy.

I'd like to hear your comments.

Ad Orientem Mass for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Every 2nd Monday of the month, the Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the holy souls in Purgatory at the side chapel of the Manila Cathedral. This morning at 11am, Father Michell Joe Zerrudo, vested in a black chasuble, offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Missal of Pope Paul VI, the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, facing the "east" together with congregation using the original stone altar of the chapel. Father Zerrudo was appointed by the late Jaime Cardinal Sin as the Spiritual Director of the PWHS in 1999.



The Prayer Warrior of the Holy Souls aims to create and spread a global awareness on the plight of the holy souls in purgatory through sustainable efforts: to pray for the holy souls; to strengthen the faith and longing for holiness of the Prayer Warriors; and to tap resources to sustain the apostolate.

Father John Paul Villanueva's Anniversary Mass

Photo by: Ed Ceñir

On June 7, 2008, Father John Paul Villanueva celebrated his 28th anniversary as priest by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in Missa Cantata at the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Biñan Laguna. His anniversary Mass was assisted by members of his family, friends and some parishioners. Father JP Villanueva explained to the congregation the relevance of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and some of the traditional practices that sadly have disappeared in recent times.



Congratulations to Father JP Villanueva! Thanks for being a priest!

St. Jerome Emiliani, Alabang TLM Invitation

The Traditional Latin Mass: The Mass of the Ages…..Times Past, Now and Forever

By Marilou Barnes-Cortes

The Pope wishes that the treasure of the traditional Roman liturgy, celebrated unchanged for centuries and centuries, should be preserved for coming generations. – Heavenly Liturgy, Institute of Christ the King the Sovereign Priest

It’s the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which the “babyboomers’” grandparents, parents, and some of them have attended up to their adolescent years. Among the clergy, only the retired bishops and priests can recall the rubrics of the Mass they used to celebrate. Nowadays, inexplicably, many young people are becoming attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).

...more and more young people, who had never before experienced the profoundness and the beauty of the traditional liturgy, are deeply touched by their first contact with it and everywhere are requesting that permission to celebrate this liturgy in public should be given more generously. – Heavenly Liturgy, Institute of Christ the King the Sovereign Priest

In the Parish of St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana, its Parish Priest, Fr. Grato Germanetto, CRS, who assisted as an altar server for 25 years in the celebration of the TLM at his hometown in Italy, nurtured a personal wish—that he would one day celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the TLM, which is also referred to as the Extraordinary Form per instructions of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in his Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum:

Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 §1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

(Art. 5. §1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.)

Art. 8. A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but who for various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the problem to the Commission Ecclesia Dei to obtain counsel and assistance.

Art. 10. The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance with Canon 518 for celebrations following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing all the norms of law.

The instructions allowed any priest to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass without having to ask permission of his bishop.

Fr. Abe Arganiosa, CRS, met Richard Friend (a Filipino-American based in Riverside County, California) via his blog, The Splendor of the Church. Both have a passion for the beauty and spirituality of the “Mass of the Ages” celebrated during the lifetime of the saints and martyrs of the Catholic Church. Fr. Abe it was who referred Richard to Fr. Grato, aware that for the past five years, Fr. Grato has celebrated the Christmas Eve Novus Ordo in Latin to give solemnity to the occasion and to express union with the traditions of the Church. Richard sent his father, Elbert, to meet and ask Fr. Grato if he would agree to celebrate the TLM at St. Jerome Emiliani.

By celebrating the Old Rite, with all its historical accretions, peculiarities and complexities, I am securely part of an organic link with the beginning of the church, a link to Christ himself. And at a time when most people believe the past is there to be junked, the Church needs this link more than ever. -- By Rev. Dr. M.P.F. Cullinan

Richard came home last March and agreed with Fr. Grato to have the first Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated south of Manila in the Diocese of Parañaque, on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 9:30AM, at the Church of the Parish of St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana.

To date Richard has donated (to the Parish of St. Jerome Emiliani) Roman vestments, a biretta, a 1962 Missale Romano altar missal, training materials, a wireless stick microphone (which can be used for the Novus Ordo), and cassocks for the personal use of Fr. Grato. A set of six 20 inch silver plated candelabras and a matching 42 inch altar cross have been ordered, to be donated by Ambassador Daniel Victoria and his friends. A Missalette on the Order of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite which has the prayers in both Latin and English and the rubrics in English is being assembled by Gerald Cenir and will be made available to attendees. The Missalette may be used at every celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. Other altar wares and furniture as well as funding for the altar servers’ vestments are still being solicited from kind benefactors.

Not only the ceremony in itself with its beautiful rubrics, the dignified Latin language, and the profound expression of theological truth is important but, also, other details count when it comes to making every single faithful understand how important the liturgy is for our lives. The vestments, the altar cloth, the candlesticks, the cruets, the garments of the servers, all these and many other items used during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass have to show that we care to give the Lord only the most beautiful things that we have. For this reason, Christian art at its best plays a significant role in the liturgical mysteries. -- Heavenly Liturgy, Institute of Christ the King the Sovereign Priest

A choir composed of the alumni of the Manila Cathedral Boys’ Choir of the 1950s are rehearsing with noted composer and conductor, Dr. Francisco Feliciano, our choir master. They will sing the Missa de Angelis. A group of altar servers from St. Jerome and Jesus the Divine Healer Parish are currently undergoing training for serving at a TLM which requires them to be able to respond in Latin prayers

A transparochial working committee (Traditional Latin Mass St. Jerome Emiliani) headed by Richard Friend (Chairman), Elbert Friend (Richard’s father who represents him), Marilou Barnes-Cortes (Coordinator of activities), George Balagtas (Choir sponsor), Carlos Palad (Master of Ceremonies, Rubricist, Trainor of Altar Servers), Elaine Friend (Richard’s sister and Acting Treasurer), Dr. Francisco Feliciano (Choir Master), Bernie Asperin (Training resource person), and Sue Gozos (architect, designing the altar rail) are busy with the preparations for the June 29 event. Parishioners of St. Jerome, residents of communities within the area as well as parishioners of the Diocese are welcome to join the working committee to help make this celebration a success. Their Secretariat’s contact info are: Tel. No. 842-5361; Tel/Fax No. 809-1535 (contact person: Elaine Friend); email address: tlmstjerome@gmail.com. You can also volunteer your donations or services with the working committee by meeting up with them at rehearsals held Saturdays at the Church or its basement.

Already, priests have voiced their interest to Fr. Grato on undergoing training in the celebration of the TLM. The vision is to have the celebration of the TLM at St. Jerome Emiliani set the “bar” which would be the standard that has to be met by any priest who would be substituting for Fr. Grato (in his absence) to celebrate the TLM at St. Jerome. This standard holds as well for those who will be trained by TLM St. Jerome. However, for now, everyone is focused on the preparations for the inaugural celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Jerome Emiliani on June 29.

Three months preparation was found to be too short considering that we started “from scratch”. The saving grace is that Fr. Grato is marvelously fluent in Latin and the rubrics of the TLM has remained fresh in his mind!

Announcement: TLM in Binan Laguna

In thanksgiving for the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, Fr. John Paul M. Villanueva will offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite on the 7th of June, 2008 at 12:00PM at the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Biñan, Laguna.

Thanks to Raffy and Carlos for the info.