Let's drink to that, Father.

I remember one parish priest who held a series of talks and one talk took place in a pub near the U of T. in Toronto. Yes, an Irish pub.

The priest was not even Irish; he was a Filipino-Canadian.  But yes, there are many Irish priests in Canada and the U.S.A.  In fact, a second cousin's daughter is married to an Irish-Canadian who has a priest for an uncle. And for an Irish, going to a pub (bar) is like going for a walk - it is the most natural thing to do.

I figured, that priest must have many Irish priest friends and that he was attending the University for post graduate studies and that the pub was the best place to hold a talk because it was populated by students from the nearby university whose attendance he probably wanted.

And then I read about "pub talks."  One Australian priest  in an article says,  "It is one thing to discuss key questions among ourselves as Catholics, it is another to go into the public forum and raise the issues that are current and important," says Bishop Julian. "Holding these talks in pubs in the city provides young people with an informal relaxed environment in which they can engage with the important questions that are currently being debated in newspapers, on talk back radio and on many television programs."

A typical pub talk.

My mind flashed back to this scenario because at a recent church group meeting I attended, someone admonished the members to avoid posting photos in their social networking sites which show them drinking in the presence of a priest.

According to the individual, others may misconstrue it and think that the priest was drinking.

What's wrong with a priest drinking beer during a ministry fellowship, anyway?

The warning by the group member was  a classic case of 'beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," or more like "sin is in the eyes of the sinner."

Vatican II changed the way the Catholic church treated the laity; the laity was made more involved with the Church through the various ministries and apostolates; it became a partner of the Church in spreading the kingdom of God. Corollary to this, the priests became more in touch with their parishioners.

As a Knight of Columbus, I became aware of how the laity should defend its priests. Instead of  worrying how others may perceive an ordinary photograph, I would take the positive action of  explaining (if need be) what's probably behind the image.

I won't take the high road of snobbery.

Here's another piece on  pub talks.  " Archbishop Donald Wuerl stepped onto the stage at the archdiocesan sponsored Theology on Tap on Oct. 17 to cheers and applause from the young crowd. "That's the warmest welcome I've ever received in a pub," he said. And then added, "That's the first welcome I've ever received in a pub." - from Catholic online (http://www.catholic.org/diocese/diocese_story.php?id=21800).

ALAY LAKAD 2013. Penitential Walk.

Ave Maria!

The Virgin of Antipolo, better known as Nuestra Senora De la Paz y Buen Viaje, (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage) is back in her home,  at the Cathedral of Antipolo.

She came back last Wednesday, May 1st, travelling from the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila to the Cathedral in Antipolo in the Rizal Province.

Thousands of faithful and devotees walked the 16-kilometer stretch that started at 8 pm on April 30th and ended at around 3 am on May 1st.

Why did the Virgin of Antipolo end up at Quiapo in the first place?

Recent history relates that the Virgin of Antipolo was brought to the Quiapo Church during World War II as the Japanese forces were wrecking havoc in the town of Antipolo, bombing and burning houses and churches. To escape destruction, the Nuestra Senora was taken secretly to Quiapo.

So every year to commemorate the Virgin Mother's temporary camping and adoption at the Quiapo Church and her subsequent return to Antipolo, the Alay Lakad "fetches" the Nuestra Senora and brings her home to Antipolo.

The Nuestra Senora De la Paz y Buen Viaje and the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno of Quiapo share an affinity. Both were brought to Manila from Mexico and both are made of oak wood and turned black as both the images suffered burning and destruction during trips from Manila to Acapulco in the days of the galleon trade.

Concelebrated mass at the Quiapo church

After a 6 pm concelebrated mass and quick dinner at the church courtyard in Quiapo, the Alay Lakad participants started the walk at 8 pm. They criss crossed the busy traffic along Recto Avenue, on to Legarda, Ramon Magsaysay Blvd (Sta. Mesa), to Greenhills area, crossed EDSA, on to Ortigas Ave, to Rosario Bridge in Pasig, and on to Tikling where other walkers from the Cainta and Taytay areas were waiting with various images of the Senor Nazareno and the Virgin Mother.

Fr. Vic Flores, one of the celebrators of the mass in Quiapo

Along the long route were people giving bottles of water, and there were even some providing snacks like the Beta Sigma Fraternity which handed out hot lugaw, a Philippine favorite chicken and rice porridge .

Some walked ahead of the big group. The main group laid in wait at Tikling because it wanted to reach the Antipolo Church at exactly 4 am, in time for the first mass of the Pilgrim month of May.

Alay Lakad participants taking a rest before the 4 a.m. mass

The church courtyard in Antipolo became one big sleeping camp as walkers and penitents laid mats and slept and rested upon reaching ground and before the 4 am mass.

The scene reminded me of a 2007 trip to the Basilica of Santiago Mayor in Compostela in Spain, where "walkers" from different parts of Spain and Western Europe took the route called "Way Of St. James," and converged at the Church Plaza and slept on the pavement after days of walking with wooden canes.

Participants from our parish of San Andres Apostol included the Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Mary Immaculate, and others from the pastoral council, BEC. MBG, and CWL.

NOTE: Photos lifted from the San Andres Apostol Parish facebook account. Many thanks.

Knighthood.

When a person from Church approached me and asked me to join the Knights of Columbus, I didn't readily agree.  Instead I went to the Net and looked for information about the organization.

What I saw affirmed my earlier hunch that the Knights of Columbus is an honorable undertaking.

My only contact with the Knights of Columbus was seeing its members in church events in which they participated donned in knight regalia, cape and sword and hat (called chapeau) and all.  It was a beautiful sight.

Even in my parish at Blessed John XXIII, I remember debating whether to join or not.

As I turned a new leaf in my Christian life, I finally decided to be a part of this Catholic fraternal service organization whose membership includes Carl A. Anderson, former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan and the present Supreme Knight,  Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, Denis Coderre, Member of Canadian Parliament, and Hilario Davide, former Philippine Supreme Court Justice.

To read more about the Knights of Columbus, please go to www.kofc.org and for the Philippine site, at www.kofc.org.ph/