Contributed by: Fr. Rowen Z. Carlos, CM
One of several activities lined up in celebrating the 350th death anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul is the march from Quezon City Hall to the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul in Tandang Sora on September 26, 2010. The walk will start at 9:00am to be participated in by the urban poor of Quezon City together with the pilgrims from the Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish of Payatas, the Quezon City Hall officials headed by Mr. Ramon Asprer of the Urban Poor Affairs Office, residents of nearby barangays, namely: Brgy. Central, Brgy. Project 6, Brgy. Vasra, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Brgy. Culiat, Brgy. Tandang Sora, and members of other groups and organizations.
The City Mayor Hon. Herbert Bautista, other officials, and the former Mayor, Hon. Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. who, six years ago on September 26, 2004, declared St. Vincent as the patron saint of the urban poor of Quezon City will give support to the appeal of the Santuario to be recognized as a Diocesan Shrine by the bishop of Novaliches, Most Rev. Antonio R. Tobias, DD.
This event dubbed as “Pilgrimage to the Santuario: A Walk for a Cause” has for its main objectives: to spread devotion to St. Vincent de Paul among members of the urban poor of Quezon City and other communities; to develop awareness of the Santuario as a Shrine dedicated to St. Vincent not only in the Philippines but also in the Asia Pacific region; and to make the Santuario a center of social services to the poor.
Fr. Rowen Z. Carlos, CM the parish priest of Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish has committed full support to the proposed walk for a cause campaign in solidarity with the urban poor of Quezon City inasmuch as most of his parishioners belong to the sector where the Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish, established in 1991 as a missionary parish, was entrusted by the Archdiocese of Manila to the pastoral administration of the Vincentian Missionaries. This parish encompasses the Payatas community that surrounds the mountainous garbage dump of Quezon City which has been in operation for three decades now. Informal settlers/urban poor who dared to seek life and home in Payatas make up the majority of its parishioners.
People from Payatas are expected to join in great numbers and to make up the bulk of participants in the said event. Fr. Rowen is actively drumming up support from the different organizations, ministries and the parishioners in general for involvement in the said occasion. Hopefully this initiative will be a first step towards greater collaboration between the Santuario and the Ina ng Lupang Pangako parish, a yearly commitment which will trigger off the propagation of the devotion to St. Vincent and inspire people to care, guide and show little kindness towards others in the same spirit of St. Vincent de Paul who had a great zeal for charity and love for the poor.
Share on Facebook
The St. Vincent Medical and Dental Clinic (SVMDC) will inaugurate its 1st year anniversary on September 26, 2010. Volunteer doctors headed by Dra. Teresita Agda, MD and other members of the management team including Dra. Mercy Agustin, MD and Ms. Norma Manalili as coordinator, among others. Activities planned for September 26, 2010 (Sunday) is a Thanksgiving Mass at 7:30 am where all volunteer dentists, paramedics, as well as the patients who have benefited from this program will be invited. During the mass, all will be acknowledged for their generosity and participation in sharing their time and resources and for the services they rendered in helping alleviate the physical condition of the poor among us.
