MANILA, Philippines?The theme of the fiesta celebration of San Lorenzo Ruiz in New York at St. Patrick?s Cathedral on Sept. 28 is Celebrating Filipino Migrants Around the World. Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo will lead 4,000 Filipino-Americans who will gather at St. Patrick?s to attend the solemn Pontifical Mass at 2 p.m. (2 a.m., Manila time).

The sub-theme is Celebrating Filipino Young Adults. Fr. Erno Diaz, archdiocesan director of the Filipino Apostolate, says The San Lorenzo Ruiz Global Hour will also be launched during the Mass. This means bringing the Holy Mass via cable TV or satellite.

It is the desire of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz to make this a long-term pastoral outreach (hopefully with sustained funding from kind sponsors) so our overseas kababayans can be kept close with the Eucharistic liturgy. San Lorenzo Ruiz, himself a migrant, is considered the patron saint of Filipino migrants and OFWs.

In keeping with the ethnic flavor of the Filipino Mass and tradition, Tagalog hymns will be rendered by the San Lorenzo Chapel Choir, which will be joined by other choirs and expanded into a festival choir. Filipino parish groups were invited to join in the processional march with banner holders dressed in Filipiniana attire.

In Metro Manila, arrangements are being made with Channel 23 of ABS-CBN for the airing of the Sept. 28 Mass, hopefully on Oct. 5. Ned Legaspi of The Filipino Channel is helping to make this possible. So Sunday Masses will continue to be beamed to Filipino migrants all over the world, please text the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz Advisory Council in Manila at 0917-8718870; call Fr. Erno Diaz at 212-966-1019 in New York; or e-mail ernodiaz@aol.com.

Testimonial dinner

A testimonial dinner for Archbishop Gordoncillo recently took place at Jing Fong Restaurant on Elizabeth Street and Bayard in historic Chinatown. The proceeds of the dinner went partly to the victims of typhoon Frank. Archbishop Gordoncillo, who comes from Aklan, received the donation. Mr. & Mrs. Ray Rogan are this year?s hermanos mayores.

Para sa Kapilya

Gigi Davide, vice chair of our Chapel?s Endowment Campaign, met with members of the Chapel and San Lorenzo Kids committee to finalize the launching of ?25 Para Sa Kapilya? on Sept. 7 that coincided with the San Lorenzo Novena Mass. The idea was to encourage children to participate in the endowment campaign by collecting quarters in a bottle and offering the bottle filled with quarters during the Sunday Mass. Mrs. Davide is the wife of Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr. of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations.

Beatification

Servant of God Fr. Michael Sopocko, spiritual confessor of St. Faustina Kowalska, will be beatified today in Bialystok, Poland. Father Sopocko is a very important figure in the devotion to the Divine Mercy.

In his published research works, Fr. Sopocko laid down in theological axis for the new forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy, to which he was a dedicated apostle. The major miracle that Father Sopocko interceded for was the survival of an apparently stillborn baby inside the mother?s womb. The mother went to the tomb of Father Sopocko and prayed to him for help. The next checkup revealed the baby was alive. The mother had a normal delivery of a healthy baby.

Guadalupe trip

Unknown to many, Mexico is the seventh most popular tourist destination worldwide, receiving about 20 million tourists yearly. Tourism is the third largest sector in the country?s GDP. Central to this tourist influx is the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the second most visited Catholic shrine in the world.

Two groups of Filipino pilgrims are leaving Nov. 3 and 14. They will tour the beautiful picturesque cities of Mexico: Guadalupe, Mexico City, Ocotlan, Cholula, Puebla, Cuernavaca, ?the City of Eternal Springs,? Taxco, the city of silver, San Miguel de Allende, and Guanajato. Apart from this, the groups will enter the United States with their American visas. The US visit is highlighted by a possible visit to Disneyland and Hawaii.

Memorable accommodation will be in one monastery turned hotel and hacienderos? villas. To join, contact Adams Express Travel at 521-1651/9838/68 or e-mail adamstvl@pldtdsl.net.

Giant school box

The giant school box contains a school and school supplies for poor children aged three to six years old. A project of Rotary Club Kesenuma- south district 2520 in Tokyo and Rotary Club Kishiwada east district 2640 in Osaka, Rotary Club of Intramuros District 3810 through Gov. Lyne Abanilla and Rotary Foundation in America, the school boxes have been distributed to 95 centers.

In a recent trip to Davao, 23 Rotary Club members distributed the boxes to both the Muslim and Christian centers.

The trip to Davao City was intended to talk to Rotarians in the South and persuade them to give their all to Rotary work, especially in helping the poor.

Celebrating all nations

The Physicians for Peace International is marking its third anniversary with the Celebrate the Nations gala on Oct. 4 at Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Former Senator Bill Frist, MD, is keynote speaker. The Latin Ballet of Virginia will perform. Lyne Abanilla, executive director of PFP Philippines, will go to Virginia for the celebration.

Opus Dei

The Prelature of Opus Dei will celebrate its 80th anniversary with Masses all over the world. In the Philippines, St. Josemaria Escriva?s ?The Way? has been translated into Hiligaynon, the 44th translation in the present day.

Help needed

Kenneth Marie Genilsa is a graduating nursing student of Adamson University. She cannot take the board exams in December, however, because she doesn?t have credentials to do so. She has not paid the P100,000 obligation to the school. Her father is a mere sacristan of a parish church. Can we help? Please text 0918-3292369.

Kannawidan anniversary

The Kannawidan Foundation marks its 15th anniversary on Sept. 26 with a dinner-dance at North Greenhills Social Club. Ilocos Gov. Michael Keon is keynote speaker.

In Naga, Bicolano artist Pancho Piano is currently exhibiting his paintings of Our Lady of Peñafrancia at Basilica de Peñafrancia until Sept. 30.