IN ceremonies at the Vatican last Oct. 23, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the credentials of Cristina Ponce-Enrile as Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See.

Aside from Senate president Johnny Ponce-Enrile, daughter Katrina and husband James Kocher and her family, Fr. Sanny de Claro, rector and parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia in Ermita, also attended.

Fr. Sanny is the pastor of the oldest Marian image in the country, of which Enrile has been a devotee since childhood.

Also present was Tony Adriano, assistant to Ambassador Enrile. He was the president of the Ermita Church Pastoral Council and recamadero of Virgen de Guia. Interior designer and furniture maker, he also did the papal chairs of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II when he visited Manila in January 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI plus the ?cathedral? chair of Cardinal Rosales.

Helping priests

The office of the ambassador helps foreign priests, nuns and religious get visas to the Philippines, issues tickets to papal audience or Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel.

When Enrile introduced Adriano to the Pope, the Pope said, ?Ah, you are the man who has to handle all the problems.?

Ambassador Enrile spends Sunday visiting Filipino groups, mostly workers, in Milan and Napoli.

Cardinal Condes

Paul Josef Cardinal Condes, president of ?Cor Unum? (poverty alleviation), will be speaker in the CBCP plenary session end of January at Pius XII Catholic Center. A member of Vatican Secretariat, Cardinal Condes will talk on how to help the urban poor, migrants, the homeless and itinerant people.

Am I not your Mother?

In response to the universal request ?monstra te esse matrem? (cf. John 19:27) which means ?Show that you are our Mother,? Our Lady of Guadalupe assured Juan Diego on Dec. 1, 1531 that she was truly his Mother.?

She asks him: ?Am I not your Mother? Am I not Life and Health? Have I not pleased you in my care and made you my responsibility??

These words came back to me as I stood for the first time before the bigger-than-life-size icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the chapel built by Gene de los Reyes in Barangay Javalera, Gen Trias, Cavite. The altar was magnificent.

On the right was inscribed ?The Magnificat,? on the left ?The Apostles Creed.? As Dulce Festin Baybay and I knelt before her praying the rosary, I could feel our Lady?s presence. She made our trip possible in good weather.

Fr. Nel Matanguihan, chaplain, explained the miracle of the ?tilma? on which Our Lady of Guadalupe was painted. The original ?tilma? done on Dec. 12, 1531 still hangs at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico.

St. Francis of Assisi church

The trip to Gen. Trias also brought us to the church of St. Francis of Assisi. Parish priest Vir Mendoza recounted miracles that happened there, like how he was able to raise the money to restore the hagiography of saints in the main altar, or how he was able to raise P28,000 to buy the lifesize belen adorning the side altar.

Rosary Center

Our Lady of Manaoag Rosary Center in Carmen, Cebu, continues to draw pilgrims. Edna Ouano Toral who built it also opened a religious store at the Gaisano Country Mall to sell Our Lady of Manaoag items. The Benedictine priests of St. Sylvestrine run the Rosary Center which has life-size paintings of the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries on its walls.

Ordination in Alcala

Tuguegarao Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan will ordain Rev. Victor Emmanuel Quintos on Jan. 11, 3 pm, at the Church of St. Philomena in Alcala, Cagayan. The next day, 4 p.m., Archbishop Talamayan will mark his silver jubilee as bishop with a concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter.

Papal Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams will be homilist. Friends who cannot go to Tuguegarao will attend the Thanksgiving Mass on Jan. 26, 6 p.m., at the main lounge of Manila Polo Club. It is organized by the Biyaya ng Langit Foundation and the Tuguegarao archdiocese chancery.
A family day is on Jan. 12, 9 a.m., in the cathedral patio. A tribute to the archbishop will be given by the Lyceum of Aparri on Jan. 13.

Mindanao exhibit

One hundred out-of-school youth children and grade school children from Metro Manila and Mindanao, in colorful religion-inspired costumes, will open the exhibit ?Together through Peace? on Jan. 13, 4 p.m., at Clamshell Pavilion in Intramuros.

They will chant their dream and hope for peace for their generation. The exhibit will feature the region?s culture, arts and crafts, history, heritage, music, songs, dances, cuisine and destinations.
In charge are Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab; Nilo Agustin, head of the secretariat of Intramuros History Town Philippines; and Ting de los Reyes, overall artistic and program director.

Sto. Niño procession

The Congregacion del Sto. Niño del Niño Jesus will hold its 30th procession on Jan. 25, 3 p.m., from the Philtrade towards Quirino Grandstand. Registration of images will be held Jan. 12-14, 9 am-7 p.m., at PNB Financial Center. Exhibit opens Jan. 15, 5 p.m., novena Mass, 7 p.m.

In charge are Mel Chionglo, president; Nolie Hans, vice president; Bob de Castro, secretary; Germs Malabanan, asst. secretary; Jing Chua, treasurer; Chito Ilagan, Benson Nobrera and Dennis Maturan, board members. Chairman is Ricky Miranda; Ben Farrales is founding chair.

St. Philomena

There will be a procession honoring St. Philomena on Jan. 11, 3 p.m., at the Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Malac, Masambong, Quezon City. Mass is at 6:30 p.m. to honor the patronage of St. Philomena.

The Parokya ng Birhen ng Mga Dukha in Taguig, Rizal, will hold a fiesta Mass on Jan. 11, 9 am to honor the Virgin of the Poor. Bishop Francisco San Diego will concelebrate with Fr. Simplicio Roxas, parish priest.