‘They belong to all of us’

PATERSON  Dressed in Barong Tagalong, the national attire in the Philippines, faithful Filipinos of the Diocese joined together at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here Sept. 23 to celebrate two martyrs of their homeland — St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod.

Bishop Serratelli was the principal celebrant of the Mass along with several priests of the Diocese as concelebrants. The Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM) coordinated the Mass that was followed by a reception in the Bishop Rodimer Center next to the cathedral.

In his welcome to the congregation, Bishop Serratelli said, “We gather this afternoon to celebrate two Filipino saints. Though, they come from the Filipino community, ‘They belong to all of us’. They have been raised to the altar to show what it truly means to live as Christians — one a married man, the other a young teenager — to remind us whatever our state in life is, no matter how young or old we are, we are called to follow Christ in a state of holiness.”

The feast day celebration in the two saints honor featured music and song by BJ Visto and the Filipino Chorale, in English and Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines.

Father Cerilo Javinez, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, both in Rockaway, delivered the homily at the feast day Mass. Father Javinez, was born in the Philippines and was ordained as a priest of the Diocese in 2017. In is homily, he said, “We greatly honor these two saints every year because of their profound endurance and love of God. Even human’s life value cannot equal the Word of Jesus Christ. What then, can we learn from them? I suppose many things. Self-denial, a deep love for God and to be proud to be Catholic even to the point of death.”

To inspire the Filipinos at the Mass, Father Javinez said, “Like St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, who left their country, we Filipinos are currently not in our own country. The question is do we live out our faith passed on to us generation after generation. Are we willing and ready to die for it? This is something we can admire and ponder about these two saints. We have two saints of ours who are models to many Filipinos.”

Canonized by St. Pope John Paul II in Rome on Oct. 18, 1987, St. Lorenzo Ruiz was martyred during the persecution of Christians in Japan during the 17th century while on a missionary expedition. A layman with a wife and three children, he lived out his faith as an active member of his parish community. His feast day is Sept. 28.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI canonized St. Pedro Calungsod on World Mission Sunday in 2012. The saint was martyred in 1672 one week before Palm Sunday when he was 17. He began serving God when he was 13-years-old as a missionary for the Jesuits. With Jesuit Father Diego Luis de San Vitores, he traveled to Guam to catechize the native Chamorros. They were attacked and killed when the village chief learned that his baby daughter was baptized. His feast day is April 2. At the close of Mass, Father Vidal Gonzales, pastor of St. Kateri Parish in Sparta and consultant to the DCCFM, thanked everyone for attending and those who participated in the Mass.

The Bishop praised the choir at the end of Mass and also thanked those who attended. “As we always say, the Paterson Diocese is the greatest diocese in the state and it’s because of our diversity and the faith of our people. One of the most important communities is you, yourself the Filipino people. Before I became Bishop here, there were no Filipino priests and now we are increasing and increasing. This is a sign of your faith, your prayers and I’m so grateful to all of you.”