(January 23, 2009) - This year’s annual vocation month, traditionally held the whole month of February, will be tied up with the significant visit of the International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to the Archdiocese. After the priests, religious and laity of Vicariate VI’s welcome at Parish Church of Sto. Tomas, Batangas on February 1 at 3:00 pm., the global-touring sttue of the Virgin will arrive at the Cathedral of St. Sebastian, Lipa City, where the Commission on Vocation (ComVoc), headed by Rev. Fr. Rochester Charles “Toter” Resuello, in coordination with the Association of Religious in the Archdiocese of Lipa (ARAL) and the parish community of St. Sebastian, led by Rev. Fr. Ernesto Mandanas, Jr., will take charge of the activities.
After the 8:00 pm welcome concelebrated mass to be presided over by Rev. Fr. Joseph Mendoza, Vicar Forane of Vicariate V, ComVoc and ARAL will lead the faithful in prayerful vigil from 10:00 pm to midnight. The San Sebastian Parish community takes over till 7:00 am the following morning. Inasmuch as February 2 is really marked as the formal opening of the Vocation month, the Commission starts the day with Lauds at 7:00 am at the Cathedral. A Vocation Exhibit, featuring the different congregations of men and women, including the diocesan seminaries, will be formally opened to the public at 8:30 am.
His Excellency, Most Rev. Ramon C. Arguelles, DD, STL, Archbishop of Lipa, will preside over a Concelebrated Mass, which is expected to be attended by thousands of senior high school students from the different catholic schools in the Archdiocese. The Archbishop has issued a circular, addressed to the directors and directresses of the Catholic schools in this local church to allow and encourage all their graduating students to attend this mass and pay tribute also to the pilgrim statue of Fatima. After the 10:00 am talk of the custodian of the pilgrim image, which is expected to deepen the Marian devotion of the Batangueno students and faithful, Bro, Stanley Villavicencio will give his life-testimony. Villavicencio claims to have been cured of his terminal illness through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Fatima. The pilgrim image departs from the Cathedral to go to Batangas City for the continuation of her pilgrim visit to the Archdiocese, now nearing its celebration of the Year of Mary, the second of the three year preparation for its Centennial on 2010.
