(February 18, 2009) – The closing of the second of the three-year-preparation for the Centennial Jubilee of the Archdiocese of Lipa has been set to March 21, Saturday. This was announced by Rev. Fr. Eyong Ramos, co-chair of the formation committee in charge of the whole year round of activities. This was also presented and approved in a joint meeting of the Executive Committee for the Centennial Celebration and the Presbyteral Council, both chaired by His Excellency, Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles, DD, held yesterday at his residence.
Fr. Eyong said that this will be a simple ceremony. The Centennial delegates and members of the different Marian organizations will gather at Carmel grounds in the morning. Pro-life and well-known feminist, Sr. Pilar Verzosa, RGS, has accepted the invitation to talk about “Empowering the Women of Batangas in Imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary in Promoting and Defending Life”. It is expected that before ten in the morning, the delegates would then proceed in solemn procession to San Sebastian Cathedral, where a concelebrated Mass, presided over by the Archbishop would be held.
Before the Mass, a solemn entrance of Our Lady of Caysasay, the Queen of the Archdiocese, will ensue amidst songs to be rendered by winners in the recently-concluded Harana sa Panginoon. The Children Choir of Our Lady of Peace Parish, Lodlod, Lipa City — first prize winner in Children Category — and the Youth Choir of San Pascual Parish — first prize winner in the Open Category — will lead the Harana sa Birheng Maria. The Grand Choir will be conducted by Fr. Bong Panganiban, chairman of the Sacred Music Committee, which sponsored the Harana sa Panginoon, whose theme for recently-concluded contest was Mary. The image of Our Lady of Caysasay have just concluded her round of visits to all the parishes and religious houses in the archdiocese as part of the Marian Year activities.
After the post communion prayer, a flower offering will be held. The Parish Pastoral Council presidents of the 54 parishes, Ms. Vilma Santos-Recto, the governor of the province, and Mayor Oscar Gozos, Mayor of Lipa City are the floral offerors. A Prayer of Consecration to Mary will be recited, and a Declaration of Pledge on Proper Decorum will also be made by a young delegate.
Fr. Eyong Ramos also announced that the last Marian lecture will be held at San Jose, Batangas. This series of half-day lectures on Mary punctuated the Marian year. They were held at different venues in the Archdiocese and were attended by catechists and religion teachers, members of the different Marian organizations and movements in the Archdiocese. They featured the professors of the St. Francis de Sales Theological Schools in discussing the various aspects of Mariology.
