All roads lead to SRP today
CEBU, Philippines - More than a million devotees are expected to converge today at the South Road Properties (SRP) to join the celebration of the National Thanksgiving Mass for San Pedro Calungsod.
The National Thanksgiving Mass, which will start at 5 p.m., will be celebrated by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
The VIP attendees will be led by President Benigno Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
Angelo Cardinal Amato and some 40 members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) along with church dignitaries from other countries will also attend.
Fr. Mark Barneso, member of the reception committee assigned at Mactan Cebu International Airport, said they are expecting about 57 clergies from different areas of the country and abroad.
Among the clergies who arrived yesterday were Most Rev. Giuseppe Pinto, Fr. Reginald Malicdem, Most Rev. Anthony Sablan Apuron of Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guam, Rev. Fr. Fernando Martinez and Most Rev. Raymond O’toole.
Barneso said Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will arrive at 10:20 a.m. today on board PAL PR 866.
The clergies are staying at Radisson Hotel until December 1.
Barneso said Apuron told them that he was very happy upon his arrival.
“He was so happy. He expected that there will be numbers of people who will be celebrating the big event,” Barneso said of Apuron.
The organizers are expecting 1.5 million devotees from all over the country to attend the event.
Fr. Raul Gallego, the chairman on the committee on venue, said no Mass will be held this afternoon in all the parishes all over Cebu as all priests are coming over to attend the celebration.
Preparations
According to Msgr. Dennis Villarojo, overall chairman of the Cebu celebration of Calungsod’s sainthood, everything is ready for the event.
“Everything is on track. I-continue gihapon nato og hangyo nga peaceful and hapsay ang event. I could say that we are ready na,” said Villarojo.
He said that from the very beginning, he was confident that everything will be done just on time.
Fr. Raul Gallego, chairman on the committee on venue, said they were able to finish everything a day prior to the big day.
The finishing touches, including the arrangement of chairs and tables as well as the testing of lights and sounds, were done yesterday.
SRP was closed at 10 p.m. yesterday to ensure security of the venue.
Gallego encouraged all devotees to bring their own chairs and umbrellas since he expects a hot temperature this afternoon.
Villarojo, on the other hand, urged everybody to pray for good weather today and as well as for the peaceful event.
Gallego was overwhelmed because of an estimated budget of P100 million for the site development and templete, they only spent less than P30 million.
Land and fluvial processions
From the Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, the pilgrim image was transferred to the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod at the SM Seaside City at the SRP yesterday, where a Mass was celebrated by Palma.
It was then transferred to the Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City for the last Triduum Mass.
There will be a farewell Mass at 7:30 a.m. at the shrine before the image will be transferred to the San Diego galleon for the fluvial procession.
The procession will start at 2 p.m. at the Ouano Wharf to the SRP.
When the galleon arrives at the SRP, the image’s official custodian, Fr. Charles Jayme, will carry it to the templete.
Prior to the fluvial procession, the two land processions from the Talisay City port and from Fort San Pedro to the Mass site will start at 1 p.m.
Assistance center
The Pilgrim Assistance Center set up by the Cebu City government at the Compaña Maritima is open to devotees until midnight today.
The center is equipped with showers and comfort rooms. It has large screen for the live streaming of the event.
Medical teams were also deployed in case of medical emergencies. Private sponsors such as Julie’s Bakeshop and Kopiko will be distributing free snacks to the devotees. — With Mylen P. Manto and Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM
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