The Daughters of St. Paul, the formands and the Pauline Cooperators of Pasay gave joy to more than 800 people by giving them Christmas gifts on December 20, 2011 at the Daughters of St. Paul Convent. The recipients of this year’s Christmas gift-giving are composed of fire victims, poor families living in the cemetery and in the neighboring barangays in Pasay. The gift packages contained rice, groceries, used clothing and Paulines books and pamphlets for their spiritual needs.

Prior to the gift-giving, Sr. Lyn Lagasca, FSP led the Rosary and gave them catechesis on the true meaning of Christmas. The children were also given short catechesis, which includes story telling, action songs and short program prepared by Sr. Mennen and the formands. They were also given gift packages that contained story and coloring books, toys, used clothing biscuits, and juice.

The Daughters of St. Paul were grateful to the generous benefactors and collaborators who shared their blessings to make this annual reach out possible.

There were six (6) workshops held simultaneously but considering the needs of our respective apostolic assignments, Sr. Lina attended workshop that tackles Performance of Community Radios, Sustainability, Self-Regulation and Volunteer Management; while Sr. Amelyne participated in workshop that delves more on Production Technology and Techniques; Interview techniques, Researching for Community Radio and New Technologies for Community Broadcasting.

This forum was attended by 150 participants, mostly community broadcasters from 25 participating countries. This was made possible through the efforts and close collaboration of National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission of Thailand and AMARC Asia Pacific.

The multi-talented and vibrant groups of singers enthralled the audience with the familiar Filipino favorites and the 70′s nostalgic revivals. Sr. Praxedes Paloma, head of the Committee on Special Events for the 75th FSP Foundation Celebration thanked the assembly for their support to the project.

With the theme, “ 50 years of Religious Life in God’s Love and Fidelity”, Bishop Bancud pointed out that the celebration is a manifestation of God’s unconventional love and fidelity which sustained the Sisters in their journey. The event calls for joy and gratitude for the graces and blessings they received as they offer and dedicate their lives selflessly for the mission.

A significant part tof the liturgy was the bequeathing of the Pauline heritage to the formands. A lighted candle, symbol of the Pauline ideal which was carried during the entrance procession was passed on to four young members: 2 Aspirants, 1 Postulant and 1 Pre-postulant. Each of these formands were enjoined to keep a faithful fellowship with that light and bring it to all corners of the world.

Words of thanks was delivered by Sr. Michelina Brondial on behalf of the group. Agape and fellowship with families, relatives and friends followed at the Alberione Auditorium.

Sr. Michelina shares her reflection on this important milestone of her religious journey:

Celebrating God’s Love and Fidelity, A Reflection

Sr. Michelina Brondial, FSP

December 8, 1961 was a day to remember. It was the day when five of us professed our endless an unwavering fidelity to God. We were joyful having to reap the fruits of our perseverance and hard labor. We were filled with the Holy Spirit as we greeted with smile and embraced our parents, sisters, relatives, friends, benefactors and visitors. Little did we know that 50 years after, we would celebrate our Golden Anniversary. There was a tinge of sadness though, for one of the sisters, Sr. Cherubina passed away two years ago. We are sure that her spirit was with us during the wondrous celebration.

The four of us made a lot of preparations before December 3. Even if we were far from each other we were able to distribute tasks and communicated through the internet and cellphones re: the invitation, Liturgy, souvenirs and the reception. We asked our sisters in the Mother House to help in the decoration and the choir for the songs during the mass.

Above all these we prepared ourselves spiritually. We were given a two-day input on spirituality by Fr. Allan Gamutan, SSP and Sr. Evangelina Canag, FSP, in Pasay City. We also attended a three-day retreat at Canossa House of Spirituality, Tagaytay. These exercises made us look back on ourselves; who we were and what we have become. We were made to re-examine ourselves and to recommit, to love and to be faithful to God, to count our blessings and to reinvigorate ourselves for the service of Jesus our Master, Way, Truth and Life through the media apostolate.

What a joy to have reached 50 years of religious life. It was amazing indeed to have survived the journey where happiness and sorrow, triumph and pain abound; in health and in sickness passing plateus and mountains, seas and rivers under the rain or sun. Our lives were not easy yet we went on because we love the Lord and we know that He loves us more. Yes, the struggles were many but the joy is tremendous!

I am grateful to our Mother Mary, our teacher and Queen from whom I derived strength and comfort in times of sadness; St. Paul, the Apostle from whom I got courage in times when I was discouraged; Blessed James Alberione and Ven. Thecla Merlo, our founders; and the Sisters who taught me exemplary virtues.

I’m thankful to my parents, brothers and sisters who willingly and wholeheartedly offered me to God, and to those were part of my long and winding journey.

I LOVE PRIMO MAESTRO EVER MORE by: Sr. Consolata Manding, FSP

The input given during our one-month, October 23 – November 23, 2011, retreat in Rome on Donec Formetur were not new to me but I claim that they appealed in a new light and brought me to a greater realization of the holiness of our Founder.

The way Blessed James Alberione explains our devotion to Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life, and its practical implications in our daily life, touches me most. Many questions that I have been asking myself for many years of my Pauline religious life were answered with much enlightenment. A closer look at the writings of the Founder and the many hours of meditation and contemplation open my mind, will and heart to the great challenge of living our Pauline Spirituality today.

Primo Maestro’s teaching on Pauline Spirituality is clear, simple, concise and practical. We can live it daily but it requires awareness of God’s presence in our life, listening to Jesus living within us, and removing the noise in our mind, will and heart so that his voice would become clear and understandable.

This is our daily challenge which is possible if we learn to live in Christ, not only for him and with him. The difference between living in Christ and for Christ is clearer to me now.

We thank our General Government and the Center for Pauline Spirituality of the Pauline Family for initiating this Donec Formetur retreat which started in 2002.

Donec Formetur- a Treasure still to be Discovered by: Sr. Rosangela Ronda, FSP

“We Paulines are sitting on a gold mine, but we are not aware of it.” This comment which I heard from a Pauline priest in one of our retreats many years ago, kept on flashing in my mind as I was making the 30-day retreat on Donec Formetur. He was right. In fact this was one of the many realizations I had in that retreat.

There is so much wealth contained in the book – DONEC FORMETUR CHRISTUS IN VOBIS written by our Founder, Blessed James Alberione. (This was the content of the whole retreat). But reading the book alone is not easy to understand – there is a need to have a study guide. We were fortunate that the one guiding the retreat, Don Guido Gandolfo, SSP, had made an in-depth study on Donec Formetur. His materials were made available to us during the retreat, and this helped us understand better the content of Donec Formetur. Through Don Guido’s explanations, his sharings, especially on his lived experience with the founder and his insights, I felt that Primo Maestro was just ‘’within our reach’’. He was so alive in his words!

As I underwent the retreat on Donec Formetur, I couldn’t help but be awed at richness of the mind of Primo Maestro! How rich is our Pauline apostolic spirituality! For me, it is a treasure that I still need to discover further.

I thank the Lord and the PMPT Province for this rare opportunity to take part in this retreat. And having made it together with the other members of the Pauline Family was another factor that made the experience truly enriching!

MANILA, Oct. 14, 2011—The Daughters of St. Paul launched the 3-year preparation of its diamond jubilee celebration of foundation in the Philippines in 2013 with a Holy Mass celebrated yesterday at the Sanctuary of Queen of Apostles in Harrison St., Pasay City.

Presided by Masbate Bishop Jose Bantolo, the Holy Mass was concelebrated by Manila Archdiocese Vicar for Religious, Fr. James Perry, MM and several priests from the Society of St. Paul.

Attended by members of the Pauline family, benefactors and friends of the congregation, the Mass began with the processional entrance of some sisters carrying cultural symbols that represent the various Pauline communities in the country and its year of foundation.

A simple reception followed after the Eucharist. The celebration was capped with a musical concert with the University of the East Chorale and the Pauline choir as performers. With Elsie Eranista conducting, the Pauline choir was accompanied by Alejandro Consolacion II at the organ, and Franz Miguel Ramirez playing the oboe.

The launching celebration was simultaneously done in all 13 communities of the Pauline sisters throughout the country.

Various activities are lined up during the three-year preparation leading to the celebration of the jubilee in 2013, according to Sr. Evangelina Canag, a member of the core group of the jubilee executive committee.

Among the activities she mentioned are the target diffusion of 75,000 thousand bibles to families, conducting of bible studies and lectio divina on the word of God, bible enthronements at homes, publication of pamphlets on the thoughts of Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Pauline family and publication of books on the life of the pioneer sisters in the Philippines.

She also mentioned some other activities that have social impact but are still to be threshed out, like planting trees for the environment and feeding and teaching catechism to children.

First foundation

The Daughters of St. Paul founded its first community in Lipa, Batangas when a group of three Italian Sisters arrived in the country in October 13, 1938. The house in Lipa now serves as the novitiate where young sisters preparing for consecration undergo training and study of religious life.

Since then, the congregation has branched out to different provinces across the country and founded communities and media centers in Pasay, Manila, where the central house, apostolic centers and pre-novitiate house are currently located; Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Iloilo, Tacloban, Cebu, Baguio, Tuguegarao, Legazpi, Naga and Marikina, which also serves as the Juniorate House where Junior sisters pursuing their theological studies at Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City stay.

The Daughters of St. Paul, whose main charism is evangelization through the means of social communication, are second among the 10 religious and secular institutes founded by Blessed James Alberione, an Italian priest beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 27, 2003.

Sr. Consolata, the speaker for the whole day’s event pointed out that the Culture of Communication is basic in learning skills and tools in media analysis. The film entitled “Blind Side” was used to identify what Culture of Communication is taking place in every interpersonal encounters including one’s relationship with God.

The celebration which revolved around the theme: “Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age”, was participated by the families of Paulines Lay Mission Partners (PLMP).

Sr. Clothilde de las Llagas, FSP, who spearheaded the activity explained the relevance of the contest in connection with the theme which underlined how the digital media which include; radio, television, cellphone, internet and social networks such as facebook and twitter could affect family inter-action and relationship in post modern age.

Sr. Consolata Manding, FSP underlined the Church perspective on the authenticity of life in the digital age through powerpoint presentation.

Each participant validated the theme of the contest by sharing the content of their poster entry. Most of the entries were concretized by parents and their children. Each participant validated the theme of the contest by sharing the content of their poster entry.

The couple, Richard and Marlene Mandalupe, who won the first prize stated that all knowledge that human being wanted to grab can be surfed in the Internet but not all contents are healthy and sound for human growth, especially to the youth.” They also advised the parents to always keep watch and use the new media responsibly so that it will truly enhance family harmony and not disintegration. However, they said that using the digital media properly is an expression of love to the family, to others and to God.

There were nineteen (19) colorful and well-crafted poster entries that were submitted to fit the criteria which include; Originality – 40%, Relevance to the Theme – 25 %, Overall Impact-25%.

The Paulines Lay Mission Partners (PLMP) who are the collaborators of the Daughters of St. Paul work in the different aspects of Pauline apostolate in Pasay.

Among the concelebrants were Most Rev. Antonio Ledesma, DD, Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, Fr. Joe Aripio, Provincial Superior of the Society of St. Paul, and twenty (20) religious and diocesan priests.

With the theme “To me, life means Christ…” (Phil 1:2), Archbishop Arguelles in his homily pointed out that the event is a celebration of joy as the silver jubilarians renew their commitment to Christ at the service of the Church and humanity. When St. Paul encountered Christ, he regarded everything as loss and what matters most in his life was knowing Christ. The Archbishop also said we must experience what St. Paul experienced so that we may bring his immense love to the people who have reason to hope in the Lord who is alive today, yesterday and forever. He commended the efforts of the Daughters of St. Paul in proclaiming God’s love and compassion with use of the modern technology in the digital age.

Words of appreciation was delivered by Sr. Praxedes Paloma on behalf of the group. As thanksgiving to the Lord, the jubilarians sang ”Shout to the Lord.” The University of the East (UE) Chorale helped animate the Liturgy. Agape and fellowhip with families, relatives and friends followed in the Alberione Home auditorium.