Pinoys in New York to mark San Lorenzo Ruiz feast with pastoral outreach

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos in New York will mark the 371st anniversary of the martyrdom of the first Filipino saint with a pastoral outreach on Sept. 28. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Wednesday the "San Lorenzo Global Hour" is in commemoration of the death anniversary of San Lorenzo Ruiz. A statement on the CBCP website (www.cbcpnews.com) said the theme of the occasion is "Celebrating the Filipino Migrants around the World (Filipino Diaspora), with the sub-theme: "Celebrating the Filipino Young Adults." Participants will take part in a 2 p.m. pontifical mass led by Capiz archbishop Onesimo Grodoncillo, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Fr. Erno Diaz, New York's archdiocesan director of the Filipino Apostolate, said the event will also launch a pastoral outreach dubbed San Lorenzo Global Hour to global migrant communities. The outreach will be beamed worldwide through cable or satellite television. Diaz said they hope to get continued funding from benevolent sponsors to make the pastoral outreach to overseas Filipinos a long-term activity of the Chapel of San Lorenzo. He noted that Lorenzo Ruiz himself was a migrant. New York Archbishop Cardinal Edward Egan formally invited Gordoncillo on behalf of the Filipino Apostolate to be the main presider and homilist of the mass. Previous Mass presiders included Bishop Gabriel Reyes who was last year's main celebrant and Manila archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales in 2006. Other prominent celebrants in the past San Lorenzo feast day Masses were the late Cardinal John O'Connor, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, Cardinal Bernard Law, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and Cardinal Renato Martino, and Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao. In keeping with the ethnic flavor of the Filipino Mass and a tradition, Tagalog hymns will be rendered by the San Lorenzo Chapel Choir, to be joined by other choirs and expanded into a festival choir. Likewise, Filipino parish groups will join in the processional march with banner holders donned in Filipiniana attire. An informal reception will take place at the Cathedral High School on 56th St. and First Ave after the Mass. Gordoncillo will be feted with a testimonial dinner at Jing Fong Restaurant on 18 Elizabeth Street and Bayard in historic Chinatown on September 26. Dinner's proceeds will partly go to the typhoon Frank disaster relief. Gordoncillo, who comes from an area badly hit by the typhoon, will personally receive the donations. Donors can specify if they want their donations to go to Capiz or Aklan or Iloilo, three of the hardest hit provinces. Organizing this year's event are grand marshals Mr. and Mrs. Ray Rogan, the Fiesta committee, Fr. Erno Diaz and the Chapel's Board of Directors and Chapel Pastoral Council. Novena Masses are scheduled from August 30 to September 27 in the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, 378 Broome Street, New York City. The feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint and considered the patron saint of Filipino migrants is celebrated annually on Sept. 28. Lorenzo Ruiz, a layman married with three children, was martyred along with 15 other companions for their faith in 1637 in Japan. - GMANews.TV