The Basic Ecclesial Communities or BEC are local Christian communities in neighborhoods within parishes described by the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) as “small communities of Christians, usually of families who gather around the Word of God and the Eucharist. These communities are united to their pastors
Chrism Mass is the Holy Mass celebrated by the bishop at the diocese’s cathedral church on Holy Thursday morning. Joined by the priests in the diocese, the celebration manifests the priests’ unity with their bishop. In the celebration, the bishop blesses three oils, namely the oil of catechumens, the oil
The final Sunday of Lent, which also serves as the beginning of Holy Week is called Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, days before his passion and death on the cross. In the Gospels,
Lent is a liturgical season in which Catholics dedicate 40 days of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer in preparation for the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. The season begins on Ash Wednesday and culminates in the Holy Week. During the season, the faithful are called to practice abstinence and penance
Ash Wednesday is a holy day observed by Catholics in opening the season of Lent; it occurs 46 days before Easter Sunday. Wearing ashes on the head is a symbolic practice that has been a tradition of the Jews since ancient times in observing penance and fasting. Ashes have been
A Sculpture by Timothy Schmalz Homeless Jesus is a sculpture cast in bronze metal made by artist Timothy Schmalz. Measuring 36 inches in height, 84 inches in length, and 24 inches in depth, it provides enough room for a person to sit onto. The sculpture shows a figure of a
Saint Pedro Calungsod, also known as Peter Calungsod or Pedro Calonsor, is a young Filipino Catholic migrant canonized Saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. He was an altar server and a missionary catechist who migrated to Guam with Spanish Jesuit Missionary, Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores. There, along
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese in the Philippines that comprises the capital of the province, 2 cities, and 15 municipalities in the central part of Pangasinan. Its suffragans are the Diocese of Alaminos, Diocese of Cabanatuan, Diocese of San Fernando (La Union), Diocese of San Jose
The Prelature of Isabela de Basilan is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature in the Philippines, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. Created on October 12, 1963, and erected on February 15, 1964, the prelature comprises the entire civil province of Basilan and the cities of Isabela and Lamitan. Its
