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Archbishop Salgado Opens Year of Priests in Nueva Segovia
VIGAN CITY, June 18, 2009—The special Year for Priests (19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010) established by Pope Benedict XVI begins 19 June 2009 to coincide with the 150th death anniversary of St. John Mary Vianney, the holy Cure d’Ars and shining model of Pastors.
In Nueva Segovia, a Launching Mass was held earlier at noon on June 16, during the first of the 2-day monthly meeting of the Nueva Segovia Clergy.
The Eucharistic Celebration led by Archbishop Ernesto A. Salgado was participated in by some 60 priests joined by their parents and relatives as well as friends among the religious sisters and laity who had come to express solidarity with the pastors of the local church.
Archbishop Salgado’s homily was directed mostly to the clergy, drew attention to the Gospel message and emphasized the great hope for priests who have no less than Jesus Christ praying for them.
Quoting St. Jerome’s “Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ,” Salgado reminded the clergy of the necessity of reading the Scriptures daily. Jesus had said, “Philip, he who sees me, sees the Father”—this challenge, Salgado handed to the priests whose life and word must proclaim the Father to those given to their care at all times.
He echoed Jesus’ prayer “I pray for them because they are yours”. Priests, he stressed, are God’s; their lives, their time is God’s and therefore, these must be used only for God’s glory and His will, which is the good of His people.
Jesus, too, had entrusted his disciples to his Father. “Protect them”, he had prayed and thus, Salgado reminded the clergy entrust themselves only to the Father and not to anyone else.
“Let us love our Church,” he said and “work as one,” recalling how destructive competition has greatly harmed the Church and frustrated Jesus’ own prayer for unity.
The bishop likened the members of the clergy with the spokes of a bicycle saying that they get closer to one another as they get closer to the center—“Our center is Christ,” he said.
“If a man is to serve God,” says the wise man, “he must have something of God’s goodness and wisdom in Him. He who would serve the Holy God must himself be holy.” Salgado reminded that sanctification of the clergy is the Holy Father‘s ardent prayer for this special year and asked that together, the priests must work for a fruitful year.
He touched on other aspects of the priestly ministry; i.e., the effective proclamation of the Word through the careful preparation of their homilies, the witnessing to the supremacy of God’s eternal Kingdom over material wealth by a simple lifestyle, and trust in God’s love to safeguard their priestly life against temptation and evil forces in the world.
As he spoke of the priests’ choice to commit themselves to a life of service to God’s people, the archbishop urged strongly that they see to the people’s welfare especially in this critical moment in our country.
He singled out those in power who are set to trample on people’s rights to choose their leaders, through the so-called Con-Ass. He invoked the help of Nueva Segovia’s patroness, Our Lady of Charity who loves the Philippines to protect us and our rights.
A special prayer for priests in Nueva Segovia was recited by everyone before the Final Blessing of the Mass. The prayer has been recommended to be said after Holy Communion in every mass throughout this year. (Francisca Quitoriano)
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