Filipino Martyr Mass

PATERSON  In a church whose patron was a martyr — the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here — Filipino Catholics of the Diocese gathered to celebrate two martyrs of their homeland — St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod.

On Sept. 24 Bishop Serratelli was main celebrant of the Mass with Father Vidal Gonzales, the first Filipino-born priest ordained for the Paterson Diocese and several priests from around the Diocese that are Filipino or have Filipino communities in their parishes. The Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries coordinated the Mass that was followed by a reception with food and entertainment featuring Filipino-American youths from around the Diocese.

The feast day celebration in the two saints’ honor featured music by Alay Awit Chorale, which sang in English and in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines. The honorees for this year’s celebration Bong and Darlene Borromeo, Fred and Carmen Julao and Ely and Faye Nucum presented the Bishop with the Offertory gifts.

In his homily, Bishop Serratelli referred to the day’s Gospel reading, which speaks about compassion. “Jesus is teaching us that God is generously compassionate to all of us and he expects all of us to do likewise and be compassionate to one another,” he said. “Caring about someone else, putting ourselves in their place to feel their needs — spiritual or physical — without worrying what it will cost us to help them; this is the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The Bishop also spoke about Filipino martyrs, “Certainly St. Lorenzo Ruiz, husband, father, lay catechist from Manila, Catechist St. Pedro Calungsod teaching in Guam and the martyr-priest Blessed Jose Maria, working in Spain and France, had compassion for others even to the point of dying for them. When we give such compassion, such generous concern for others, our heart is really Christian and our world right where we are today becomes a truly civilized place to live.”

Canonized by St. Pope John Paul II in Rome on Oct. 18, 1987, St. Lorenzo Ruiz was martyred during the persecution of Christians in Japan during the 17th century while on a missionary expedition. A layman with a wife and three children, he lived out his faith as an active member of his Catholic community. In addition to being a patron for laypersons and married people, he is known for being a saint of the poor because he was a poor sacristan from Binondo, Manila. He is also a patron saint for artists because he was skilled in calligraphy and was employed by the Dominican Fathers. His feast day is Sept. 28.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI canonized St. Pedro Calungsod on World Mission Sunday in 2012. The saint was martyred April 2, 1672 when he was 17, one week before Palm Sunday. He began serving God when he was 13 as a missionary for the Jesuits. With Jesuit Father Diego Luis de San Vitores, he traveled to Guam to catechize the native Chamorros. They were attacked and killed when the village chief learned his baby daughter had been baptized. It is believed St. Pedro could have escaped the attack but did not want to leave Father Diego alone. His feast day is April 2.

After the Mass, Father Gonzales announced the new officers to serve on the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries, whose terms will end in 2020. Re-elected to president was Mila Burdeos, a parishioner of St. Paul Parish in Prospect Park and coordinator of the diocesan Mission Office. Re-elected to vice president was Elmer Maximo, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway. Also elected as secretary and treasurer were Jeanette East, a parishioner of St. Christopher Parish in Parsippany, and Cora Banaag, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Passaic.

At the end of Mass, the Bishop told those gathered,“Many, many thanks to those past members and new members as well as the newly-elected members of the Catholic Filipino Ministries. We are grateful for the good work that you do. You are a powerful source of strength in your prayers for our Diocese. I am so grateful this community filled our beautiful cathedral today.”