26 February 2010 – Dagupan City. Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, announced the following new pastoral and administrative assignments for the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan:
Rev. Fr. Democrito Umagtam as first parish priest of the new parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Canan, Malasiqui, Pangasinan, effective March 19, 2010.
Rev. Fr. Manuel delos Santos as parish priest of Cristo Divino Tesoro Parish, Buenlag, Calasiao, Pangasinan, effective March 19, 2010.
Rev. Fr. Rolando Salosagcol as member of Team Ministry of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Calasiao, Pangasinan, effective March 19, 2010.
Rev. Fr. Fernan Estrada as member of the Team Ministry of the Epiphany of the Lord Parish and concurrently Spiritual Director of the Mary Help of Christians High School Seminary, Binmaley, Pangasinan, effective March 19, 2010.
Rev. Fr. Genaro Herramia as member of the Team Ministry of the St Thomas Aquinas Parish, Mangaldan Pangasinan, effective March 19, 2010, concurrently Director of St Thomas Catholic School Mangaldan.
Rev. Fr. Reydentor Mejia as first parish priest of the new Parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Wawa, Bayambang, Pangasinan effective March 19, 2010.
To be prayed after the Post Communion Prayer (before the Final Blessing) in all Masses from March 1 to May 15, 2010)
Lord God the creator of all things
Your Spirit moved over the face of the waters at the dawn of creation
You gather the seas into their places and direct the courses of the rivers
We praise you for the gift of water
Now our land is dry and barren, thirsting for life-giving rain
Send rain upon the earth so that it will bring forth life
May we use only the water we each need
And let us take care of and give encouragement to
All those whose livelihood depend on the produce of the land.
After every invocation please say: We beseech you hear us.
Jesus, Our Lord We beseech you hear us Jesus our Lord, protect all tillers of the oil We beseech you, hear us Jesus our Lord, bring to all a true knowledge of the stewardship of the land We beseech you hear us Jesus our Lord, preserve and increase our fields and flocks.We beseech you hear us Jesus our Lord, bless our fieldsWe beseech you hear us San Isidro,pray for us.
Let us Pray
Sustaining God, we receive the fruits of the earth from your generous hand, yet now we observe the eager earth frustrated by lack of rain.
Have mercy Almighty God on our parched land.
Bring peace to our worried minds and soothe our anxious hearts now and forever.
Amen
The Pangasinan Translation
Katawan min Dios, Manamalsay amin ya ganagana
Linmaknab so Ispiritu Yo ed tapew na danum nen kagapoy panamalsa
Tinipon Yo ray dayat diad saray pasen da tan inturo Yoy panagosan na saray ilog.
Idadayew mi Kayo ed say langkap Yod sikamin danum.
Natan namamagaan tan aliwa lan mabona so dalin min napapaet ed say napanbilayan ya oran.
Ibaki Yo pay oran ed mundo pian sikatoy makapangiter na bilay.
Oy la kumon ta say nakaukolan mi labat lan danum so usaren mi
Tan naasikaso mi kumon tan napabiskeg mi linawa da ray
Amin ya say panbibilay da et maniilalo labat lad saray bunga na dalin.
Kada kasumpal na pikakasi, say ebat: Talineng Mo kami.
Jesus, a Katawan mi Talineng mo kami Jesus, a Katawan mi, ilaban Yo pa ray amin ya dumaralos na dalin Talineng mo kami Jesus, a Katawan mi, iter Yod amin so tuan kakabatan na nipaakar ed say panangasikaso na dalin Talineng mo kami Jesus a Katawan mi, iyagel tan pabolaslas Yo pa ray kaomaan tan ayayep mi. Talineng mo kami Jesus a Katawan mi, bendision Yo pa ray kaomaan mi. Talineng mo kami San Isidro,pikasi mo kami.
Mikasi tayo
Dios a managlegpet, nanaawat mi ray bunga-bunga na dalin ya manlalapud mabunlok ya lima Yo, balet natan, nanaimatonan mi so mapilalek ya dalin a nalelepes lapud say kakulangan na oran.
Mangasi Kayo, O Matalonggaring ya Dios, ed saray dalin min namamagaan. Itdan Yo pay kareenan so nagogonigon ya kanunotan mi, tan tambayoen Yo pa ray mapagan kapusoan mi, natan tan diad ando lan ando.
15 February 2010 – Dagupan City. Two hundred seven priests from the 5 dioceses and 1 archdiocese gathered together for a one-day celebration of the First Metropolitan Clergy Day. The dioceses are the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and its suffragan dioceses of Alaminos, Urdaneta, San Fernando (La Union), San Jose and Cabanatuan (Nueva Ecija).
The celebration was opened with the praying of the rosary led by Msgr. Artemio L. Rillera. A Eucharistic Adoration followed with Msgr. Sofronio A. Bancud, the Bishop of Cabanatuan, presiding in the celebration. Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, gave the reflection during the holy hour. Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, the Auxiliary of Lingayen-Dagupan, was the main presider in the Eucharistic celebration which was celebrated later in the morning. Msgr. Mylo C. Vegara, the Bishop of San Jose (Nueva Ecija) gave the homily.
Msgr. Marlo M. Peralta, the Bishop of Alaminos and the Bishop Emeritus of Alaminos, Msgr. Jesus A. Cabrera, were also present during the celebration.
The hands of the priest
In his reflection which he shared during the Holy Hour, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD, called on the priests to reflect and pray together the mystery of their priesthood by calling to mind the three things which the hands of a priest touched when he was ordained. “All priests have beautiful hands”, Msgr.Villegas further said. “The beauty of the priest’s hands is a gift of God.”
He mentioned that the ordinand touched the floor when he prostrated himself the altar as a sign of his humility. The hands of the ordinand were clasped by the Bishop’s hands as he promised respect and obedience to his bishop and his successors. Msgr. Villegas said that with the promised made by the priest to obey and respect his bishop, the bishop in turn promised to the priest his love. He appealed, “Do not make us hard to love you. As we want to make it easier for you to obey us”. The sacred oil touched the priest’s hands. It is the hand of God touching the priest’s hands with the anointing of holy chrism. The hands of the priests no matter how gnarled they have become will always remain beautiful because they have been made beautiful by God. Villegas reminded the priests that their hands made sacred by God are meant to give. “Do not just give blessings, “he said, “but give also from your pocket. The first duty of a priest is to be giving-priest.”
Msgr. Mylo C. Vergara in his homily exemplified the life of the patron saint of Diocesan priests, St. Jean Marie Vianney. He told the priests St. Jean Vianney’s pious devotion to the Eucharist and his fidelity to the Divine Office. He said, “Let us not be discouraged because we have to Lord to give us strength; and we have each other. The fraternal communion that we share enriches us.”
Parlor games were played after lunch. Basketball games and lawn tennis were played in the afternoon between the teams of the different dioceses.
The First Metropolitan Clergy was held at the Stadia, Dagupan City.
The Bishops (L-R) Bishop-Emeritus of Alaminos, Bishop Jesus A. Cabrera, Bishop Mylo C. Vergara of San Jose, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, Bishop Renato P. Mayugba, Auxiliary of Lingayen-Dagupan, Bishop Sofronio A. Bancud of Cabanatuan, Bishop Artemio L. Rillera of San Fernando (La Union) and Bishop Marlo M. Peralta of Alaminos.
20 January 2010 – Dagupan City. The annual Lenten Formation Program for the Lay Liturgical Ministers, convent and school personnel as well as the office staff of the different parishes of the Archdiocese has already been scheduled. In a letter addressed to the clergy, Archbishop Socrates B. Vilelgas, DD, outlined the need to “sustain the spirit of lay empowerment in the Church” by conducting the formation program for the different lay collaborators in the Church.
The lay collaborators referred to are the altar servers, greeters and ushers, collectors, choir directors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors and commentators.
All the seminar participants are to present letters of recommendation from their respective parish priests or school directors. This is to ensure that only lay workers in good standing in the schools or parishes receive commissioning or re-commissioning after the formation program.
All the formation program will be held at the Lay Formation Center. Fr. Mario Sanchez, the Director of LFC, has made the schedule for the formation program. He urged the priests to follow the schedule to facilitate the submission of the recommendation letters.
BEFORE January 31, 2010 (Sunday), the recommendation letter must contain the following:
i. ALTAR SERVERS – 9 to 15 years old, at least one year in serving the liturgy, must be regularly attending mass and receiving Holy Communion.
ii. COLLECTA TEAM MEMBERS, GREETERS, and USHERS.
iii. CONVENT WORKERS AND PARISH OFFICE SECRETARIES.
b. BEFORE February 17, 2010 (Ash Wednesday), the recommendation letter should contain the names of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) and the Lectors-Commentators.
c. BEFORE March 28, 2010 (Palm Sunday), the recommendation letter should contain the names of the Choir Directors and Instrumentalists, and the NEW Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Lectors-Commentators who are to attend the BASIC FORMATION.
Archbishop Villegas mandated that the rite of commissioning for lay liturgical ministers and social action ministers in the parishes will be done during the Holy Thursday Evening of the Lord’s Supper. The Archdiocesan Liturgical Ministry will prepare the rites.
This is the first time that the liturgical ministers and the social action minister will be commissioned on Holy Thursday. Msgr. Villegas said that “Holy Thursday commemorates not only the institution of the Holy Eucharist but the mandate to love; hence the commissioning of social action ministers must happen together with the lay liturgical ministers.
In the past, the commissioning of the lay liturgical ministers was done during the Chrism Mass celebrated at the St. John Parish Church in Dagupan City.
Msgr. Villegas emphasized in his letter that “formation is the real meaning of empowerment. True empowerment is only for ministry. Ministry is the sure path to sanctity”.
The celebration was opened with the praying of the rosary led by Msgr. Artemio L. Rillera. A 
