Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan

Dagupan City – 15 January 2010. The Jimmy Fernandez Stadia was jam-packed with hundreds of fans who listened, sang and danced with the various artists who performed during the almost 2-hour “Aming Handog” concert sponsored by the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan for its pastoral programs. The audience included the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD and the Auxiliary Bihop, Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, the priests and hundreds from the different parishes of the archdiocese. The concert was held last 15 January 2010.

“Aming Handog” was emceed by  brothers Jomari and Ryan Yllana. Mr. Dingdong Dantes also performed during the show with a song to the delight of screaming fans! Radha and band and the band Kenyo, Krys Kyzer all perfomed several songs. The Calasiao Children’s Choir had a special participation in the show. The show was highlighted by two LED Video monitors.

The “Fathers” composed of eight priests of the Archdiocese sang a song. The “Fathers” are: Frs. Jerry Cera, Antonio Quintans, Edilberto Calderon, Julius Cuison, Fernan Estrada, Manuel delos Santos, Jim Cerezo and Eric Galivo.

The benefit concert came about from the generosity of Mr. Jomari Yllana who offered to produce the whole show. Mr. Yllana is a close family friend of Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.

For the pastoral programs

The concert is to benefit the pastoral programs of the Archdiocese. In his letter to prospective donors, Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas was asking for help to “initiate and sustain some very important pastoral programs for the youth  and the poor in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.” He further said that “we need to upgrade the formation programs of our catechists teaching religion in our public schools, We need to sustain our charitable and developmental programs for the economically poor brothers and sisters. We want to bring the bible to every Christian home. We need to sponsor more students to pursue their college education and contribute to nation building”.

  The Calasiao Children’s Choir

 Pictures courtesy of Fr. Primo Aquino

Dagupan City – 8 January 2010. Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan urges the faithful of the archdiocese to celebrate the National Bible Week on 25-31 January 2010. The theme for this year’s celebration is “May They Be One”.

Msgr. R. Mayugba is also encouraging all the parishes to have a solemn enthronement of the bible in every mass on BibleSunday, 31 January. The Pope John Paul II Biblical Center, the Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate, has prepared a simple rite for the bible enthronement.  He also highly encourages the different Catholic Schools to have the bible enthronement in their respective schools at the beginning of the Bible Week on 25 January 2010, Monday.

The Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate will also be facilitating a training for the parish catechists of the Archdiocese on “Creative Use of Scriptures for Catechists”. The training will be held on 31 January 2010 at the St. Therese Gym, Dagupan City, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

In the morning of  19 January, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD will meet with the all the Catholic Schools teachers. Student representatives will meet with the Archbishop in the afternoon. The venue will be at the Binmaley Catholic School, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

On 20 January, there will be be a celebration of the Catholic Schools Bible Olympics which will be participated in by the elementary and high scho ol students. The Bible Olympics shall include the following: Bible Quiz Bee, On-the-Spot Poster Making Contest, Essay Writing and Slogan Making. The Bible Olympics will be held at the Mary Help of Christians High School Seminary, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

As provided by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly  of 1997 (APA), the Commission on Community Apostolate is specifically designed and intended for the formation and promotion of Basic Ecclesial Communities. As a pastoral priority, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan puts the formation of BECs at the forefront. In collaboration with the Pope John Paul II Archdiocesan Biblical Center (PJPIIBC), the “Bisita nen San Pablo” will be launched in the continuing celebration of the Year of St. Paul. “Bisita nen San Pablo” is a study and reflection on the life and ministry of St. Paul as a vehicle in the formation and promotion of Basic Ecclesial Communities.

Two main talks will be given to highlight this objective. The first talk will be on “Pauline Missionary Strategies”. The second talk will be on “Building BECs in the Archdiocese”. A bible enthronement will open the celebration.

Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, the Auxiliary Bishop, has envisioned “Bisita nen San Pablo” as a congress with the theme “St. Paul on Building  Christian Communities” as enunciated in his circular letter addressed to all the Parish Priests of the Archdiocese. “Bisita nen San Pablo” will be held in the four vicariates on four different dates.

For Vicariate IV, St, Ildephonse Parish, May 16

For Vicariate III, Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, May 23

For Vicariate II, Epiphany of the Lord Parish, June 6

For Vicariate I, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, June 13

It will be a half-day celebration. Registration will begin at 12:00 Noon. Participants will include BEC coordinators/leaders, officers of Barangay Pastoral Councils, members of PPC, catechists, leaders/officers of various covenant communities and all interested lay leaders. A Eucharistic celebration and a procession will end the celebration at 4:30 PM.

More than 1000 youth from the parishes and chaplaincies of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan joined the Archdiocesan Youth Day held in the Parish of the Holy Cross, Laoac, Pangasinan. The Archdiocesan Youth Day (AYD) is the annual gathering of the youth of the Archdiocese. The Holy Cross Parish hosted this year’s AYD celebration from 21-24 April 2009.

The Archdiocesan Youth Day (AYD) is the coming together of young people from the 24 parishes and 4 chaplaincies of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan for reception, recollection and renewal, recreation and re-commissioning this encounter. This encounter enables the young people to gather information, programs, and plan their future spiritual lives. It also provides them the opportunity to interact, create friendship, share their own culture and heritage, discuss issues that concern them and the rest of the society. The AYD is a four day experience of being Church-praying, celebrating, caring, serving and witnessing.

This year is the 14th year of the AYD. Its theme was “ You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1,8). Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan presided over the opening mass. Msgr. Oscar V. Cruz, DD, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, celebrated the culminating mass on the last day of the four day youth celebration.

It was announced to the whole assembly during the mass that the 15th AYD will be held in the Parish of the Annunciation of the Lord, Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City. The AYD was coordinated by the Archdiocesan Youth Apostolate. Fr. Manuel S. Bravo, Jr is the Archdiocesan Youth Director with Fr. Erci Galivo, the Youth Coordinator. Fr. Alvin Platon hosted this year’s AYD. He is the parish priest of the Holy Cross Parish, Laoac, Pangasinan.