Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan

Photo courtesy of Rev. Fr. Manuel delos Santos

Antipolo City – 5 August 2011. At the Good Shepherd Spiritual Center, Antipolo City, the clergy of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, reflected and prayed, celebrated and proclaimed the grace and the glory of their priesthood during their annual retreat held from 1-5 August 2011. The theme of the retreat was “Amazing Grace”. There were 71 members of the clergy who took part in the retreat including Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan and Bishop Renato P. Mayugba, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese

Emptiness. Helplessness. Fullness.

Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas presided over the opening mass to begin the retreat. The Archbishop shared with the clergy the proper dispositions in entering the retreat: emptiness and helplessness in the light of the Gospel of Matthew on the miraculous feeding of the five thousand.( Mt 14:13-21)  God gives always in fullness to those who come to Him in emptiness and helplessness. He delivered another reflection after the Mass during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. He talked about the sacrament of penance, the fruit of discovering one’s emptiness and helplessness. He said, “Truth to tell, emptiness, helplessness and fullness is the story of God’s love for us”.

A Team of Facilitators

Fr. James Ferry, MM, a Maryknoll priest, was the first who shared with the clergy on “The Priesthood is a Grace” and “The Glory of Being Priests”. The second day was a sharing from the residents of Nazareth, led by Bob Garon. The third day was a sharing on the “The Priest and the Heart of Jesus” and on “The Priest in the Theology of Pope Benedict XVI" by Fr. Catalino Arevalo, SJ.

Bishop Gabriel Reyes, Bishop of Antipolo, presided over the culminating mass.

July 25, 2011

Feast of St. James the Great

My dear brothers in the priesthood:

Please be reminded that the annual clergy retreat for all diocesan and religious priests doing pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan will be from August 1 to 5, 2011 at the Good Shepherd Spiritual Center, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City.

All the priest-retreatants will go together by a common bus from Saint John Cathedral in Dagupan at 7:00 am on August 1 and will pick up other retreatants from the Parish of Saint Ildephonse in Malasiaqui onward to the retreat venue.

We will have a team of retreat facilitators including Father Catalino Arevalo, SJ, Father James Ferry, MM,  and me. The retreat will end with a Mass in the morning of August 5 with the Bishop of Antipolo presiding. We hope to be back to Pangasinan by August 5 in the afternoon.

Please request your parishioners to pray for us during our retreat days. The parishioners with substitute guest priests while we make the retreat must coordinate with the guest priests assigned to them about the parish duties and schedule.

Oremus pro invicem.

Sincerely yours,

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan

February 16, 2011

RE: Annual Clergy

My brother priests:

Our annual clergy retreat will be held on AUGUST 1 TO 5, 2011 at the Saint Michael Retreat House in Antipolo City. I am making this announcement ahead of time trusting that you will block off said five days in your book of appointments.

The annual spiritual retreat is juridically imposed rather than merely recommended on us by Church law on account of our consecration to God. “In leading their lives clerics are especially bound to pursue holiness because they are consecrated to God by a new title in the reception of orders as dispensers of God’s mysteries in the service of his people. (CIC, 276).

Let me take this occasion to admonish you to ardently pursue a life and ministry grounded in piety and fidelity.

Sincerely yours,

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan