THE 1ST PHILIPPINE CONGRESS OF ST. JAMES THE GREAT

THE ARCHDIOCESAN SHRINE OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA of Compostela, Cebu gets invited to the First National Congress of St. James the Great Parishes and Devotees. The date is February 6 and 7, 2018 and it would be held at the St. James the Great Parish, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. To date, the country has 46 such parishes dedicated to St. James the Apostle (the Great) spread throughout Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

 

Cebu has three such parishes and the two others are in Badian and Sogod. The gathering is initiated by the Alabang-based Confraternity of St. James (CSJ) and would bring together these 46 parishes for the first time, introduce their parish priests and devotees to one another, create awareness on the life of St. James, be involved in developing local Caminos, be informed of the CSJ and its mission, and to become one evangelical community.

Fr. Scipio Deligero would lead the contingent from Compostela. Going with him are Hon. Joel Quiño – the incumbent municipal mayor of Compostela, Jem Montesclaros, Mizar Bacalla, Roger Montecino, Alvie Rey Ramirez, Jonathaniel Apurado and this blogger. We were the pilgrims that have completed Cebu’s first Camino de Santiago last July 2017. Another pilgrim – Roderick (Jem’s husband) – could not join us due to his job.

We leave Cebu early on February 6 by plane and touched down at the NAIA at 07:45. Bro. Francis Choi of the CSJ Transport Committee fetched us and we were billeted at the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. We missed the opening Eucharistic Celebration of the Congress but timely enough to be seated on one of the tables and be recognized during the introductions. We found out that we were the only ones representing Cebu.

The Cardinal Sin Hall became the main venue for the full two days where the representatives of more than 35 parishes converged. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with morning and afternoon snacks, were served courtesy of the CSJ, led by its President, Bro. Benjamin Bernardo and by the event chairman, Sis. Conchita Arau. The hosts made it sure that everyone is comfortable as possible as the Congress unveiled the different programs and activities.

First to speak is Rev. Msgr. Pedro Gerardo Santos, Executive Secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission and concurrent Parish Priest of the St. Peter and St. Paul Parish of Makati City. Msgr. Santos talked about “St. James as Apostle, Pilgrim and Caballero”. Next to speak is Rev. Fr. Francis Eugene Fadul, Chancellor of the Diocese of San Pablo. Fr. Fadul talked about “Promoting Devotion of St. James and Making Him Known”.

Main speaker is Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. Cardinal Quevedo is the current Archbishop of Cotabato and he talked about “St. James and the New Evangelization”. Since there was still a surplus of time before the next program, I volunteered to do a presentation of Cebu’s own Camino de Santiago which the Cebuano contingent had walked for 10 days across 175 kilometers of rugged mountains from Badian to Compostela.

After noonbreak, the delegates were grouped by regions and each was given a checklist of fourteen activities that each believed should be most acceptable and worthy to be held in their own parishes. In this workshop, the majority opt to have a Pilgrim Walk, a Novena to St. James, and a Fiesta Translacion – all tied for number 1 – as their choice. Next came the (2) St. James Prayer and (3) the St. James Hymn.

When the workshop was finished, everyone settled down and the whole congress would have to choose from among them of who would host the next edition for next year. Cebu was chosen and Fr. Scipio accepted the challenge after conferring with Mayor Joel. Alabang has set a high standard when it came to organizing and hosting the 1st National Congress and we have to do our very best to, at least, replicate this.      

Everyone prepared for a Eucharistic Celebration at 17:00 which will be concelebrated by Bishop Jesse Mercado of the Diocese of Parañaque; Rev. Fr. Rolando Agustin, Parish Priest of St. James the Great Parish of Alabang; and the delegate priests of the other St. James the Apostle parishes of the Philippines. Homily was given by Bishop Mercado. All the priests were provided brand-new vestment with the red Cross of St. James embroidered on the back. Each parish received a third-class relic of St. James the Great, sent from Compostela, Spain for this occasion.

The hosts of this national congress – the Confraternity of St. James – treated the delegates to an evening of songs and dances, good dining and red wine. The hosts have successfully welded a community dedicated for St. James the Great (or the Greater and the Apostle) and their preparations and hard work turned out so well. We shall be bringing the goodwill of St. James the Great and the CSJ to the far provinces where we will focus from now on. The night ended on a high note but we will have to rise early the next day.

Scheduled for the second day – February 7 – is the Camino Walk in and around Ayala Alabang Village. Our delegation came late but it does not matter. We only have to quicken our pace to catch up. We finished all the ten stations designated by our hosts but we did not catch any early bird. We were that late and we suffered for that with more sun on our crowns. We all got our passports stamped and earned our scallops.

We were the last to arrive and some of the delegates were having a grand day on the facade of the St. James the Great Parish taking group pictures and individual selfies, both handsome and beautiful wearing the blue Camino t-shirts with a bold golden-yellow arrow print that forever point left. The Camino was the highlight of the first congress and it is this particular activity that the deeds and sacrifices of St. James are fully appreciated.

Gaining from the experience, appreciation, humility and the wisdom, we returned to our hotel knowing fully well that we would not be seeing again our new-found brethren until after another year. A community has been born from this congress and friendship and network has just been cemented. We are all pilgrims of life and we followed the Light that had been wrought for us by His Blood and St. James holding high the banner that we are in the right direction.

See you in the 2nd National Congress! ¡Buen Camino!  

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