The Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Our Love and Devotion

In July 2012, a Catholic Mission Station, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was founded in a peaceful Sitio of Lomboy in Barangay Linambasan, Jamindan, Capiz. This was a significant moment for our community, as it was established upon the order of the Archdiocese of Capiz through the efforts of Reverend Father Rowelyn Langurayan, the outgoing Parish Priest of San Sebastian Parish during that time. 

Reverend Father John Denosta was the first Priest assigned to celebrate masses and care for the faithful's spiritual needs.

Father Denosta, who served for 6 years until July 2018, is deeply cherished by the people for his sense of community and Spiritual leadership. His love and respect for the parishioners were evident in his every action, and he built and transformed the Mission Station into a beautiful  Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish on June 27, 2018. Just a few days before his service ended, he celebrated his success with the Parishioners, devotees, and hundreds of Catholic Faithful, further strengthening our unity and belonging.

Today, June 27, 2019, on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, we have the successor of Father Denosta in the name of Reverend Father Jeffrey Estrella. For a year, he has been serving the faith community of Barangay Linambasan and people from different barangays of the town of Jamindan.

On this feast day, our Archbishop of Capiz, Most Reverend Jose Advincula, officiated the mass with our Parish Priest, Father Estrella, and other Parish Priest.

Reverend Father Krys Señeres, the co-parish Priest, commissioned a large-scale iconic portrait of Our Mother of Perpetual Help through the contributions of the faithful. This iconic portrait, placed on the left side of the front wall facing the altar, constantly reminds us of our spiritual connection. It was blessed by Most Reverend Father Advincula on this feast day, uplifting our spirits and strengthening our faith. 

The Redemptorist Fathers made the icon famous worldwide, and it has attracted flocks of devotees due to her known miracles of healing and granted special intentions.

I am a living testimony of Our Lady of Perpetual Help's miracles, and I am grateful for my blessings. Wherever I visit a church in her name, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Cubao and the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran always grant my petitions.

We give the Mother of God the highest honor in her blessed Title, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 

Today and in the years to come, the Parish will continue to accommodate and serve the ever-growing faithful community beyond our generation. 

We will preserve this spiritual sanctuary so that future generations can witness its glory and miraculous powers and live in their hearts forever.

© 2019 Del Cusay

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The Pathway to Kindness

At any unexpected moment and wherever we may go, we may meet people who may be familiar faces or strangers to us. To travel far distances with fewer resources and feelings of emptiness, but relying on people's kindness.

Whether at home in the countryside or in a busy metropolis, on the chilly mountain top or the ocean's summer breeze, in our homeland or even in a foreign land, we experience a different level of kindness from the people we meet on the road. For instance, a local in a foreign land might offer directions or a warm meal, or a fellow traveler might share their umbrella during a sudden downpour.

Sometimes, we feel the need for a soulful reflection in a different direction. Our desire to be alone lacks inspiration and motivation. We feel alone and pitied, with doubts and fears that nobody is there with us willing to sit and hear, rescue, and care. 

These encounters, whether fleeting or enduring, often leave a lasting impression, shaping our understanding of the world and our place in it. Along the way, some may reach out to lend a helping hand, while others may walk away. Others may listen, while others don't even care. It takes a little act of kindness to open one's arms, hear, and embrace. Initially, the kind of person unknown to them may become someone with a heart as endless as it seems.

Some cultures totally different from ours make us seek kindness from their hearts. We want to be friends with them and get to know them better. We want to plant a seed of service and harvest gratitude with gladness. 

In our travels, some will challenge us, some will rob us, but there will always be someone who will teach us. These challenges, though difficult, are opportunities for growth. They teach us to stand when we have fallen, to fight when we are frightened, and to love and give hope from despair to gladness.

We take a different pathway on the road we choose. Sometimes, we get lost but often regain the cost. We may take a shortcut to reach the destination with ease and less stress. We may take the common and the known road. We may take the road less traveled and be the most traveled person.

All these experiences happen due to different people on the road, some that will hurt and some with a heart. We laugh, we cry, we jump, and we try. A shoulder to lean on, a back to carry on, a cheek to kiss, and the memories that will be missed.

Kindness in our hearts will always be the pathway to fulfilling our desires. An open heart, a big heart, and a great heart. You are not a stranger but a lovely dear and sweetheart. Let this kindness guide your journey and inspire your actions.

© 2019 Del Cusay

World Refugee Day: In Memory of President Quezon

Photo courtesy of America Public Television 

A striking and heartfelt statement was uttered by President Manuel L. Quezon during the Philippine Commonwealth Period in the early 40s. And he said, 

"The people of the Philippines will have every reason to be glad that when the time of need comes, their country will be willing to extend a hand of welcome."

That statement was in response to the firm intent of Quezon to accept thousands of Refugees during the Nazi Germany Holocaust, where millions of European Jews were persecuted under the powerful command of their leader, Adolf Hitler.

Despite his physical weakness and impending death due to a pulmonary disease, Quezon displayed remarkable courage and chose to be a humanitarian, providing social justice to those persecuted. Of the potential 10,000 refugees that Quezon was willing to accept, about 1,200 were given shelter. We opened our doors and welcomed them wholeheartedly, providing them with a piece of land and a livelihood for security and survival.

Quezon's foresight was indeed accurate. In our present day, the impact of his actions is still felt. In 2018, a film was produced in his honor, titled 'Quezon's Game.' This film, shown to the world in December and the Philippines in May 2019, showcased our solidarity and compassion and reaffirmed our open-door policy for accepting refugees. It is a testament to our nation's proud history of humanitarianism.

I watched the film this month, and it made me proud to be a Filipino. We are indeed a Nation of kind-hearted people with a sense of humanity and social dignity.

When the world turned down those refugees, only one nation embraced them with open arms: the Filipinos. We gave them not only shelter but also helped them regain their identity and sense of humanity. That goodwill was recognized by the Jews when a statue of Quezon was built in Tel Aviv, Israel, in his memory and the friendliness of the entire Filipino nation.

When some of our present-day leaders would utter words of killing his own people, President Quezon was different and indeed a gentleman with the highest regard for human life by saving more than a thousand lives.

Today, we need a leader who is tough and values and upholds the sanctity of human life. Hundreds of millions of stateless people are currently seeking refuge due to wars, armed conflicts, persecution, and even economic downfall. They are sick, dying, and unwanted by their own people. However, they are still hopeful for a miracle for the second life they deserve.

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day, a day of reflection and action. It is a celebration for Filipinos of our dignity and pride, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the hundreds of millions of stateless people currently seeking refuge. May our sense of humanity be upon us all for those who are abandoned, unwanted, and persecuted. We are Filipinos, and we have a proud history of saving lives. Let us continue to uphold this legacy.

© 2019 Del Cusay

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