Founder’s Feast on Oct, 24, 2010

            The Guanellian Family in Manila has been preparing for the solemn celebration of the feast of our Blessed Founder Louis Guanella, who will soon be glorified in the Church as Saint next year.

            Last October 24, 2010 the day was dawned with showers of blessings. From morning onwards people were flocking to our center in Manila to share our joy. We begin the day with some special games for our special children. Then the day proceeded with the Holy Mass presided by our loving bishop Antonio Tobias, bishop of Dioceses of Novaliches. In his homily he invited us to grow in charity towards the poor and needy. He, of course, enjoyed the feast by spending more time with us, especially with our special children. After mass, we had a simple fellowship meal. Then, it was followed by some cultural performances by our special kids, youth and aged. We also invited some institution in and around our locality. There were 600 people who received the blessing of our Lord through our Blessed Founder on his special day.  (Fr. Jerin Presenna)

Placing our children in God’s care

“I am the bread of life” - John 6:35

On the occasion of the Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary last September 8, we had a joyous celebration of first Holy Communion at our Guanella Center. Eight children received the First Holy Communion, four of which were special children. The children had an intensive preparation to receive the Lord for the first time. Mrs. Marsha , Mrs.Vilma Ramos and our seminarians were the ones who conducted the First Communion training. The over all celebration was beautiful and very meaningful, that is to say, we had living Rosary before the Holy Mass with the children and their families and people connected to our Center participating in prayer. Fr. Soosai Rathinam, the Vice Provincial Superior, was the one who lead the living Rosary and he too was sharing his inspirational message on Mama Mary to our people at Guanella Center. The children, during the celebration, offered colorful roses to Mama Mary with a great enthusiasm. Soon after the Mass, the Certificates and religious articles were distributed to the children who had received the First Holy Communion. A delicious lunch was served after. The Holy Mass was presided by Fr. Eduardo Cerbito, SC  and Fr. Selvaraj Antonisamy. Indeed, it was the day of spiritual nourishment for our children and all of us who attended this celebration. We the servants of charity are very grateful to God who, through our prayers, made this function more meaningful and spiritually enriching. We also would like to thank the people who had been involving and preparing  enthusiastically for the smooth run of this Celebration of First Holy Communion.  

- Fr. Selvaraj Antonisamy

Always a Child at Heart

He has learn to utter only 2 words “Ate” and “Mama”, words that perhaps speak of his longing for nurture from a feminine figure: a mother. His young body bears numerous scars, a testament of long years of abuse and neglect.

Now at 19, Danilo Lonzaga, Jr., fondly called Danny by our community in the Servants of Charity is a bubbly and playful person who loves to finch anyone who comes to visit our Shelter Home for Abandoned Special Children as his way of warming up of getting people’s attention. Born with a case of Global Development Delay (GDD) from an extremely indigent family in Las Piñas City, he posseses a mental and psychological age of only 5 years and 2 months old. Nonetheless, in the 6 years he spent with our community, Danny has fully developed his social skills as well as his personal and home management independency. He regularly attends to his twice a week occupational therapy session and socialization program at Guanella Center.

For sure, Danny will always remain a child at heart in our eyes, but his childlike innocence and profoundly warm personality reminds us of what are essentials in life and necessary values for the Kingdom.

- Bro. Cesar Estiller

"Flaming Sword"

"A flaming sword I wish to be in the holy ministry." so wrote Blessed Luis Guanella in formulating his plans on the eve of his priestly ordination, occurred May 26, 1866.

In the words "flaming sword", we can see a vibration of his childhood. There is also a clear prophetic vision springing from his religious experience and biblical studies.

As a child there was the custom among the mountaineers of the Alps where Father Luis grew up of turning large fires on the eve of the Assumption, even the tradition continues today.

A suitable place was prepared where children and young people spread among the pines and firs to collect firewood. Then, when it was night, in the presence of fathers and mothers, with songs and dances and prayers, the bonfire was lit in honor of the Virgin Mary.

While the glow of the flames appeared to fight the darkness of the night, all eyes were fascinated by the play of sparks and crackling of the firing consumed.

Now the memory so vivid of that fire was returning in his mind on the eve of his Priesthood. It becomes a fire of Pentecost, or echo of the Mount Horeb, where Moses was faced with a bush that burned but not consumed, and suddenly a sublime Voice called to him: 'Moses, Moses!", from where the adventure of Exodus began. Even Father Luis is called to live the mystery of ordination, which would lead him to become an ardent apostle of charity and Founder.

- Fr. Domenico Sagginario, sdc

The colorful celebration of Linggo ng Wika was held on August 18, 2010. This was conducted in the morning, and the flow of the program was consisted of various types of performances such as exhibition of students’ skills in their own mother tongue called Tagalog, dance performance by the parents, an enactment by our special children, prize distribution, dance performance by speech and hearing impairment students and awarding the winners. The children who had come to attend this program had been dressed with traditional manner and in a creative way. Fr. Eduardo Cerbito and Fr. Antonisamy Selvaraj were the one who presided over the program.
This program was mainly facilitated by Learning Program Department Teachers namely Mrs. Marsha Cruz, Mr. Louis Llames and Miss Luz Ramirez. The performers of this program were mostly from learning program children and special children. Prizes and awards were granted to the children. The various contests were Banana Eating, Hitting the pot, Pabitin, drawing and elocution. The children and their parents had actively participated in this special program.
Soon after the program we had the fellowship table in which many of the participants had filled their stomach with delicious food. On this precious occasion of sharing about this program we realized the powerful blessings of God which had made our celebration meaningful and successful. We too thank everyone who had supported us spiritually and materially to conduct this program for the good of children at our Guanella Center.
- Fr. Antonisamy Selvaraj

JOINT RECOLLECTION FOR LECOM AND USHERETTES

The members of the Lectors & Commentators together with the Liturgical Usherettes Ministries opened the new mission year with a recollection held in the seminary chapel of the Servants of Charity last July 4, 2010. Sem. Butch Mendones and Novice Cesar Estiller—who are both handling the two (2) liturgical ministries respectively for this new mission year—facilitated the said event. The recollection served as a spiritual journey to prepare its members in their tasks and responsibilities as Ministers of the Word and in preparation for a meaningful celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.
- Bro. Cesar Estiller

Oratorio (Children Ministry)

Every Sunday afternoon, the Servants of Charity conduct catechism for children at the Guanella Center where kids below twelve years old are nourished spiritually by the fundamental aspects of our Catholic faith. The program normally begins at three o’clock in the afternoon and is facilitated by seminarians Carlos Arevalo and Vincent Ladines. The program begins by teaching the children how to pray—from the proper way of doing the sign of the cross to various prayer recitations. Song and dance activities are also included plus story telling of biblical and/or fairy tales which aim to teach moral lessons and values followed by a brief catechism lecture. Last but not the least, the children are entertained with games where prizes are up for grabs. The Servants of Charity cathechism aims to bring children closer to God so that they may establish a concrete foundation of our faith.

- Sem. Vincent Ladines

Saturday Enrichment with Sr. Ma. Socorro Garachico, CM

It was the 26th day of June when the Servants of Charity finally begun its monthly Saturday Enrichment for the seminarians. The said Saturday Enrichment seminar was made possible by Sr. Socorro Garachico of the Carmelite Missionaries, who is a catechist for no less than 46 years (...and still counting!). Sr. Socorro discussed the importance and objective of catechism, as well as the selfless mission of a catechist. Her extensive knowledge and experience in catechism have given the seminarians enlightenment, so that they’d be able to share that light to those who are in the shadows of God’s grace. Sr. Socorro ended the lecture by giving the seminarians the format on how to prepare an effective lesson plan for catechism. Sr. Severina of SCG, together with four aspirant members also joined the seminar.
- Vincent Ladines

The Start of New Academic Year at our Guanella Center

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (PWD’s)

As we have begun our New Academic Year at our Guanella Center I would like give a picture of our activities to the people who are collaborative and co-operative in our mission. On the 1st week of June, we began our Physical Therapy for our resident children; walk-in clients may join them for activities in this new Academic year. There are 20 beneficiaries who receive physical therapy rehabilitation at our Center regularly.

LEARNING PROGRAM

With regard to Learning Program, the students underwent Entrance Exams, oral and written. After succeeding in Entrance Exam they enrolled for school last June 15. Total number of learning program students are 68, 38 of them are kindergarten and 30 in preparatory. In comparison to the total number of students last year which only reached 29 in both kindergarten and preparatory age, (2009-2010), this year garnered more students.


SPED (Special Education)

On the same day as the Learning Program, SPED class also commenced. There were 13 pupils in the class of Mrs. Flordeliza Bumacod who is in- charge of non-graded school children with disabilities. Under this Program there are four students with autism, two children with Down syndrome, two children with Osteogenesis Imperfect, two MR, one mentally challenged, one with Cerebral Palsy and one with Speech delayed.







Hearing and Speech Impairments

Under the Hearing and Speech Impairment Program of Mr Marvin Lava, there were 11 hearing and speech impaired students.
After sharing about our activities at our Center in this new Academic Year, I feel happy that our mission has been more flourishing and fostering. It is the blessing of God that has been vibrant in doing our mission at our Center. Therefore, let us keep praying to the Lord that he might bless all ways and steps that we take to edify and empower the underprivileged students at our Center.

- Fr. Antonisamy Selvaraj

Monthly Message from Our Provincial Work in Progress

Moving around our communities spread throughout our Divine Providence Province, we may feel like being in the midst of a large ‘construction site’; and may even see signs posted, indicating ‘work in progress’.

In Quezon City, Philippines, a new more spacious home for twenty differently-abled children and young adults is under construction. In India, the foundation stone of the new parish of our Lady of Divine Providence has been recently laid and blessed. Also in Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, our special children will soon experience love and receive care in a simple but functional and welcoming new multipurpose ‘open tent of charity’. In Chelsea, MI USA the St. Louis Center is expanding it’s space to improve it’s services in this special Golden Jubilee Year of that Community. Truly Divine Providence keeps extending its generous hands to sustain our commitment as servants and friends of the poor.

While we strive to make more room for the people entrusted by the Lord to our care, we are reminded by Him in this Easter season to become ourselves, ‘living stones,’ for building the Kingdom of God day after day.

During this month of May, forty-four young Guanellian brothers are renewing their decision to work full time for the Kingdom, entrusting themselves to the Lord who is drawing the plans of that project and is seeking our generous cooperation to bring to fulfillment the dream of the Father: the dream of a human family gathered around Him, the dream of a world transformed into a home where everyone is accepted, and respected in his/her unique divine dignity.

In this month of May, as we honor Mother Mary the first missionary of the Gospel, many confreres are making themselves available for new mission assignments within and out side of our Province. The construction site may change; they may be assigned to different tasks, and they may need to develop new skills and competences. But they know that the construction plans are drawn by the Divine Architect and they are co-workers in building a new heaven and earth.

Indeed there is ‘work in progress’ in our communities and mission centers. Let us continue to allow the Lord to use our hands, the bricks of our human availability, the cement of our fraternal solidarity, the sand and gravel of our daily sacrifice, the iron bars of our courageous fidelity and the running water of our daily joyous Yes . He certainly knows how to use our construction materials and value the trust of our heart.

To all, a joyful Marian month ushered in by St. Joseph, the Patron of the workers, the model of all the Kingdom’s builders.

Fr. Luigi De Giambattista, SdC
Provincial Superior