The celebration for the 500 years of Christianity in the country is “a thanksgiving of the faithful especially for Filipino migrants for the gift of faith,” a Catholic Church leader said.
“The purpose of the celebration is to thank God for the gift of faith then and now. We thank the Lord for all His blessings. That no matter how difficult it might be to be away from home and our loved ones, our faith helps us to get through it all as it gives meaning to all our experiences as migrant workers. Our faith sustains us and keeps us alive,” said Rev. Fr. Ricky Gente, chaplain of the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy (SPC) in Rome, Italy.
“The SPC is in solidarity with the Philippines in celebrating the 500 Years of Christian Faith. Filipinos all over the world are commemorating the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines and we, the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy under the Diocese of Rome would like to participate in this historical event,” the priest said.
“The Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy is a parish for Filipino migrants in the Diocese of Rome and is based at the Basilica Sta. Prudenziana. The active members of the chaplaincy are 54 communities spread all over the region of Lazio where Rome is a part of,” Fr. Gente said.
“As a parish, the SPC is committed to the well-being of its members to live the Filipino ideals of being maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-pamilya, maka-bayan and maka-kalikasan. We also provide spiritual services to Filipinos such as baptism, marriage, confirmation and others,” he added.
His Holiness Pope Francis presided over the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the Saint Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, March 14, at 10 a.m. (Rome time) 5 p.m. (Manila time) with Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and former archbishop of Manila, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the Pope’s vicar for Rome.
Cardinal Tagle thanked Pope Francis on behalf of all Filipino Catholics in the Philippines and around the world during the heart-warming mass which was attended by Filipino migrants. A number of religious hymns in Tagalog including the Lord’s Prayer (Ama Namin) were sung during the mass by a choir composed of Filipino members.
After the mass, two Filipino children also offered flowers before a portrait of the Blessed Mother. They were later blessed by Pope Francis.