Roman Catholics will observe on Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Feast of Saint John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli), which was canonized by Pope Francis together with Saint John Paul II on April 27, 2014, in Rome, Italy.
His feast day coincides with the anniversary of the opening of the historic Second Vatican Council, which he convened in 1962.
A concelebrated mass to be presided over by Imus Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Pope St. John XXIII Parish (formerly Sto. Nino Chapel) in Dasamarinas, Cavite on Tuesday. A holy mass will also be offered at 6 p.m.
A Karakol and procession will be held at 3:30 p.m. A novenario was held from Oct. 2 to 10. This year’s fiesta celebration coincides with the 7th canonical anniversary of the parish.
Fondly remembered as the Good Pope, Saint John brought the Church closer to Catholics as he instituted Holy Masses in the vernacular instead of Latin. He convened the Second Vatican Council which overhauled rituals and doctrines and reached out to other faiths.
Born on Nov. 25, 1881 in Italy, he served as Pope from Oct. 28, 1958, up to the time of his death on June 3, 1963. He was the first Pontiff to take the pontifical name of ‘John.’ Then Pope now Saint John Paul II beatified him with Pope Pius IX and three others on Sept. 3, 2000. In declaring him a saint, the Church bypassed the traditional required second miracle based on his merits of opening the Second Vatican Council.
Saint John XXIII made several memorable quotes and his views on equality were summed up in his statement, “We were all made in God’s image and thus we are all Godly alike.”
To help promote devotion to St. John XXIII in the Philippines, his sacred relics were brought to key cities and provinces across the country in 2014.