Amadeo, August 18
At 6:30 in the morning a caravan of some 20 vehicles drove out of the campus of the college in Cañacao Bay, passed through the busy streets of Noveleta, Rosario, and General Trías, and reached their destination near the center of Amadeo.
Coming from several different towns, they arrived on time to see various folkloric groups, dressed in elegant and colorful typical costumes, and at once the traditional procession of dancers, known as the “karakol,” paraded toward te parish church.
The town government had declared the day a holiday, and thousands of spectators lined the streets. At the parish the pastor and the mayor gave talks, expressing their pleasure that Amadeo had been selected as the site for the opening celebration of an event of significance for the entire province.
Father Emilio Quilatan, an Augustinian Recollect born in Cavite, then spoke on the history of the parish of Amadeo, founded by the Augustinian Recollects, carrying out a royal order dated May 1, 1884. The bishop of Imus, Most Reverend Reynaldo Evangelista, presided at the Eucharist, accompanied by some 30 concelebrants, about half of them Recollects and half diocesan clergy.
At the end of Mass, the prior provincial, Father Lauro Larlar, thanked the diocese for its confidence in the Recollects and for permitting them to continue working, asked the faithful to pray that the religious persevere in fidelity to their consecration and their mission, and read the official document of the opening of the joint celebration of the fourth centenary and the golden anniversary.
New official Seal of the parish
During the same celebration a new official seal of the Amadeo parish was presented. In recognition of the labor of the Recollect friars, the seal incorporates the principal symbols of their coat of arms: a book and a heart pierced by an arrow.
At the close of the celebration, the Augustinian Recollects presented to the parish a facsimile of the decree of foundation of the parish and several photographs of the two Recollect pastors who served in Amadeo during its foundation years, from 1886 to 1896.
Continuous evangelization
The prior provincial of the Philippines had announced the three-year commemorative celebration in a letter last March, in which he stated that the theme of the centenary would be: “Recollects in Cavite: 400 Years of Continuous Evangelization.”
The purpose of the centenary celebration is to give thanks to God for the mission of the Order in Cavite and to give recognition to the work of the Recollets in that important center, which has served historically as the port of Manila.
The centenary also aims to promote knowledge of and devotion to the Augustinian Recollect saints who worked in that portion of the Lord’s flock, especially Saint Ezekiel Moreno and the Servant of God Father Mariano Gazpio.
Scheduled Activities
Among the activities planned for the two years of preparation (2014-2016) and for the centenary itself (2016-2017), are conferences and symposiums on the theme of the centenary, contests in musical compositions and logo designs, the publication of stamps and pamphlets, the installation of commemorative plaques, processions, and liturgical celebrations.
Saint Ezekiel Moreno
The key figure in the festivities is to be Saint Ezekiel Moreno, who was pastor in the region near Las Piñas from 1876 to 1879. At the end of last June, in anticipation of and preparation for the centenary, the saint’s relic and statue were taken in pilgrimage to the Town Hall and the parishes and chapels of Cavite City. In each of these places a special Mass was celebrated with the sacrament of anointing of the sick.
The date chosen for the presentation was August 18, the vigil of Saint Ezekiel’s feast day, so that on the feast day itself the entire Augustinian family could be in Las Piñas to attend the Mass of inauguration of the Saint Ezekiel Shrine with its adjoining museum. Both of these monuments were constructed by the Villar Foundation, which has its headquarters in Las Piñas.
Along these same lines, other celebrations have been scheduled to take place very soon, such as the installation of a commemorative plaque that the National History Commission has already decided to place in front of the cathedral in Puerto Princesa, on the exact spot where Saint Ezekiel celebrated the Mass marking the foundation of the city on Sunday, March 10, 1872.
Historical Highlights
In 1616, when the Augustinian Recollects had been in the Philippines for only 10 years, they founded a convent in Cavite, the port of Manila. It will soon be 400 years since that foundation. From that ancient era the only remaining visible remnant is the bell tower of Saint Monica, which was built in 1619 and still rises high like a mast in the midst of a sea of shanties.
In the last part of the 19th century and first half of the 20th, the Augustinian Recollects were entrusted with the pastoral care of several towns in this province adjacent to Manila, among them Amadeo. It was during this second phase of their history, in 1922, when Father Mariano Gazpio (1899-1989), celebrated his first Mass in Cavite. He later became a famous missionary in China and died in the odor of sanctity.
In a third phase, the Order reestablished itself in the port city, this time by founding a college dedicated to San Sebastian, in the year 1966. This college will soon celebrate the 50th anniversary of its inauguration.