QUEZON City, Jan. 17, 2013—A spirituality institute will conduct a seminar on the spirituality of the 2nd Filipino teen saint San Pedro Calungsod this coming January 25 at the Titus Brandsma Center, 24 Acacia Street, New Manila, Quezon City.
Organized by the Institute of Spirituality in Asia (ISA), the public lecture dubbed “The Spirituality of San Pedro Calungsod” will be a lecture-presentation that looks into the life and times of Filipino martyr Pedro Calungsod and how his spirituality was shaped by his role as a young lay missionary-catechist.
“In rediscovering the spirituality that formed and transformed San Pedro Calungsod, we shall examine the events of his life through the limited historical data available and through the socio-cultural influence of the time,” ISA said in their invitation letter.
Ms. Angela Blardony Ureta, aO.Carm. will be the speaker for the public lecture. She is a seasoned producer and writer of multi-awarded television and radio programs.
ISA said that much of the materials to be used during the lecture will be based on documents and research data gathered in the course of the speaker’s experience as head writer and production consultant of ABS-CBCN documentary special “San Pedro Calungsod”, as well as from actual interviews from historians, theologians and church leaders from Cebu, Manila and Guam, who are considered expert sources on the young saint and his journey to sainthood.
Portions of the said documentary that are relevant to the discussion will also be shown.
Currently, ISA said there are already 30 interested participants who reserved a slot for the talk but they are still expecting walk-ins during the day of the lecture.
A fee of Php 250.00 will be paid inclusive of snacks and certificate of attendance. Interested participants may call ISA at (02) 723-0449 for further details.
Pedro Calungsod, a teenage boy from the Visayas, joined the mission to the Marianas Islands in 1667 when he was about 14 years old. On April 2, 1672, he was killed while accompanying Spanish Jesuit Diego Luis de San Vitores, head of mission and considered the “first apostle to the Marianas”.
Forgotten and ignored for over 300 years, Calungsod quickly rose to prominence after the 1985 beatification of Fr. Sanvitores, in whose defense the young catechist gave up his life.
Since the diocesan process for his cause for his own beatification was opened in 1994, many academic, church and cultural historians have worked on putting together the bits and pieces of what could have been the life of this simple Visayan boy who rose to greatness because of his exemplary courage and faith.
Calungsod was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI last October 21, 2012 together with six others in Vatican City. (Jandel Posion/CBCPNews)
