MANILA, Sept. 14, 2011—The Tagaytay Religious Association (TRA) will hold a prayer rally on September 16, Friday, in Tagaytay City in protest of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
TRA is an association of more than 70 seminaries, religious houses, retreat centers, schools and monasteries located in Tagaytay and its environs.
The rally, dubbed “Lakad-Dalangin para sa Pagpapahalaga ng Buhay,” will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 pm starting with rosary processions from various locations in the city.
The processions will lead to the Lourdes Church, where a 3:00 pm talk on the RH bill will be delivered.
A Eucharistic celebration with Imus Bishop Chito Tagle follows at 4:00.
“This event is a collaborative expression of our collective stand against the passage of the RH Bill now [being] debated in the Senate,” said TRA chairperson Fr. Sam Agcaracar, SVD, main organizer, in his letter to the members of the association.
“Since Tagaytay City is often dubbed as the Vatican City of the Philippines because of its exceptionally big number of religious houses, and also since it is used to being called a ‘character city’ by the local government, it is just right to express our sentiments against the bill that many Catholics now perceive as immoral,” said former TRA chairperson, Fr. Randy Flores, SVD.
For the 2:00 pm rosary procession to Lourdes parish, assembly will be as follows: Clusters 1, 2 and 3 will assemble near Ina ng Laging Saklolo Parish; Cluster 4 at the SVD Road corner; Clusters 5 and 6 at the Magallanes Drive; half of the Lourdes parishioners will join clusters 5and 6 and others will wait at the Rotonda area.
Participants are advised to coordinate with their respective barangay captains and officials.
The organizers announced that each community and cluster is encouraged to provide a streamer to highlight the theme during the rosary procession, and that each house is asked to urge their lay workers and collaborators to take part in the event. (Rev. Fr. Randy C. Flores)