MANILA, July 28, 2011?The Pontificio Collegio Filippino, home to Catholic Filipino clergy taking post-graduate studies in Rome, is celebrating its golden jubilee of foundation come October 4-9, 2011.
Inaugurated on October 7, 1961 by then Pope John XXIII, the Collegio also serves as a temporary home to bishops who go to Rome for official business at the Vatican.
Fr. Gregory Ramon D. Gaston, STD, the collegio’s rector, said the celebration is for both present resident priests and for Alumni Priests and Bishops.
“The alumni may stay from October 4-9 at the Collegio Filippino and it will be ‘on the house’, though donations would be most welcome,” Gaston said.
The tentative schedule of the jubilee celebration includes public audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on October 5, followed by a recollection in the afternoon and fellowship in the evening.
On October 6, both the residents and alumni will visit Scavi Vaticani (Necropolis). A Concelebrated Mass will be said at the Collegio at 6 pm with Rectors and representatives from other collegios, followed by dinner.
The 50th anniversary celebration on October 7 will be highlighted by an academic conference scheduled at 10:00 am titled “The Role of Pontifical Colleges in Pursuit of Academic Excellence.” A concelebrated Mass will be held at 6:00 pm. at the Collegio chapel followed by a testimonial dinner with tribute to all the Collegio alumni to be held at 7:00 pm.
A pilgrimage/excursion has been scheduled on Saturday October 8 while a Mass and reunion with the different Filipino Communities where the priests served as chaplains has been scheduled.
All interested alumni can contact Fr. Greg Gaston for more information by emailing him atgdgnet@gmail.com or visit the PCF website at http://www.pcfroma.org/ (Melo Acuna)
