MATI, Davao Oriental, Oct. 9, 2011—For the Diocese of Mati, October is praying the rosary for vocations.
The diocese has added the prayer for Vocations composed by Blessed John Paul II along with the daily praying of the Holy Rosary in all parish churches, at Mass time or during the dawn rosary processions for the entire month of October as it celebrates Vocation month.
Mati kicked off its celebration of the Vocation month with a Holy Mass on the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, patroness of the missions.
Mati Bishop Patricio Alo led the 6 pm Holy Mass at the St. Therese Pre-College Seminary in Tua-Tua, Mati City, concelebrated by various diocesan and religious priests. Religious sisters, lay cooperators, friends, benefactors, and parents of seminarians attended the Mass.
The Eucharistic celebration served as the beacon call for vocation awareness and promotion, as previously designed by the Vocation Team led by Fr. Perfecto “Jojo” Urbuda, vocation director and parochial vicar of San Vicente Ferrer Parish, Lupon.
St. Therese’ words “I will spend my life in serving vocations” underlined the work of vocation for the missions and whatever be the chosen state in life for the particular person desirous of fulfilling God’s plan for him/her for the salvation of souls.
The bishop described the greatness of St. Therese, the youngest Doctor of the Church, as “the way of Spiritual Childhood or childlike simplicity, ever open to and trusting in the Father’s will, and achieving holiness by true, unselfish love, enduring all pain and suffering in each moment of life, and offering her own life as a gift of love, wherein showers of roses blessed on her feast day become signs or reminders of her constant companionship with us, especially those devoted to her or seeking her intercession , especially in the choice of vocation.”
The organized vocation tours and school visitations for the month started on October 7, during the fiesta of Holy Rosary parish in Calapagan, Lupon, Davao Oriental. On Oct. 10, vocation promoters will have school visitation in Luzon, Governor Generoso; Oct. 11, school visitations in Lupon and Banaybanay; Oct. 23, vocation campaign in the East Coast, starting with San Nicolas de Tolentino parish in Boston, Davao Or., and Oct. 24-25, in line with the parochial and town fiesta of San Francisco Javier parish in Manay, Davao Oriental.
Fr. Alan Daclan, SDV (Society of Divine Vocation), superior and seminary director, expressed the seminary administration’s “heartfelt thanks to everyone present, all generous donors and friends without whom the seminary would not have been able to stand and withstand our daily material needs, including psychological and spiritual guidance for the seminarians, while we all pray for a bountiful harvest in the Lord’s vineyard of vocations.”
Selected Vocation theme for the month is “Makabagong Teknolohiya at Siyensya: Bokasyon Uso Pa Ba?” (Jn. 12:24-26). (Sr. Marietta Alo, OND)
