PALO, Leyte, Nov. 27, 2012—The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palo will mark its 75 years as a Church on November 28 with a solemn Eucharistic celebration to be led by Cebu Archbishop-emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
The archdiocesan spokesperson, Fr. Amadeo Alvero, in an interview said the celebration will begin with the rite of opening of the Jubilee Door at 9:30 in the morning tomorrow followed by the Holy Mass at the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral.
Alvero said Cebu Archbishop-Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will lead the celebration of the Holy Eucharist together with Palo Archbishop John Du and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president, who was Palo’s archbishop for four years.
Some 33 other arch/bishops around the country and 100 members of the clergy in nearby dioceses will also join the celebration.
The diamond jubilee will be a whole-year event, wherein a particular sector within the Church is given prominence and celebrated each month.
The celebration in December 2012 is dedicated to and taken care of by families; January 2013 by faith communities; February is for senior citizens; March for workers; April for the youth; May for social communications and mass media; June, businessmen and professionals; July for schools and educators; August for liturgical ministries; September for clergy and seminarians; October for the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC); and November for the culmination of the year-long event.
The priest disclosed that Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will grace the closing celebration of the 75th Diamond Jubilee of the archdiocese on November 2013.
“We actually planned to have a simple closing but when Cardinal Tagle said that he will celebrate the closing mass, I think the closing ceremony will no longer become special but extraordinary,” Alvero furthered.
Meanwhile, Palo Archbishop John Du in his jubilee message that was uploaded in Youtube speaks on the significance of the historic affair and calls on the faithful to grow in holiness and sanctity in daily life and live with extraordinary love.
Alvero mentioned that after the mass, a program will be held in Tacloban City Astrodome where some celebrities are expected to attend such as TV personality Mike Enriquez, singer Anthony Castelo, actor Alfred Vargas and noted writer and preacher Bo Sanchez.
The archdiocese was elevated as a diocese on November 28, 1937.
It became an archdiocese in 1982, with Calbayog, Borongan, Catarman and Naval Diocese serving as its suffragans.
Currently, it has 63 parishes, 1 chaplaincy and 13 mission stations, divided into two districts: the Eastern District which is the waray-waray speaking areas comprising the vicariates of Tacloban, Carigara, Burauen, Chancery seminary, Abuyog and Palo; and the Western District with the Cebuano speaking people which consist of the vicariates of Ormoc and Palompon. (Jandel Posion/CBCPNews)
