PASAY CITY, Philippines — September 6 took on renewed significance for Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay City as the parish re-consecrated its altar on the 18th anniversary of the solemn dedication of its church, marking a new chapter in the parish’s liturgical life as it celebrates its 85th foundation anniversary.
The solemn rite of the dedication of the altar was presided over by Most Rev. Socrates Mesiona, MSP, Vicar Apostolic of Puerto Princesa, during the celebration that also coincided with the beginning of the novena for the parish’s annual fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. Fr. Rico Garcia of the Archdiocese of Manila served as liturgist for the dedication.
Eighteen years ago, on September 6, the parish church was solemnly dedicated. This year, after renovations to the church, the altar table was re-consecrated on the same date. While the church itself had already been dedicated, the celebration focused specifically on the altar, giving the parish a renewed reason to commemorate September 6. The date now carries a twofold significance for the community as it recalls the dedication of the church and the dedication of its altar.
The celebration was attended by the parish community headed by its parish priest, Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP, members of the Society of St. Paul’s Pasay community, representatives from the SSP-Makati community composed of priests and juniors, and visiting priests from the vicariate and neighboring religious communities.
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish is presently the only parish in the Philippines administered by the Society of St. Paul.
In his homily, Mesiona placed the altar at the center of the parish’s understanding of itself as a Eucharistic community. “The altar is the heart and center of every church,” he said, because it is where the Eucharist is celebrated as the memorial of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
He described the altar as both the altar of sacrifice and the table of the Lord’s banquet. At the altar, the one sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is made sacramentally present, while the faithful are nourished by Christ’s body and blood. Because of this, the Church venerates the altar as a visible sign of Christ himself.
The rite itself made these theological meanings visible through a series of solemn actions. The altar was anointed with holy chrism, incensed, covered with a cloth, and illuminated. These gestures, Mesiona explained, are not merely ceremonial acts but visible signs that point toward an invisible mystery. Through the anointing with chrism, the altar becomes a symbol of Christ, the Anointed One and eternal High Priest.
In a special way, Mesiona said, the altar becomes a place where “heaven touches the earth,” where the faithful encounter the living Lord through the paschal mystery of Christ. He called the parish community to approach the Eucharist with the same awe and wonder experienced by Jacob in the presence of God.
Mesiona also emphasized the connection between the sacrifice of Christ and the Eucharist celebrated at the altar. The Jesus who offered himself on Calvary, he said, is the same Jesus encountered in every celebration of the Eucharist. The sacrifice of Calvary is not repeated; rather, it is made present sacramentally whenever the Eucharist is celebrated.
For the bishop, however, the consecration of the altar cannot be separated from the way the parish community lives its Christian vocation beyond the church. He reminded the faithful that honoring the altar also requires a commitment to one another, particularly to those who are poor, suffering, or excluded.
“We cannot receive the body of Christ while ignoring the needs of Christ’s body,” he said, stressing that the Eucharist calls Christians to recognize Christ in those who need care and solidarity.
“What we celebrate here must continue in your homes, communities and your daily lives,” Mesiona added.
The re-consecration of the altar therefore became an invitation for the parish community to see its own lives in relation to the altar. “As this altar is consecrated, may our hearts also be consecrated anew,” he said, calling the faithful to allow their lives to become offerings of love, justice, forgiveness, and service.
As the parish begins its novena in preparation for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the re-consecrated altar now stands at the center of a renewed worship space and a significant anniversary for the community. September 6 recalls the church’s dedication 18 years ago while also marking the renewed dedication of the altar, bringing together the parish’s history and its continuing Eucharistic life.
Mesiona concluded by praying that the altar would remain a place of sacrifice, communion, healing, and hope, and that all who gather around it would be drawn ever more deeply to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
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