The Pauline Family celebrate the day before Pentecost Sunday as the feast of Mary, Queen of Apostles, commemorating the vigil of the Apostles in the cenacle while waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. With the Apostles were women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. The image of the Queen of Apostles that Blessed James Alberione bequeathed to the Paulines was of Mary her surrounded by the Apostles and presenting the Child Jesus holding a scroll of the Gospel. She is the example of one who gives Jesus to the world.
The SSP central community of Makati prepared for the feast of Mary Queen of Apostles with a Triduum of Masses presided by Fr. Angelo Paolo Asprer, Ramil Tapang, and Ramon Manalo. The actual day itself—May 23—marked the 20th Sacerdotal Ordination of Fr. Jerome Palma. Based in San Fernando Pampanga where he is Local Superior and Formator of Postulants, he decided to celebrate it with more solemnity at the Sanctuary of St. Paul in Makati at the behest of his family. Friends and family members, many coming from his hometown in Iloilo, attended the concelebrated Mass at 9:30 in the morning. The Postulants themselves served at Mass.
In his homily, Fr. Jerome spoke of the devotion to the Queen of Apostles on the part of Pauline Family and shared memories of his vocational journey in the Society of St. Paul.
He thanked his family and relatives for supporting him, and his Pauline confreres who were his support in his various apostolic assignments especially in the Visayas and Mindanao and now in the house of formation in Pampanga.
In the afternoon, the SSP Makati community hosted the “Flores de Mayo” at St. Paul Sanctuary. This Marian devotion, organized by the San Antonio Village neighborhood associations, featured “sagalas”—young, costumed maidens participating in traditional procession or “Santacruzan” and representing the different streets of the village. This year’s “Reyna Elena” is Kirsten Tronio of Centro Escolar University in Makati. The gathering at the sanctuary provided a fitting context and background for Fr. Paolo Asprer’s segment on the “Santacruzan” for Gabay Sambuhay. Fr. Ramil Tapang celebrated Mass for the participants, after which they held a procession along the streets of San Antonio Village. They then returned to the Sanctuary for a flower offering to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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