On December 30, 2024, our Parish celebrated its 29th Dedication and 39th Canonical Erection Anniversary. The afternoon events began with the Karakol Street Dance and Procession together with the image of the Holy Family. Different Ministries, Pastoral Communities, Chapels and Organizations joined the event.
After the Procession, the mass was presided by Rev. Fr. Alejandro Pestaño, DMD, Chancellor of the Diocese of Antipolo, along with Rev. Fr. Rommel Felizardo, Rev. Fr. Christopher Rivera, and our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Fernando Cornejo. Before proceeding to the liturgy of the word, the pillars of the church were censed, and the parishioners were blessed with holy water.
Fr. Al emphasized in his homily that God does not choose where he dwells, Jesus is the pillar of the church, and we are the temple of God. And this was attested by the readings.
In the 1st reading, King Solomon prayed after observing the finished temple of Jerusalem. He expressed his respect for the greatness of God in his prayer and pondered how could He dwell on a man-made temple. This indicates that God is not selective about where he resides.
Then in the 2nd reading, St. Paul reminds us that Jesus is the pillar of the temple and even if it experiences numerous calamities, it will remain upright.
In the gospel, we saw Jesus’ anger at how the people turned the temple into a marketplace and this further emphasizes that regardless of how good or bad the appearance of the church or temple, God dwells anywhere and everywhere as long as he can be with us.
Moreover, St. Paul also mentioned that “We are the temple of God.” Our bodies must be respected. That is why whenever we interact or face others, be it as it may our enemies or strangers, we must always treat them with respect because God dwells in them.
As Fr. Al concluded his homily, he reminded everyone that the celebration of the dedication of the church is also a celebration for us, the faithful because God chose to dwell in our hearts.
After the solemn mass, the Karakol Dance Exhibition began. Among the 10 contestants, four groups won the consolation prizes: St. Anthony Chapel, Legion of Mary, MOL and EMHC, and Couples for Christ. The grand prize was won by the group of Resurrected Christ and St. Claire Chapel, 1st runner-up was the Mother Butler’s Guild, 2nd runner was Greeters, Collectors, Usherettes, 3rd runner-up was Basic Ecclesial Community, 4th runner-up was Holy Rosary Chapel, and 5th runner-up was Catechetical Commission.
The event ended with a closing remark from Fr. Fhyrdz and a fireworks display.
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