Saint John Paul II is our Spiritual Father because from his teachings we have received a true guidance towards a better and deeper comprehension of our charism. As well, this great Pope has always been an enormous help in all the struggles of our small religious family.
Saint John Paul the Great, as we like to call him, is now an important patron of our Institute. He has helped as here on earth, how much he will do it there in heaven! Thus, we honor his feast day, October 22, with a countless solemnity and joy.
Here in the Philippines we have celebrated with a very special ceremony since, on this same day, twelve of our novices have received their religious habits as “a sign of their consecration and witness to their poverty” [Constitutions #154]. God has robbed them with the lack of everything…
Our Founder, Fr. Carlos Buela, says that the cassocks are to be as our very skin, not only because never should be lost the spirit that it represents, but also because, at one time, it identifies and shows the world who the religious is. We belong to Christ, the Church and to the Institute, that is why we want to evince to ourselves and to other whom we belong to.
Though most of the newly invested novices come from the Philippines, others are from India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Luis Zapata, IVE who in the homily remarked the doctrine of Saint John Paul the Great on religious life, which is a deepening of what all Christians do in their baptism, namely, to adhere Christ and his commandments.
Needless to say, after the Mass there was a reception for everybody wherein many musical and cultural performances took place.
We thank God all the benefits He so mercifully bestows us and we rejoice once more in the gift of so a Great Pope, John Paul II, and of so many new novices for our Institute.
Click here to see the Homily of our General Superior for this feast day, given in Rome.
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