Society of St. Paul • Philippine-Macau Province

July 2-6/9-13, 2010 (Tagaytay City)—In preparation for the 75th Anniversary Foundation of the Society of St. Paul in the Philippines, the Pauline priests and brothers gathered at the Carmelite Center for Spirituality in Tagaytay City in two batches: July 2- 6, 2010 and July 9-13, 2010 on the theme: “Rekindle the Gift You Have Received.” During the spiritual retreat the Provincial Superior Fr. Ruben C. Areno and delegates Fr. Alan G. Gamutan and Bro Hansel Mapayo re-echoed the salient points leading to the formulation of the program and operational guidelines of the 9th General Chapter. The retreat was a kind of review of the journey of the congregation in the global level and well as the local situation. Points of consideration touched on the Pauline Identity, the Charism of SSP, and the challenges on evangelization with the new culture of communication. The gift received from the Lord Jesus and passed on to the founder Fr. James Alberione finds its mutation in the succeeding General and Provincial/Regional Chapters. With the changes in communications at the beginning of the 3rd Millennium the present generation of apostles is confronted with the new realities in the field of communications which affects the method of evangelization today. More than a preached retreat, the participants reflected, shared and suggested ways how the congregation can respond to the challenges and the signs of the times — as they prepare for the coming 6th Provincial Chapter for Programming, and as they continue the journey towards the 100th Foundation Anniversary of the Society of St. Paul on August 20, 2014.

July 7, 2010 (Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church, Pasay City) A solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided by the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Edward Adams ushered in the yearlong observance of the 75th Anniversary of the foundation of the Society of St Paul in the Philippines and Macau. This was most appropriate since it was also the Apostolic Delegate Msgr William Piani who officially welcomed the first Italian Pauline priests—Frs Gaetano Marco Grossi, and Matteo Bernardo Borgogno—when they arrived here from the Italy on July 7, 1935.

June 30, 2010 (Sanctuary of St Paul the Apostle, Makati City)—June 30 is a special day for the Society of Saint Paul, and for all Paulines. While the Universal Church celebrates June 29 as the solemnity of the martyrdom of Sts Peter and Paul, by a special indult of the Holy See we celebrate June 30 as the solemn feast of St Paul, patron and father of the Pauline Family. June 30, 2010, however, was even made more special by our history in the Philippine-Macau Province. On this day, the Society of St Paul in this circumscription, together with sizable delegations of members from the other Pauline congregations, celebrated with joy and thanksgiving the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the SSP Makati Communty. Since its formal canonical inauguration on June 30, 1960 this community has become the hub of the community life and apostolate of the Pauline priests and brothers in the Philippines and Macau.