OLVC Mission Bulletin (Online) June-September 2004 Issue
PHOTO REPORT: OUR LADY OF VICTORIES CATHOLIC SCHOOL
THE SOCIETY’S MISSION IN THE PHILIPPINES OPENS ITS FIRST SCHOOL IN ASIA
Most non-Catholic schools here, however, are opening only because of profit. Educational methodologies are available, but, they are very secular and very modern.
We may say the Catholic schools,are very competitive in terms of scholastic achievements and prestige as well as compared to non-Catholic schools.
However, when it comes to “true” Catholic education, there is practically none which offers it.
Children of modern Catholic schools are very much immersed in the teachings of Vatican II: they are obliged to attend the New Mass—some schools have very modern and highly-stylized Masses—their Religion teachers do not have a strong conviction of the Faith, Liberation Theology is taught in some schools, etc.
These are some of the reasons why we have to begin as soon as we can. Education is very commercialized if not very secularized in the Philippines. The Society’s mission turned ten (10) last August 2002 and by that time everybody was like hoping for a school that would offer what the other schools in the Philippines could not offer which is the true Catholic education.
Our Lady of Victories Catholic School has finally made its first steps and is now beginning to instruct the children according to the methodology of our Holy Mother the Church.
And true Catholic Education is one of the things that our newly-founded school has an edge over these Catholic schools. Thus, Ms. Michelle Azucena, one of the teachers, mentioned in her speech that a mother confided to her that it was a “leap of faith” on her and her husband’s part to enroll her child in our school considering that their relatives had their children enrolled in the most prestigious, expensive and well-known schools in the country.
* * *
Now on to other news of the mission.
Last summer (May 2004), our very own Catholic young men’s group (they call themselves Los Cristeros—visit www.geocities.com/cristeros for info) won the major prizes in the National Bible Competition.
The first prize was a ticket to the Chartres-Montmartre Pilgrimage (won by Mr. Crisostomo Ala); the 2nd prize was a complete set of Dom Gueranger’s A Liturgical Year (won by Mr. Noel Arellano); and the 3rd prize was a beautiful bronze crucifix and a book on Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (won by Mr. Kerwin Ferrer). It was organized and sponsored by the District of Asia’s Superior, Fr. Couture and was held during the Youth Pilgrimage in Bohol organized by the Apostles of Mary, another traditional youth group (young men and women) in the Philippines. Another from our mission, a lady from the House of Bethany, Ms. Isabel Cadayao, won the fifth prize.
We were so proud of these achievements as it only meant that the missions of the Society in the Philippines is fruitful especially among our youth.
* * *
Last June, as an act of gratitude (and still an act of petition for a yet suitable property for a permanent school), we held a fund-raising for St. Anthony’s bread which was a successful one. The faithful and some young men who volunteered to distribute bread to the needy went around the metropolis to promote
St. Anthony’s cause and also to pray for our intention (the prayer of petition is at the bottom part of this page).
* * *
As perhaps most of you already know, Fr. Santiago Hughes, one of the diocesan priests who went back to Tradition and who has been working hand in hand with the Society priests here in Manila, became ill.
At first, we thought he was hit by H-fever but the doctors finally told us he had an acute leukemia. At the time of writing this news, he is still at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City and he is now on his 8th week in the hospital. Last week, he was so weak that everybody thought he was almost dying but the District Superior suggested an additional 5 decades of the Rosary plus a prayer for the Canonization of Archbishop Lefebvre. On Monday, Oct. 18, Feast of St. Luke, his health began to improve. Such is the power of prayers.
He, however, is still under observation as his cancer cells might again recur. Nevertheless, in itself, it is a wonderful miracle. We will recount more of this in our next Mission Bulletin. +
EXPLANATION OF THE COAT OF ARMS
of Our Lady of Victories Catholic School
1. The tower at the left represents the tower of Castille which is an allusion or reference to the Philippines. This representation is a straight-forward reference to the Catholic heritage of the Philippines from Spain.
2. The intertwined red hearts at the right represents the priestly Society of St. Pius X.
3. The book with a cross at the background represents Catholic education.
4. The green palms and the golden crown at the top represent sainthood—the Catholic school or Catholic education is a means of attaining this perfection.
5. The crossed swords represent an “on-going” battle, the victory of which may be gained through Mary whose anagram or symbol is prominent in the middle of the coat-of-arms. This ‘M’ symbol superimposed with a cross is also cultural; it is also very hispanic as is evident in the decorations of most old churches in the Philippines.
6. The symbol of Mary in the middle alludes to the intercessory or mediatory power of our Lady. Its position suggests connections between the other symbols:
(a) It is through her that the battle (crossed swords) may be won.
(b) It is through her that we may win sainthood or martyrdom through Catholic education.
(c) It was through her that the traditional Faith was revived in the Philippines, the land of the Rosary, particularly through the Society of Saint Pius X.
6. The twelve stars around the logo represent our Lady and refers to the shining protection and graces of our Lady bestowed in our school and its students.
7. The 2004 represent the founding year of the school which is a blessed year for us because it coincides with the 150th year of the declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
8. The motto of the school is "Per Mariam ad Victoriam"—“Victory through Mary”1 which is apt to the title of our Lady of Victories, through whom all victories are wrought.
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Help us continue our missions in this Catholic archipelago
in order that the Church will be restored
as well as spread in the vast continent of Asia.
How may you help our Mission?
Simply by depositing your donation in one of our bank accounts, or mail it to the priest-in-charge or, mail it to OLVC in the Philippines, directly.
Whichever way you want to help us, please mention that it is for Our Lady of Victories Mission in Manila.
Also, please notify us regarding your donation.
God bless you!
2 Cannon Road, New Manila,
Quezon City 1112 PHILIPPINES
Phone: [63](2)725-5926
Fax: [63](2)725-0725
Email: [email protected]
- P H I L I P P I N E S
- OUR LADY OF VICTORIES CHURCH
- Acct: The Society of Saint Pius X
Peso Acct No: 218-890008-1
PHIL. NATIONAL BANK, Aurora Blvd.Branch,
700 Aurora Blvd, QC., PHILIPPINES - Acct: The Philippine Superior of the Society of Saint Pius X
- Peso Acct No: 718-050588-8
- METROBANK, T. Morato Branch,
- 46 T. Morato Ave,
- Quezon City, Philippines
- Acct: The Philippine Superior of the Society of Saint Pius X
- Peso Acct No: 223-000631-9
- CHINABANK E. Rodriguez Branch
- E. Rodriguez Ave, Quezon City, Philippines
—o0o—
- ST. BERNARD NOVICIATE
- Acct: Society of St. Pius X
US$ Acct No: 1334-06105-8
BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS, Jaro Branch,
Jaro Plaza, Iloilo City, Philippines
- IN THE USA
- Acct: Society of Saint Pius X Asia
Acct No: 31244619
BANK OF AMERICA , Opportunity Branch
12816 E. Sprague Avenue, Spokane WA99206
—or mail to—
SSPX ASIA
E. 11214-27th Avenue, Spokane WA 99206
CHURCH GROUPS/ASSOCIATIONS
Cristeros + Archconfraternity of St. Stephen +
Eucharistic Crusade
ACT-Bioethics + Bethany
Legion of Mary
Knights of Our Lady + Apostles of Mary
Holy Name Society + Carmelite Tertiary + Dominican Tertiary
APOSTOLATES OF THE MISSION
Mass and Sacraments + Retreats
Catechism for Children and Adults + Doctrinal Symposia
Conferences + Lepanto Library + St. Thomas Bookstore
Summer Camps + Pilgrimages
Charities:
Our Lady of Fatima Charity Clinic
Medical Missions
St. Anthony’s Bread
A PRAYER OF PETITION TO ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
O wondrous Saint Anthony, glorious by reason of the fame of thy miracles, who hadst the happiness of receiving within thine arms our blessed Lord under the guise of a little child, obtain for me of His bounty this favor that I desire from the bottom of my heart. Thou who wast so gracious unto poor sinners, regard not the lack of merit on the part of him who calls upon thee, but consider the glory of God, which will be exalted once more through thee, to the salvation of my soul and the granting of the petition that I now make with such ardent yearning.
That we find a suitable property and acquire the funds necessary to establish
our Catholic School and convent.
Also, for the petitions of the faithful of
Our Lady of Victories Church.
As a pledge of my gratitude, I beg thee to accept my promise to live henceforth more agreeably to the teachings of the Gospel, and to be devoted to the service of the poor whom thou didst ever love and still dost love so greatly; bless this my resolution and obtain for me the grace to be faithful thereto even until death. Amen.
(Raccolta 532)
For the Missions of Asia and Vocations
