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My sister Myrna
By Luis H. Francia In my mind’s eye, I can see my ‘ate,’ or older sister Myrna here, possibly as a ‘babaylan,’ part of a religious community more solidly rooted in folk beliefs than the Catholic Church and more empowering of her as a woman. I remember attending her 25th anniversary celebration as a nun […]
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A new year filled with joy, peace is our hope
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Greetings to all! It is our hope that your Christmas turns out to be a blessed one, and a new year filled with joy is another hope! There is nothing like the near conclusion of another 12 months to remind us of a myriad of events. Likewise, there is that […]
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St. Joseph parish to honor San Lorenzo Ruiz with masses for the elderly, victims of injustice
To celebrate the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, the first Filipino saint, the parish community of Saint Joseph will host a series of novena masses from September 20 to 28 at St. Joseph Church located at Pavonia Avenue corner Baldwin Avenue. The event is open to the public. Various priests led by the […]
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Let ‘divorced Catholics who remarry’ return to the sacraments
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. “Divorced Catholics who remarry, as well as their children, deserve better treatment from the church.” This was heard from Pope Francis himself as he warned pastors against treating those couples as though they were excommunicated. It all goes back to certain practices: Catholic teaching considers divorced Catholics who remarry as […]
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Deliver us from evil: Episcopalian priest shares experience with his ministry of exorcism
By Father Fred Vergara I had a few experiences of exorcisms or deliverance ministry. In the Philippines, I participated in an exorcism rite in one barrio in Pangasinan. An extended family built their house on a former abortion clinic and they would hear infants crying by the wall. After the exorcism, we conducted a requiem […]
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SO Jannelle!: Karen Henson Jones journeys back to life
By Jannelle So ‘What would you do if God gave you a second chance?’ This is the question Filipino American author Karen Henson Jones posts in her memoir, “Heart of Miracles,” chronicling her near-death experience and her struggles as she journeyed back to life. Karen has a heart condition called Long QT Syndrome, a type […]
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The essence of joy on Palm Sunday
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Religious practices for the Lenten season, ushered in by February’s Ash Wednesday strongly remind us of our home-grown observances. Aren’t those celebrations so called ‘cool,’ by the very young generation? Young adults have been heard to call the same rites ‘awesome.’ For many of us who witnessed celebrations long past […]
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I never met Cardinal Egan, but somehow knew him very well
By Loudette Avelino When I learned that Edward Cardinal Egan had died, I felt a sense of loss. I wanted to give him the respect and set him off to everlasting life by participating in his March 9 funeral mass. That was the only way I knew how to honor the man I never met, […]
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She feels ‘blessed’ to have witnessed all four papal visits to the Philippines
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. In the current quest for peace and goodwill the world over, the role of Pope Francis has been pivotal. It gladdens many a heart to learn that the Philippine visit has been enshrined among Filipinos who went home to help welcome the pontiff nicknamed ‘Lolo Kiko.’ It might not seem […]