PARANAQUE CITY (31 Jan. 2017) - On the occasion of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus celebrated by the Family of the Rogate, the statue St. Hannibal Mary di Francia was enthroned at the Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish in Paranaque City during a concelebrated Mass.
The Mass was presided by Fr. Leonard Dollentas, the Parish Priest of the Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish. Graced by some concelebrating Rogationist priests, it was also attended by the members of the Union of Prayer for Vocations, other religious communities, parishioners and devotees of the "Patron of Prayer for Vocations".
Fr. Herman Abcede, RCJ, Provincial Superior of the Rogationist St. Matthew Province, delivered the homily which focused on the components of St. Hannibal's life and legacy: prayer for vocations, spreading of the prayer, care for the little ones and the poor, and becoming good laborers in the Lord's harvest. Combined with his gratitude to the Parish Community in welcoming the statue of St. Hannibal, he narrated a simple historical outline of the charism which the Saint received, lived and shared to the Universal Church. His legacy inspired the Church, through Blessed Pope Paul VI, to institute the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1964.
"Once Fr. Hannibal was proclaimed 'Saint', he belongs to the Universal Church," said Fr. Abcede, who then rallied the faithful present to heed Jesus' command to "pray (Rogate)" for holy vocations.
Msgr. Allen Aganon of the Diocese of Paranaque presided the Rite of the Saint's enthronement.
At the end, Fr. Dollentas thanked those present, and invited the faithful to pray for vocations in the diocese and religious life.
The Rogationist SMP Provincial House and the College Seminary belongs to the Parish of Our Lady of Beautiful Love, where many of the confreres professed their vows and were ordained, in the early part of the history of the the Congregation in the Philippines. The Parish Community dedicates the 1st Thursday of every month for the Holy Hour of Vocations, and Massed on the 3rd Sunday of the month for Holy Vocations. Fr. Leonard Dollentas, the current parish priest, is a former Rogationist religious.
