“Stop the Killings, Start the Healing”

“Stop the Killings, Start the Healing”

THE spate of killings, whether legitimate police operation or by “bonnet gangs”, related to the war against drugs has been rampant in the Diocese of Kalookan. The Diocese covers the 3 cities of Navotas, Malabon and South Caloocan. Of the 3 cities, most of the killings happened in Navotas, it has practically become the killing field. Persons killed are not just statistics, the Diocese has names since its priests blessed the victims or celebrated funeral masses in their respective parishes before burial.

“Stop the Killings, Start the Healing” tarpaulins were placed in every parish church. Parish priests were instructed to open the church to drug dependents or persons with substance abuse disorder so that they can undergo drug rehabilitation. The church as sanctuary can be of assistance to those persons and their family. The church is the place where people could go to and the church authorities could really grant them safety if they were afraid to go to the authorities especially when the accused are members of the police force. It is like thinking that the victims “are entering God’s territory, away from the civil authorities they are afraid of, and the latter would generally accept that the church could offer sanctuary to people.”

Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David, Bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan, initiated last October 2016 Task Force Salubong. It is the Diocese’s Rehabilitation Program for drug dependents who surrendered to the authorities. The Program, which is in coordination with the local government’s anti-drug abuse centers, does not only focus on patient’s care but also includes family care and community care so that those who had been rehabilitated will not go back to drug use. The Diocese has 3 groups of Rehabilitation Centers and more will be opened. There were already 3 batches of graduates who had been delisted from the “drug watch list”.

Thinking the expenses involve in maintaining Rehabilitation Centers, the Council of the Laity of Kalookan (CLK) initiated last November 2016 the fund raising Concert which helped finance the ongoing “Task Force Salubong” Rehabilitation Centers. Donations are most welcome.

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The Sangguniang Laikong Pilipinas (“Laiko”) spearheads the celebration of the National Laity Week from September 23 to 30, 2017 in honor of the patron saints of the laity San Lorenzo Ruiz, whose feast we celebrate on September 28, and San Pedro Calungsod. This year’s theme is Year of the Parish, “Communion of Communities, Forming BEC’s as Agents of Communion, Participation and Mission.”The celebration actually opened on September 16, 2017 in the Diocese of Gumaca (Quezon) hosted by Bishop Victor Ocampo and the Diocesan Council of the Laity of Gumaca while the closing event will be on September 30, 2017at the Archdiocese of Jaro (Iloilo) hosted by Archbishop Angel Lagdameo and the Commission of the Laity of Jaro.
In the Diocese of Kalookan, the CLK President Atty. Aurora A. Santiago and the Diocesan Priest Minister forLay Organizations and Renewal Movements Fr. Adrian Magnait, announced that the Laity Week will be celebrated through a General Assembly of all Parish Pastoral Councils, Diocesan Organizations and Schools. The Keynote Speaker is the CLK Vice President and the Luzon Area Head of the Couples for Christ(CFC) Bro. Virgilio “Boyet” Rafael who will talk about the Role of the Families as the Agents of Communion, Participation and Mission. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will follow at 6:00 p.m. Everybody is invited, no registration fees.

We thank our Bishop Ambo David and the clergy of Kalookan for their support to the CLK, such as second collection in Anticipated Mass and all Sunday Masses on September 09-10, 2017.

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From his apostolic visit to Colombia, His Holiness Pope Francis announced his appointment of Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, his second assignment as the Pope’s ambassador. He was Nuncio to Lebanon for the past 8 years. Born in Milan, Italy on February 24, 1958, the 59-year old Nuncio was ordained as priest on June 11, 1983. He was formerly the Assessor for General Affairs of the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Welcome to the Philippines Nuncio Caccia. Rest assured of the full cooperation and support of the Filipino clergy and the laity.
We bid adieu to Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Pinto who, after his six-year-tour of duty to the Philippines, was appointed by Pope Francis as the Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia. Thank you Nuncio Pinto for the fruitful and successful stay in the Philippines.

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Happy Birthday to the clergy of the Diocese of Kalookan—Fr. Alberto Cahilig,OMI, Fr. Jun Erlano, Fr. Nestor Fajardo and Fr. Jerome Cruz. Happy Birthday also to the members of our family—Violeta and Marc Glenn Rosales, Flordeliza and Roberto Enrico Imperial, and Paulo Roberto Santiago. Also Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary to my parish priest in San Ildefonso de Navotas Fr. Bong Gino; also to Fr. Gigi Yabut, Fr. Jun Erlano, Fr. Oscar Lucas, OMI.