KAKATHA NEWS 2014: Msgr. Gutierrez launches Books on Two Locations

KAKATHA NEWS EVENTS 2014

Dated: April 9, 2014

Msgr. Fernando Gutierrez, H.P. discussing on his books during its first launching done at Bulwagang Claret at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City. This was done last March 19, Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

QUEZON CITY AND MALOLOS CITY - At two events, Rev. Msgr. Fernando Garcia Gutierrez, H.P. launched his four books published by Claretian Publications: Lower Your Nets, a book of his homilies for every day of the liturgical years A, B and C and The Eucharist: Broken and Crushed , his reflections on the Eucharist. The first book launching was held last March 19, Solemnity of the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Bulwagang Claret at Immaculate Conception Parish in UP Village, Diliman in Quezon City which is under the Claretian Missionaries, whose publications published Msgr. Gutierrez's books. Since a few Bulakeños were able to attend the first book launching, a second one was held last April 9 at the Immaculate Conception Hall at the third floor of the Diocesan Pastoral Center at the Immaculate Conception Parish - Cathedral and Minor Basilica Complex in Malolos City in Bulacan province where the Diocesan Commission on Liturgy sponsored the event. 

Msgr. Gutierrez signing books during his second
book launching at Immaculate Conception Hall
of the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Malolos
City.

     These four books talk a lot about how Msgr. Gutierrez lived his ministry as well as his writing style. Lower Your Nets offers a series of thoughts on the readings of the day. Each day of the year is divided into four parts: the joke of the day, an explanation of the first reading (and second reading during Sunday) and the Gospel and a reflection of the day. It has been considered a great work as it was a compilation of his daily reflections for the Asian Journal, a publication operating in National City in the state of California in the United States of America. His other work, The Eucharist: Broken and Crushed is a sort of Vademecum or handbook regarding the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist itself. These series of books were a result of the author's time brought by his retirement from the active ministry.

     In 2010, Msgr. Gutierrez retired from his work as a Spiritual Director of the Filipino Cursillo Region XI in the United States. Since then he has been able to write works besides his daily reflections and other magazine articles published in his stay in the United States. Two more works are expected to be finished within the later part of the year, also to be published by Claretian Publications. KAKATHA News Admin.

KAKATHA NEWS 2014: Hagonoeño Priest speaks at Catholic School Commencement Exercises

KAKATHA NEWS EVENTS 2014

Dated: March 29, 2014

Rev. Msgr. Fernando Garcia Gutierrez, H.P., an alumnus of St. Anne's College (which in turn became St. Anne's Catholic School) gave his honorary speech during the 67th Commencement Exercises of the said institution last March 29, 2014. Together with him was Rev. Msgr. Luciano C. Balagtas, P.C., School Director and members of the administration and faculty.

HAGONOY BULACAN - Last March 29, Rev. Msgr. Fernando Garcia Gutierrez, H.P., one of the alumni of the former St. Anne's College, now St. Anne's Catholic School (SACS) was given the floor as the Guest of Honor and Speaker during the 67th Commencement Exercises of the institution. The event was held at the grounds of the school at the evening after the Baccalaureate Mass held at the National Shrine of St. Anne with the Most Rev. Jose F. Oliveros, D.D., Bishop of Malolos presiding.

    Msgr. Gutierrez was kind enough provide this online publication a full text of his speech. The contents of the speech are as follows:

St. Anne's Catholic School

Marcelo H. del Pilar St., Sto. Niño (Pob.), Hagonoy 3002 Bulacan

67th Commencement Exercises

March 29, 2014

     Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations  in the 1950's said, "For all that has been, thanks. For all that is to come, yes." Loosely translated, "Ang di lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay di makararating sa paroroonan."

     Graduation came from the Latin word, "gradus," which means grade or level. Biblically, after God has "graduated" from creation, he said, "It is good" and he rested and continues sustaining it. I wish the graduates could also say, "It is good" and it is time to move on to a higher and better level of life.

     "For all that has been, thanks."

     Part of a graduation is to give thanks for the remembered past. We pause amidst the frenzy of maddening busyness in life. We stop to remember friends, acquaintances and classmates. We rest to think of sunny and dark days of years gone by, to bring back to mind faces of our puppy, platonic and even forbidden love, of bullies and practical jokers, to heal hurts and wounds caused by our reckless and daring youthfulness. During our adulthood, though we developed close friendships, we encountered exclusion, gossips, denial and feeling of inferiority. We recall those years we were full of vitality and entertained impossible dreams.

     Remembering, however, brings pain and joy. Those were good and at times troubled years, years that characterized our young adulthood. Our memories of home and childhood carry tears and laughter. Through remembrance of the past we heal our hurts, heartaches and envision again our unfulfilled dreams. Through remembrance of the past, we realize the present and the future. We realized who we were, how we are, and what we shall be. Our classmates, our teachers and everyone who we encountered in life, unwelcome or not, mold and change us forever in a fascinating, yet mysterious way. "No man is an island." For all that have been memorable, happy, blessed, sad and painful, like Hammarskjöld we should utter, "Thanks."

     "For all that is to come, yes."

     When we graduated from high school and college, we left behind a family, a community to become members of bigger ones. Our smaller groups of friends, classmates and loved ones gave way to larger ones. Our community and intimate relationships are not lost, they were substituted with new ones, sometimes better, at other times, worse than the ones we had. True community, as honest and true friendship, is a shared life. Community, classmates and friends are not relegated to oblivion, to the realm of the mythological Greek god and river, Lethe, where all those who drank from it experienced complete forgetfulness.

     "Life has its seasons. There is a time to be together, of intimacy, of shared time and celebration... However, there is also, always a time when the demands of life, duty, and the Holy Spirit calls us to move along." This is graduation time. "It is time for farewell, for pained embraces, for tears, and for bitter restlessness that accompanies that. But, it's not like we'd never met. We break up only to become part of something larger... and we regain each other in that..." A mountain looks more beautiful from a distance than from the mountaintop. We are so far from each other, yet we are so near to one another.

     Your four years of high school have helped you to move along to a better and higher stage of life. Your education at SACS prepared you personally, socially and spiritually to face new challenges in life. Of these preparations faith in God is vital. Your religion classes hopefully made your faith in him stronger and more fervent. Joke: bats in the church. It is not the kind of faith that is intertwined with superstitions and magical beliefs. Holy Week is fast approaching, the season where the practice of faith is mixed with our ancestors' beliefs of amulets, magic and diwatas. True faith is not superstitious.

     It is complete trust in God who loves us. Without faith in God, your personal, communal and professional successes in life would not last.

     For all that has been let us say, "Thank you, Lord!" For all that is to come, "Amen, yes, here I am and I come to do your will."

     To all of you thanks and Godspeed! KAKATHA News Admin.

KAKATHA NEWS 2014: 112th Hagonoeño Priest ordained in the Diocese of Tarlac

KAKATHA NEWS EVENTS 2014

Dated: March 8, 2014

Last March 8, 2014, the 112th Hagonoeño Priest was ordained by the Most Rev. Florentino F. Cinense, D.D., Bishop of Tarlac at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Victoria, Tarlac. Rev. Fr. Raymund Victor Acuña finished his theological studies at San Carlos Seminary, Makati City and was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Tarlac. In this photo, he is with his fellow ordinandi classmates from different dioceses and religious orders. Photo by: Rev. Fr. Raymond Victor Acuña.

VICTORIA, TARLAC - Last March 8, 2014, the Diocese of Tarlac celebrated with joy at the ordination of a new priest for their faithful and the barrio of Sta. Elena, Hagonoy also rejoiced for the addition of their son to the long list of priests of the town. Rev. Fr. Raymund Victor Acuña was ordained as a presbyter of the Catholic Church by the Most Rev. Florentino F. Cinense, D.D., Bishop of Tarlac at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Victoria, Tarlac. Born on January 7, 1986, he is the son of Pedro Martin Acuña of Sta. Elena, Hagonoy, Bulacan and Ma. Fatima Coronel Victor of San Nicolas, Victoria, Tarlac. Finishing at San Carlos Seminary in 2013, he was ordained a deacon last August 21, 2013 by the same bishop and served in the Diocese of Tarlac.

The Thanksgiving Mass of Rev. Fr. Raymund Victor Acuña at Immaculate Conception Parish at Immaculate Conception Parish in Victoria, Tarlac. The concelebrants were the parish priest together with other priests of the Diocese and the Most Rev. Florentino F. Cinense, D.D.

    In his first days as a priest of the Catholic Church, he celebrated thanksgiving masses both in his home parish, the Immaculate Conception Parish in Victoria town, the Cathedral of San Sebastian in Tarlac City and at the Our Lady of Peace College Seminary (OLPAX) in Tarlac City. Currently, Fr. Acuña is assigned as the Assistant Procurator of OLPAX and shall be assigned to other parishes upon the the declaration of new parish assignments for neo-presbyters on the Diocese's Chrism Mass come Holy Thursday. During an interview with Fr. Acuña, he said he thanks God because of the blessings that were given to him as a newly ordained priest and asks for prayers for his effective ministry.

   Fr. Acuña has currently added the number of Hagonoeño priests being the 66th among the living priests and the 112th in the current number of both living and deceased priests. In thanksgiving to his patroness in Hagonoy, St. Helena the Empress, he says he plans to celebrate a thanksgiving mass during the novena to St. Helena at Sta. Elena Emperatriz Parish in Hagonoy. The members of KAKATHA were asked to attend to the upcoming celebration. KAKATHA Admin.