AMID the recent attacks against the Catholic Church, the Commission on the Laity of the Archdiocese of Cebu wish to show a unified support and thanksgiving to the members of the clergy.
All priests in Cebu will be recognized and honored through a thanksgiving program organized by laity organizations in each parish dubbed as “Salamat, Padre!” program on Sunday, August 5.
All the 169 parishes of the archdiocese committed to initiate a program that will honor the “fathers” of their religious communities.
The lay organizations in each parish has prepared their own set of programs that all kick off with a thanksgiving mass.
In the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral where the seat of the Archbishop is, the thanksgiving mass will be held at 4 p.m. and will be celebrated by Archbishop Jose Palma.
The program tribute for the priests under the Cathedral, the retired and religious order priests, will be held at the San Roque gym.
“Salamat Padre” is an event that will highlight the roles and significance of the clergy while also reassuring them of the lay people’s support.
“The recent attacks against the Church were too much. Through ‘Salamat, Padre!’, we want to show to the people and to our priests that there is no reason for them to fear because a lot of us are here to back them with our faith and devotion,” said Fe Barino, chairperson of the Commission on the Laity.
Barino said priests remained to be “God’s chosen ministers who were sent forth to perpetuate the mission of saving souls throughout the world.”
Killing priests, she expressed, is uncalled for and inappropriate. At least three priests in the country were killed by assailants over the past seven months.
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