Mabuhay ang Ina Poon Bato!

In the great honor of the Mother of God and our mother too, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the ACC of Northern America wishes to thank Our Beloved Mama, Santa Maria Virginia, and all those who have supported and participated in the recently concluded Santa Cruzan, May Flower Festival and National Block Rosary Convention held in San Jose, California.

The two day event which started on the 30th of May began with the joyful and jubilant coronation of this years winners for the Santa Cruzan in the major titles namely: Princess, Queen, Imperatriz and their runner-ups. Each one received a sash and a glamorous and shimmering crown provided by the organizers and awarded by Apo’s and invited guests that made the night more memorable. Scepters were awarded to the Princess and Queen; the Imperatriz, however, received a jeweled cross instead. The winners this year, escorted by selected young men and the husbands of the Imperatriz candidates, are as follows:

Our eloquent guest speaker, Roman Dannug, PhD, former Dean of the College of Economics, Politics and Governance at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, gave a talk about the importance and the sanctity of the Family towards a joyful and meaningful life and a peaceful world.

The celebration ended with a series of dancing and, of course, served throughout the night was the fellowship of sumptuous dishes that everyone brought and had a morsel of.

On the 31st of May, headed by the energetic Parish Priest of the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Rev. Fr. Peter Gerardo Candelario, OMHS, and Nanay Maria Lucy, the President of the Parish Council, and Apo Lydia, together with the sealed servants of the Holy Spirit, young and old, men, women and children, gathered early at 9:00 am at the House of Hope then proceeded to the Auditorium, after gathering all the necessary equipments and things needed for decorating the floats and arches for the procession.

The Holy Mass, for the feast of the Great Pentecost, the birth of the Christian Church, started at 1:00 pm officiated by the writer and the members of the clergy, i.e. Most Rev. Gerardo Julio Velasco, DD, OMHS Bishop of California and Rev. Fr. Philip Gilbert Escueta and Rev. Fr. Titus Renato Ajolo, OMHS.

Assisted and escorted by the San Jose Police Department, the procession started at 3:00 pm for a longer route this year. Eight floats roamed around the nearby streets of the Auditorium namely: Senior Noemi – sponsored by the Candelario Family, Ina Poon Bato – by the Manasan-De Guzman and Fernando family, Our Lady of Fatima – by the Banaga family, Our Lady of Lourdes – by the Escueta family, Our Lady of Manaoag (the Holy Rosary) by Mendoza family, Our Mother of Perpetual Help – by the Castada family, Santa Maria Virginia – by the OMHS Sisters and Moreno family, and the Immaculate Conception – by the Estoesta family.

Singing “Dios Te Salve” in jubilation after praying the Holy Rosary with the ACC family are our Latino (Mexican community) brothers whose children are being instructed by the Sisters of the OMHS spearheaded by the ever gentle and caring Mother General Maria Bernadette, together with Sisters Maria Debra, Maria Lilia and Maria Martha. Devotees as far as Los Angeles (Hawthorne and Long Beach) and from Vallejo, Hercules, San Ramon, Dublin, Oakland, San Francisco, Daly City, Milpitas, Stockton, Tracy, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and San Jose. Apo Fernando flew from Illinois to join us in this blessed and joyful occasion and served as an escort to our lovely winners. Passer-bys and people in their cars and homes were curiously taking pictures, waving and reverently making the Sign of the Cross.

As the images enter the auditorium, Sister Maria Martha Marilyn Velasco, OMHS, read a brief history of each prior to their placement in the altar while people are crying out loud “VIVA!”

Personal intentions and vibrant colored flowers were then offered by the devotees, initiated by the Hermanas and Hermanos and the winners of the Santa Cruzan and May Flower Festival 2009, to the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima brought by Father JP and Mother Bernadette from the Philippines, owned by no other than Our Beloved Mama, Santa Maria Virginia P. Leonzon for a number of decades.

The celebration was graced and showered with blessings from the Lady of Heaven and Earth, by conveying her heart warming and illuminating message through Saint Bernadette via her covenant, Mother Bernadette. The hearts of the attendees were filled with joy and delight hearing the heavenly utterances of the lovely Saint.

Innumerable pictures and videos were taken right after and the spirit of “bayanihan”, the Filipino tradition of voluntary helping each other, was relived in the clean up headed by the untiring Deaconesses (Eufemia, Eloisa and Wilhelmina) and all the apos. The attendees left with exhaustion, but with hearts full of praise, joy and thanksgiving to our Beloved Ingkong, God the Holy Spirit! Viva! – the Paraclete’s fool (Archbishop Adolfo Robert R. Fernando, OMHS. DD)