Fr. Mario's 11th Sacerdotal Anniversary

Fr. Mario with Msgr. Morales, Rector of the College Seminary and Fr. Jun Mejia, a classmate.


Fr. Mario with his mother and family.


With Ms. En Paras, Tita Esing, Ate Susan and Ate Perla - collaborators of Fr. Mario in serving LFC.


With some priests and friends.

Father Mario's HOMILY:

May 5, 2008

11^th Ordination Anniversary

LFC Chapel

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

GRATITUDE. Thank you very much for your coming today. I am very grateful that you have joined me in offering our thanksgiving to the Lord for the gift of priesthood.

Eleven years is not a short time. I entered the minor seminary when I was eleven years old. I know that all these years have been God’s way of showing me how much he loves me despite my weaknesses and sins.

I wanted this occasion to be small celebration with only family and friends. My other classmates, Fr. Allen and Fr. Alvin, and also another one Fr. Nick are also celebrating in their own assignments.

MINISTRY. Five years ago, in our Collegio Retreat in Rome, Bishop Chito Tagle spoke to us about the meaning of ordination from the perspective of service. Priesthood is not a position of power, honor or prestige. Priesthood is not about royalty, reputation or respect. Priesthood is about service and work.

That conference never left my heart. When I came back to the Archdiocese I embarked on a long journey to serve. I began to teach in the seminary. I managed the printing press a while. I was given the responsibility of LFC. All of these demanded work.

But it is not all about work and service. There are a lot of people involved. The seminarians, the employees, the superiors, the authority. It is not easier to reconsider work and look blindly on the people around. It is not wiser to look at people and reconsider work as of little value. It is difficult to find the balance. Sometimes, people get hurt. Sometimes standards are compromised. Sometimes we incur losses.

I have made a lot of mistakes as a priest. I prayed for this humility to accept it, and the courage to make this public. I will not excuse my mistakes by calling them God’s way of making me an instrument of his will. I know that I am responsible for my lack of judgment.

But we have also succeeded. Our success at LFC is not my own alone. We are now financially stable. We just sent today our financial report to the Archbishop and we have reached our goal. Our trees are growing. Our institution is now well maintained and furnished. Thanks to all the support we have received.

PRAYERS. A few days ago, some people came to my office to speak about their problem about their parish priest. It was a terrible experience to hear people speak ill of their pastor. I placed myself in the shoes of the pastor and I wanted to weep in pain. It was like the scourging of Jesus. Priests carry crosses. I asked them to forgive their pastor.

Please pray for me. I am a priest of 11 years, and I do not know how many more years the Lord will give me. Please pray that I may get stronger in the ministry, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Please pray that I can continue to live the priesthood in joy and gratitude. Amen.

CBCP Staff Easter Recollection

Archbishop Cruz hosted the Recollection of the CBCP Staff (Executive Secretaries of Episcopal Commissions/Committees/Offices on May 2, 2008.

The Recollection was guided by ALD Auxiliary Bishop Rene Mayugba. Msgr. Juanito S. Figura, Msgr. Joselito de Asis and Fr. Oscar Alunday led the group of sisters and lay workers of CBCP.

MCST FAMILY DAY

The Missionary Catechists of St. Therese (MCST) which was founded by Bishop Alfred Ma. Obviar are celebrating their Golden Jubilee this year. The good and saintly bishop founded this congregation in 1958.

The TAP (Tarlac, Abra and Pangasinan) Sisters celebrated their family at the Lay Formation Center on April 26, 2008. The Rev. Mother General was here!

WABI 2008

The John Paul I Biblical Center (JPIBC) is the regional center of the Biblical Apostolate in Northern Luzon, Philippines. Every summer, JPIBC holds a three-week seminar for Lay Ministers of the Word called the "Word Alive Biblical Institute" or WABI. This is the third summer that the JPIBC chose LFC as the venue of WABI.

Thanks to the wonderful staff led by Fr. Director Doms Ramos, SVD for making LFC alive with the WORD. LFC becomes truly a "Lay Formation Center" because of these events like WABI.


The WABIns of 2008 with Bishop Rene Mayugba, the Regional Biblical Director.

The biggest contingent from the Diocese of Urdaneta with Msgr. Larry Hortaleza.



The Updating Group (3rd year/level) with the Staff.


The Level 2 Group with the Staff.


The Level 1 Group with the Staff


The Bibliorama participants, mostly from the Diocese of Ilagan.

LFC STAFF 2008

JUN LOZADA at LFC!

The Lay Formation Center played host to Engr. Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada who came with a group of nuns led by Sr. Mary Mananzan, OSB, some lay faithful from different movements, led by Ms. Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement, and NGOs, and the youth.

The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan served by our bishops, Oscar V. Cruz, DD and Renato P. Mayugba and the entire Clergy, joined by the laity of the Archdiocese celebrated a "Mass for Truth, Justice, and Peace" at the Dagupan City Astrodome, today First Friday, 3 April 2008.







Jun Lozada with (L-R) Fr. Fidelis B. Layog, Director of ALD Biblical Apostolate, Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, Director of Social Action Apostolate, Jun Lozada, and Fr. Mario DC Sanchez, Director of LFC.

FORMATION OF LAY MINISTERS

Since LFC opened in 2005, it has always been the home of the Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. In 2006, all the Lay Ministers were given conferences on the Social Doctrine of the Church. In 2007, they had been lectured a uniform syllabus on the Liturgy, Scriptures, Doctrines and Spirituality. This 2008, there will be a program being developed for them by th Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate, the John Paul II Biblical Center.

During this Lent 2008, the OLD Lay Ministers (meaning those who have already been commissioned in the past), had their Annual Lenten Recollection. Fr. Manuel Bravo, Fr. Jerry Cera and Fr. Mario Morales were the speakers during the conferences. Mrs. Susan Aoanan, a Lay Leader at St. Ildefonse Parish, Malasiqui, acted as the Facilitator of the Recollection. The Eucharist, the Stations of the Cross and the Reconciliation were presided over by Fr. Mario DC. Sanchez.

These pictures below were taken at the end of the Formation of the NEW Lay Ministers (both Lectors and Lay Eucharistic Ministers). Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, Bishop Renato P. Mayugba and Msgr. Luis B. Ungson were invited to give talks. Fr. Mario DC. Sanchez gave the conferences on the Liturgy, Doctrines and Spirituality. Mrs. Susan Aoanan acted as the dean of the formation this year.

The Commissioning of the New Lectors as well as the Recommissioning of the Old Lay Eucharistic Ministers are held during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at 9AM at the St. John Parish Church, Dagupan City.