UNIQUE AND MEANINGFUL CELEBRATION OF ST. BONIFACIA DAY

Is it true that every last celebration turns out to be the best one? This happened in the latest celebration we had of the feast of our dearest mother-BONIFACIA last June 6, 2014. Of course, prior to it was the 9 days prayer in her honor done in all the communities integrated either in our morning or evening prayer, among the sisters or with the co-workers or collaborators, where we reflected on the life, mission and virtues of Bonifacia. This is traditionally done in preparation for the celebration of any of her feast days.

On June 6, 2014, at exactly ten o’clock in the morning, the celebration of the Eucharist in honor of our mother- Bonifacia, began. It was, indeed, a wonderful celebration of the goodness of the Lord. In it we praised and we thanked God for the gift of Bonifacia to us, to the church and to the world of work especially of women workers and youth at risk. We also celebrated the gift of vocation of Mo. Telesfora Sondia, SSJ who, at her 103 years, had reached her 75th years of consecrated life, the renewal of vows of Crystiliza Celestial, SSJ and Genelyn Caminian, SSJ, the formal acceptance to the Novitiate of Vu Thi Yen and Nguyen Thi Mai and the 33rd year of being a province of the Holy Family Province.

Not only the sisters from the different communities were present but also the talleres-workers of Quezon City, Mandaluyong City and Murphy, representatives from Holy Family School, collaborators of the C-T Provincial House and C-T Butina and some of our friends and benefactors. The big number of the attendees added very much to the joyful and meaningful spirit of the celebration. Fr. Gener, the Chaplain and one of the best costumers of Talleres de Nazaret Quezon City, presided in the celebration. He gave us a very deep and challenging homily on the meaning of the life in Nazareth as seen in the life of Mo. Bonifacia. He said that we are honoring Bonifacia on this occasion of her feast day not because of her great achievements but because of the many little things she did daily while she lived which glorified God. The greatness of her work lies in its hiddenness like that of the hidden life of the Holy Family in Nazareth. It’s being done in hiddenness only to glorify God has already merited greatness and nobleness. During the whole celebration we especially felt a very strong and loving presence of Bonifacia leading us to a very intimate experience of her God who had loved her and sustained her throughout her life as a Sierva de San Jose and whose countenance she beholds now and for all eternity. 

The Eucharistic Celebration was followed by a table fellowship. We rejoiced in the abundance of God’s blessings as we share the food together. It was one of the most significant, fruitful and joyful meals because upon the initiative of C-T Murphy, the Fundraising Campaign for the Formation Houses of Holy Family Province was launched. This means that in all the forthcoming celebration of the congregational feasts, there will be fundraising activities. The first fundraising activity we had while we took lunch was called HARANA FOR A CAUSE. Through a short but touching skit, C-T Murphy presented to the group the importance of the formation program and its vital need for financial support. Songs rendered by the different formative communities followed. Erlinda Garaci, SSJ, the Emcee made everybody laughed with her candid ways and comic adlibs as she persuaded everybody to open their hearts and their pockets to share their resources. Towards the end of the Harana a big box was passed so that the generous ones can drop in their coins or their bills.