As the Universal Church commemorates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the community of believers at Holy Cross Parish in Basak Pardo, Cebu City celebrated its annual fiesta with the theme “Holy Cross Parish as a Listening Church: Hearing God’s Voice and the Cries of His People.”

Cebu Archbishop-Emeritus Jose Palma celebrated the 10:00 AM Pontifical Fiesta Mass, together with Fr. Frumencio Mahusay (Parish Priest), Fr. Nomil Rico Arsolon (Resident Priest), and visiting priests.

While many people had died on the cross, Archbishop-Emeritus Palma said that Christians honor the Holy Cross because it was on the wood of the Cross that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified.

He explained that through Christ’s sacrifice, the Cross ceased to be merely an instrument of death and became a symbol and instrument of life. What was once associated with death, he said, now proclaims the gift of new life brought about by Christ’s saving sacrifice.

“Dili man tanan makahalad og kinabuhi, pero any form of sacrifice nga gi-connect nato sa Krus ni Kristo, so that others may live. Ang tawo nga naay problema makadangat og inspirasyon, makadangat og kusog. Ang tawo nga nagsakripisyo hatagan og grasya nga madala niya iyang problema. All of these, sama sa Krus ni Kristo, nga tungod kay nagpakita og gugma, nagdala og kaluwasan,” the good Archbishop-Emeritus said.