On this Feast of St. Augustine, the St. Augustine of Hippo Parish in Carmen, Cebu, celebrates its 174th Parish Fiesta with the theme, “Inspired by St. Augustine, We Live as Pilgrims of Hope.”
Reflecting on St. Monica’s unwavering faith despite the trials she faced with her wayward son, St. Augustine, the good Archbishop in his homily encouraged parents who find themselves in similar challenging circumstances to draw inspiration from her and trust that prayers can be a powerful force for change.
“Kini si San Agustin, kon sa atong linggwahe, laki sa layaw. Nganong na-convert siya? Tungod sa iyang mama. Sa mga ginikanan nga dunay problema sa ilang mga anak, ampo lang gyod alang sa inyong anak,” said Archbishop Palma.
He added that one virtue of St. Augustine worthy of emulating is his endless search for God. We, too, are urged to seek Him and fall in love with Him.
“Ang iyang focus pirmi Diyos. Matod pa niya, ‘To fall in love with God is the greatest romance. To seek God is the greatest adventure. To find him is the greatest human achievement.’ For many years, yabag gyud siya. And yet, towards the end of his life, [Ginoo] gyud iyang gipangita. Unta mao usab kita. Kay kon wa kita nakakita sa Diyos, giuhaw lang kita gihapon,” he said.
During the Mass, the new team of pastors was also formally installed namely, Fr. Ricardo Cañete (Team Moderator), Fr. Joseph Gabriente, and Fr. William Alcalde.