27th HEARTS ON FIRE
Joint Celebration with the
PHILIPPINE SVD CENTENNIAL FREINADEMETZ DAY
Bangued, Abra. Hundreds of lovers of the Word 
with their burning hearts inflamed by the “Word of God in human words” gathered together on the 27th “Hearts on Fire” Gospel Festival of the Diocese of Bangued today January 29 on the Feast of St. Joseph Freinademetz, SVD marked as the Philippine SVD Centennial Freinademetz Day. The festive celebration was attended by the SVD-PHN confreres led by the Provincial Superior Fr. Jerome Adriatico, SVD and the District Superior Fr. Cirilo Ortega, SVD, the whole clergy of the diocese led by the Most Rev. Leopoldo Jaucian, SVD DD, the Civil Government Officials led by Hon. & Mrs. Eustaquio P. Bersamin and Hon. Mayor & Mrs. Dominic Valera, representatives from the different parishes and schools, centennial committee members, Chinese Communities, S.Sp.S sisters, the people of God of the Diocese, friends and guests from all over Northern Luzon.
The Gospel Festival organized and managed by Mr. Charles Javier the BA coordinator of 
the diocese and assisted Fr. Devasagayam Savariyappan, SVD – diocesan BA director started with the celebration of the Word and the Eucharist with Bishop Jaucian as the main celebrant who read the gospel in Chinese and delivered the homily on the life and mission of St. Joseph Freinademetz in China a hundred years ago. The message expounded the theme of the centennial celebration: “Precious is the Life Given for Mission.” After the mass the Opening Ceremonies followed with the welcome address of Fr. Deva and the roll call of delegates by Mr. Charles Javier.
The Biblical Rap Contest that was added recently was colorfully rendered by the different participating schools. Bible passages and stories memorized by heart were portrayed in songs and dances in tunes and body movements in a way that the youth of today finds expression. The Biblical Rap category consumed the remaining hours of the morning session. The Bible Quiz Bee that covered the whole Sacred Scripture with the Old and New Testaments vibrantly occupied the 35 participating schools and institutions who were competing each other on their knowledge and expertise on the Bible… guided by the words of St. Jerome: “Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.” The Quiz Bee lasted the whole afternoon facilitated by the ICST Abra seminarians with the minor seminarians of St. Joseph taking charge of the score board and assisted by the service team of the Grade School of the Divine Word College of Bangued.
The evening program and competitions includes the production number of the Holy Spirit Academy of Bangued grade school pupils with an array of Guangzhou Chinese Dances bringing the audience some glimpse of the place where St. Joseph Frenademetz wished to give up his life for the Chinese people and even extended his wish to be one with them (a Chinese) in heaven. The Beijing Chinese Dance was rendered by the high school students of the same academy. The Dance Drama Competition based on the life of St. Joseph followed in the program punctuated with the Wuhan Chinese Dance performed by the high school students of the DWCB. Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, SVD DD gave the message for the night.
The Hearts on Fire 2008 is also considered as an extended celebration of the Diocese of Bangued for the National Bible Week with the theme: “Word of God, source of Justice, Reconciliation and Peace”.
Zusan G. Asistin, JPIBC
reporting
THEME SONG: HEARTS ON FIRE
CLICK THIS PATH AND LISTEN TO THE SONG
Filed under: NEWS
TO: JPIBC
Thanks for all the year end updates and the new year
events. You have shared all the NL Cordi activities -
all venues of living the values of Justice,
Reconciliation and Peace. Your stories and fotos are
very inspiring. Even if we were not with you in those
biblical-pastoral events, our hearts are also fired up
with God’s Word as you merrily celebrated God’s Word
in your variety of shows, raps, radio talks,
programmes and seminars, emails etc.
The National Bible Week went smoothly with the well
coordinated and prayerful networking of the Military
Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP – Fr. Art Orense),
Philippine Bible Society and ECBA. Monday (Jan. 21)
opened with a Flag raising ceremenony with Bible
distributions in Malacnanang attended by LGUs and
Malacanang offices. At 10 AM, the Archdiocese of
Manila Biblical Apostolate celebrated the Bible Sunday
Mass in Smokey Mountain (wt Fr. Ben Beltran SVD). In
the evening there were two radion interviews in Radio
ng Bayan in NBN 4 and DZMM radio-tv. Antipolo and
Malolos had a caravan with the Families till Malolos
for a concelbrated Mass on Jan. 26; Ozamis had Youth
Rally; Lucena had their Diocesan Bible celebrations;
La Consolacion Parish in Cebu had their seminars and
bible study; Cagayan de Oro organized an intercampus
walk for Justice, Reconciliation and Peace etc.
May the Holy Spirit pour his power to all the
delegates to the 17th National Bible Workshop in
Cagayan de Oro on Feb.11-15 and also to the 7th
assembly of the South East Asian apostles of the
CAtholic Biblical Federation also in Cagayan de Oro on
Feb 15-17. Yes we pray for each and pray for the
success of our workshops. In a few days we will all
meet in Cagayan de Oro.
Wishing you all a happy and safe trip to Cagayan de
Oro.
Int he Living Word,
Fr. Oscar Alunday svd
To all of you there at the JPI Biblical Center,
Congratulations for all the work you are doing. You are all on fire indeed. See that you don’t get burnt out. Get some rest.
Belated greetings on your “burst days” Fr. Doms and Ate Flor. New life again huh?
Blessings,
Nati
Dear Doms and staff,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and pictures on our “very memorable day”. Very meaningful that “Hearts on Fire” coincided with it – two days after National Bible Sunday. It’s amazing what has grown out of some humble beginnings of a couple of years ago!
I am sure two “saints” (one canonized and one un-canonized) must have been particularly happy: Apo Odilo and St. Joseph Freinademetz! I see a connection between the motto “Vivat Cor Jesu” of the first Bishop of Bangued and “Hearts on Fire”. Bishop Odilo was eager to get a real biblical movement going in his diocese (as I wrote in a letter to my parents dated June 15, 1970!). A dream has become a reality! And what about St. Joseph Freinademetz? Would he not also have been smiling with the Chinese lanterns, the dragon and a confrere-Bishop who speaks Chinese!?
Ludger
More power to the staff of John Paul I Biblical Center for Northern Luzon especially to Fely Gines my
former colleague in the ministry. Keep the fire burning till the end of time. God bless you all.
Agnes
we won this year’s (2008) dance drama!
holy cross school, lagangilang, abra. hahaha.
chinese ang theme
..i am always attending the heart’s on fire at divine and i am very much happy because of the nice and good presentations they are performing..