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Mass of Thanksgiving
The Sisters of Mary Girlstown
Silang, Cavite, Philippines
March 14, 2015
I recently returned from a trip to the Sisters of Mary Girlstown in Silang, Cavite in the
Philippines to attend a Mass of Thanksgiving to honor Monsignor Aloysius Schwartz. Father Al was declared Venerable by Pope Francis on January 22, 2015 as he progresses on his path to sainthood.
Seven family members made arrangements to attend but unfortunately only my daughter, Maria and I were able to attend the Mass of Thanksgiving. My brother Lou, son Tim and daughter Chrissy arrived later in the day (missed connecting flight). My brother-in-law Hubie and daughter Julie missed altogether (because of the 6 months passport rule). The ones missing made the greatest sacrifice and surely will receive special blessings for their efforts.
This event was by far the greatest event in the lives of thousands of people touched by Father Al Schwartz during his short missionary life of love and sacrifice for the poor under the protection of the Virgin of the Poor.
We arrived the night of March 12th and were warmly welcomed by the Sisters of Mary. The Sisters prepared a lovely room for us at the Retreat House on the grounds of the Girlstown in Silang, Cavite. The next day, March 13th following breakfast we were free to roam the grounds of the 37 acre Girlstown facility. It consists of the home/school for 3,000 girls, multiple workshops and outdoor play areas, and the massive gymnasium with 3 full basketball courts under its roof and a permanent stage at one end. There is also the beautiful garden lining the path leading to the outdoor-Shrine to the Virgin of the Poor and the Virgin of the Poor Chapel where Father Al is buried. As you continue around the loop at the end of the property there is the two-story Msgr. Al Schwartz Memorial Center inaugurated in 2013. Next there is the Father Al Retreat House that accommodates 120 guests for overnight visits and the beautiful connecting chapel and gift shop. On the road leading into the Girlstown there is the newly-erected Clinic that offers medical and dental services to the students and the poor living in the neighbourhood.
The Sisters were expecting thousands of guests to attend the Mass. One must wonder how you can prepare for so many guests. The Sisters and students prepared with joy and confidence. On the day before the Thanksgiving Mass the campus was alive with activity. The students were raking leaves, watering plants, dusting every corner of their dormitories and happy to be part of the preparations. The Sisters of Mary were leading the way. Guests were arriving all hours of the day and night and the Sisters were there to welcome them and find a place for them to stay.
As Maria and I continued to roam around our first stop was the Msgr. Al Schwartz
Memorial Center (MASMC). The first thing that you see is a bronze bust of Fr. Al in the foyer. The Memorial Center has changing exhibits. The current exhibit focuses on Outstanding Graduates. The title of the exhibit is Treading in the Footsteps of Fr. Al. Seventeen graduates were featured and 5 were selected one from 5 different countries. They would be honoured on March 15th at the Alumni Reunion. The graduates are the crowning glory of Fr. Al’s work. The Memorial Center features all aspects of Father Al’s life including family pictures, walls covered with life-size pictures from floor to ceiling of the early days in Korea, the Philippines and Mexico. One can listen to a collection of his taped sermons and explore the four books that he wrote. Also on display are the six books that have been written about him and more have been published. One long wall is covered with the awards that he received during his lifetime. There is a stunning spiral staircase that leads to the second floor where you can see a huge portrait of Father Al. It can be seen while standing outside of the Memorial Center. There is also a gift shop with items made by the students. Visitors come from many countries.
Next to the Memorial Center, we visited the Virgin of the Poor Chapel, where Father Al is buried. The Chapel is an exact replica of the Chapel built in Louvain, Belgium after the Virgin of the Poor visited a young girl in 1933. Mary declared that she was the Virgin of the Poor who came for all nations to relieve the suffering of the poor and sick. This apparition was formally approved by the Church. Father Al dedicated his priesthood to the Virgin of the Poor and she has richly blessed his work.
As Maria and I continued our tour we passed the gym that was filled with activities. The stage for the Mass was being arranged with chairs, microphones and vases for the flowers. Awnings were being erected along the side of the gym so that those siting in the extended seats would have cover from the sun. We decided to pass by and not disrupt the workers. Before our tour ended we ran into Sr. Cecilia Pabalan who I fondly remember from the early days in Mexico when Father Al was just starting the program. Father Al mentioned to me several times that she had a beautiful voice and he enjoyed listening to her sing. She taught the children to sing for the masses and special occasions. She is undergoing chemotherapy now for cancer. She told me that Father Al is her inspiration as she struggles with her illness.
The day flew by and we joined some of the visitors for dinner. We quickly noticed that
our meal was extra special. We had a top-of-the-line chef preparing and serving our meal. The table was set and had a very special decoration. The base was a watermelon and we thought there was a beautiful flower on top. But it turned out to be the flower was carved from the watermelon. We quickly learned that we were in for a special treat. A young man, small in stature but filled with confidence came in with platter after platter filled with hot, delicious food served and arranged in a professional way. We soon learned Emmanuel was a graduate and he was from a broken home. He knows how hard it was for his father because now he is father to his 4 younger siblings. He had 4 years of school with the Sisters of Mary, three years working as an employee for the Sisters of Mary. He recently resigned to work part time as an Instructor of Culinary Arts at Lyceum University. He continues to help the Sisters for special occasions. He hopes to go to college to study in the Culinary Program. We all agreed he is very talented and will be a big success someday. After dinner we headed back to our rooms to prepare for the Thanksgiving Mass the next day.
Saturday, March 14th the much awaited day arrived filled with sunlight and buzzing with excitement. We had an early breakfast. We began to roam around and watched in amazement as a steady stream of visitors arrived in buses, cars and motorcycles. The graduates with their families were happy to see one another. On the path leading to the chapel I met a graduate from Korea. We couldn’t really communicate but she knew I was Father Al’s sister and gave me a big hug. I was so touched by her greeting.
The official program of the day was scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. at the Louis Prieto Auditorium with a Conference on the Process of Sainthood given by Fr. Samson Silloriquez, OAR, Postulator General of the Cause of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz. Fr. Sammy has worked tirelessly in the Philippines and the Vatican to see that Father Al’s Cause was progressing according to the schedule or maybe even a little ahead of schedule. His enthusiasm and dedication has touched our hearts. His report was thorough and filled with insights. He pointed out that we are all called to be holy. “Be holy as our heavenly Father is holy.” He pointed out that saints declared by the church are also presented as models to every one of us. Fr. Sammy’s report was pages long and he carefully explained each step of the Cause so far. We are celebrating the Decree declaring Father Al Venerable so we will propagate his fame of sanctity. He pointed out that the process has moved along quickly and the next step is Beatification, which requires one miracle, and Canonization which requires a second miracle. Fr. Sammy highlighted his remarks with scenes on a large screen behind him on stage and a short video of Father Al at the end. Everyone remarked about the excellent job he had done. Now we more fully understand the process of the Cause and how it proceeds from here.
After the Conference we slowly walked to the gymnasium for the Thanksgiving Mass,
and the Procession and Blessing of the Tomb. The Sisters estimated that there were 4,000 students from the Girlstown & Boystown (across the road), and another 2,000 guests including graduates and friends from the Philippines, Schwartz family members, fundraisers that flew in from Germany and Switzerland and 150 guests from Korea including graduates and members of the Third Order of the Sisters of Mary, for a total of over 6,000 present. To celebrate the Mass we had 2 Cardinals, 6 Bishops and 48 Priest on the Altar. Three of the priests are graduates from the program. Seats were taken and the music began – provided by the Girlstown/Boystown Orchestra (and their music was beautiful). A solemn procession from the back of the auditorium started up the middle isle. Students were selected to carry up the flags from the three countries where Father Al established programs, Korea, the Philippines and Mexico. And flags from the next three countries where the Sisters of Mary have expanded, Guatemala, Brazil and Honduras. The altar servers started up the aisle. Then the priests followed by the bishops and the two Cardinals. They continued to take their places on the altar. Four Sisters of Mary followed carrying a statue of the Virgin of the Poor on a platform surrounded by flowers. Mary was placed on a stand next to the podium for all to see and give thanks. It was hard for me to realize that this most beautiful and solemn ceremony was being held in honor of the life of my humble brother, Father Al. The words I’ve heard him say so many times came to mind – All honor, praise and glory goes to the Virgin of the Poor.
His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle was the main celebrant. The ceremony started with His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, D.D. archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Manila reading the Decree on the Heroic Virtues. It stated in part: It is established both in fact and for the purpose of this decree that ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ, a diocesan priest and founder of the Congregations of the Sisters of Mary and of the Brothers of Christ practiced the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity towards God and neighbor, as well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude, and the concomitant virtues to a heroic degree.
The Sovereign Pontiff ordered that the Decree to this effect be made public and placed among the Acts of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Given in Rome, on the 22nd day of January in the year of our Lord two thousand and
fifteen. Signed by Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., Prefect of the Congregation for the Cuases of Saints and presented it to Sr. Maria Cho, SM, Bro. Peter, Brothers of Christ, and Fr. Samson Silloriquez, OAR, Postulator of the Cause. Sr. Maria Cho, SM, Superior accepted the Decree.
After the reading of the Decree, a group of us were selected for the unveiling of the
portrait of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz. Maria and I represented the Schwartz family. Fundraiser from Switzerland, Selma Wersching, Dr. Baek Kwang-woo, friend & volunteer Dentist from Korea, Marixi Prieto, Filipino friend and benefactor, and Bernd Ambiel, fundraiser from Germany made up the rest of the group. The children’s group played and sang the Ode of Joy –“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee. God of glory, Lord of love, Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, Opening to the sun above.” Hearts were touched and we stood in awe as the portrait was unveiled. It depicted Father Al surrounded by his children, Sisters, Brothers, the homeless men, and the Virgin of the Poor looking down on them with flashes of color in the sky above. It was painted by one of our graduates, Archie Cayamanda. He graduated in December 2006 and has gone on to college. He was elated to be chosen to do the portrait of Father Al. Everyone was impressed.
The prayers of the Mass continued. Others were selected to do the readings of the Mass including Damiano Park, the Korean graduate John Bosco, a current student and several more. The Gospel was read. The homily was given by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, D.D. The Cardinal started with, “And it is good for us to be here. And this celebration is not just a local celebration. It is truly the celebration of the whole Church.”
The Cardinal remembered the beautiful masses he celebrated at the Girlstown in previous years during confirmation and graduation ceremonies. He went on to say that they were, “Very moving religious experiences, especially when we listen to the stories of the children that Fr. Al loved and continues to love.” Cardinal Tagle was with Mother Maria, Sr. Michaela, Sr. Elena, and Fr. Sammy when they presented the Positio to Cardinal Amato in Rome on October 6, 2012 and he promised to have it studied in 2014. Cardinal Tagle said, “And lo and behold a year later January 2015, we received the DECREE. “Wow! How good it is to be part of that process, very simple yet profound.”
The Cardinal went on to say, “In our Christian faith, in our Catholic Tradition we proclaim that every virtue is an action and a gift of God and let us not forget that. As you sang in the opening song ‘All praise to God, All praise to God,’ who made Fr. Al virtuous. Before we praise Fr. Al we should marvel at how God can choose simple men and women like Fr. Al and transform them into a marvel called a Virtuous person.” He went on to say, “The gift of God will always be there but we need to receive it, we need to nurture it. We need to act on it until it becomes a habit, then virtue becomes a lifestyle.”
The Cardinal continued, “The second thing, we see that all the virtues in the life of Fr. Al are centered on his love and service of the poor, the abandoned, those who are often neglected by society.” We need to see Jesus in the poor and respond to them.
The Cardinal said finally, “Fr. Al dedicated his whole priesthood and his ministry to our
Blessed Mother, the Virgin of the Poor. This teaches us what true devotion to our Blessed Mother is.” He went on to encourage the students to consider the religious life. “You who are the living witnesses, the fruits of the heroic virtues of Fr. Al - You did not see him, you were not with him but you experienced the fruits of his holiness. I would like to request from you, don’t waste what Fr. Al has sown through the Sisters of the Mary and the Brothers of Christ.” The Cardinal closed his remarks with, “How could we thank God, who worked in the life of Fr. Al? I hope it is not only “Thank you!” But the seeds that Fr. Al sowed should grow and become abundant. Let us pause and thank God for this beautiful occasion. Let us open our hearts to the seeds of virtue. Let us open our hearts to sanctity, to the service of the poor. And let us open our hearts to our Blessed Mother.”
The Mass continued with the prayers of the faithful and distribution of the Eucharist. The many bishops and priest formed lines and communion was smoothly distributed to the thousands present in a quick and peaceful manner as the children’s orchestra played the music and sang. After communion Sr. Maria gave her message of thanks for all who made sacrifices to be present
A procession was formed with the image of the Virgin of the Poor being carried to the
Tomb of Venerable Al Schwartz (in the Virgin of the Poor Chapel). All the religious on the altar followed. The students began to fall in line behind them in the procession. We in turn followed the girls and boys. We solemnly walked the path (about 2-3 blocks long) lined by the students, graduates and guests. The music playing was a hymn to Mary. They sang, “O Mary, our loving Virgin of the Poor, We’ll sing of your praises forever. Your most pure heart will ever be the cause of our joy.” The sun was brightly shining, a gentle breeze was blowing and you quickly realized that this procession was something very special.
Everyone took their place around the Chapel, down the path and into the gardens. A
small group of students were waiting at the Chapel and provided beautiful music. Two graduates were selected to pay homage to Fr. Al. They were Sharon Dizon and Adonis Sulit.
Sharon graduated in 1996 and actually never met Father Al. She talked about having a vision or dream about Father Al that brought her to tears. She said, “It was my spirit crying and laughing with joy.” And she considered them her encounters with Father Al. She continued, “And from then on, it feels like having a constant guardian angel all the time.” Sharon went on to say, “But most importantly you really are our guardian angel who led us to a better way morally and spiritually. Most of us have never seen you in person when you were still alive, but somehow we feel your presence, your love. You are like our true father who provided for us the many things we were before deprived of, our hero who saved us from the dungeon of poverty, and our saint who instilled in us the desire to be holy, to be Christ-like.
Sharon continued, “Fr. Al thank you for your acceptance of suffering, your self-sacrificing service and love of the poor are truly admirable. You are an inspiration to us. You are God’s instrument in his wonderful design for humanity. Thank you for turning our hunger into flying like an eagle to reach for our dreams that we may never go hungry again. Thank you for heeding the call of the Blessed Mother in relieving the suffering of the poor. Physically and spiritually, we are cured from society’s crippling and blinding diseases of poverty and ignorance. Now we can walk and see beyond. You healed us and you have worked a great deal of miracles in our lives. Thank you for the affirmation that we are GOD’S BELOVED. Here we are today, gathered as numerous as the sunflowers in the fields, we are your miracles! Continue to touch our lives so that we can be your worthy offering to God and may one day join you in Thy Kingdom. Thank you VENERABLE ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ.
Adonis Sulit spoke next. “Good afternoon everyone, I am Adonis Sulit, a graduate of the Sisters of Mary School in 1992. I now work as a government lawyer, specifically in the Department of Justice. I am humbled and deeply honored by this opportunity to pay homage to the person who served as an instrument of God in helping us to have, whatever we have now, in helping us to be wherever we are now. Thank you Venerable Aloysius Schwartz. I stand and speak on behalf of my brothers and sisters who have seen you in person. We thank you and honor you, for everything.” He went on to say as young children they were from different provinces and that “every occasion is a star struck moment for us. We have seen you jog around the campus in Sta. Mesa; we have seen you swim in the pool. We have touched you and shook your hands. We had solo picture with you. You prayed with us. We shared food with you.” He continued, “These memories put an indelible imprint on each and every one of us, on our soul, on our very being.” Adonis pointed out all the lessons they learned from Father Al. “By never stopping in your physical activities, you ingrained in us that there is no room for being lazy. By your teachings and homilies, you fed our souls, then and now. You encouraged us to be Saints by doing good and avoiding evil. By helping the poor children, like the rest of us then, you taught us to have faith, hope and love. By involving us in your charity works for TB patients in the Quezon Institute, you showed us to be a man for others. By celebrating Mass in a wheelchair and still hearing confessions of your children, despite the pain, you showed us great fortitude.”
Adonis concluded with, “You told us a grateful heart is a happy heart. As your children, we express our gratitude for providing us the best secondary education, and more importantly, for molding us with the values and virtues that help us to become productive members of society today. Thank you for starting the Sisters of Mary and the Brothers of Christ to propagate your mission to serve the poor in the name of Christ. As we live by your values and virtues, we can really say that the glory of God is man fully alive!”
His Excellency Most Rev. Reynaldo Evangelista, D.D. Bishop of the Diocese of Imus
with the surrounding clergy entered the Chapel and blessed the tomb of Venerable Al. We all joined in the Beatification and Canonization prayer for Father Al. After the prayers the Sisters of Mary, Brothers of Christ, Members of the Third Order and a Graduate laid large bouquets of flowers on Venerable Al’s tomb. Once again the students played the hymn to Mary while others released blue and white balloons and set free beautiful butterflies. The balloons began to pop or fireworks were exploding. My thoughts went back to the homily of Cardinal Tagle during the earlier Thanksgiving Mass. He said, “So, good to see you Dolores. Wow! How does it feel to be the sister of a Venerable? My answer would be, “My heart is bursting with pride and joy and with thanksgiving and humility. This is a moment to treasure and remember for a long time. This is a moment to share with everyone.”
Ever so slowly the crowd began to disperse. Everyone’s hearts were touched and lives inspired. The children returned to their living quarters to prepare for the show they had prepared for the guests at 5:30. We met on the 3rd floor of the workshop. The Cultural Show was performed by the Boystown and Girlstown Children. We enjoyed the Handbell Ringers who were so coordinated. The boys did a Modern Dance and the girls a Lapay Folk Dance. The Rondalla players looked beautiful in their satin gold gowns and played so well. The Boystown Chorale looked so handsome and sang with strong voices. The final act was the Sisters of Mary with blue sashes and flowers atop their veils performing a special dance for us. Along with the children they stole our hearts.
After lots of picture taking, the guests were guided to different locations to be served
refreshments. We had another delicious dinner that was well prepared and served by graduate Emmanuel, soon to be recognized as a great chef with his own restaurant in the Philippines. After dinner the youngest Sisters of Mary surprised us with singing, dancing and lots of laughter leaving us with happy memories of a faith-filled visit to take home with us.
Truly, this was a day for Thanksgiving. Father Al under the guidance of the Virgin of the Poor brought us all together to share God’s love with the poor.
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Aunt Dolores Vita, Fr. Al's Sister
Venerable Al Schwartz Journal 2015.docx
Source: Holy Name Church, Washington D.C. Files Online
Photos © Raymond Cerezo, Alumnus
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Thank you, Raymond for these beautiful photos! :)
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