A Triumphant Welcome for Blessed Takayama at Paco Catholic Church, Manila

The Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Paco parish priest -- with seven priests from three nations concelebrating. — *The Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Rolando dela Cruz, Paco parish priest — with seven priests from four nations concelebrating.*

(Photo credit: Robert Queddeng)

►For the first time in 403 years, Paco Parish Church (est. 1580) commemorated the Dec. 21, 1614 arrival of Justo Ucondono (Lord Justo Takayama Ukon) – and ‘350 Japanese Christian Exiles.’

A halo -- symbolizing the holiness of Saints and Angels -- was added by Msgr. R. dela Cruz. — *A halo — symbolizing the holiness of Saints and Angels — was added by Msgr. R. dela Cruz.*

The Thanksgiving Mass was concelebrated by Rev. Msgr. Rolando de la Cruz, parish priest – with seven other priests: ♦ Fr. Carlo del Rosario, parochial vicar; ♦ Fr. Iwao Ikegami, FMVD; ♦ Fr. Vincent Guinoo, FMVD; ♦ Fr. Antonius Harnoko, CICM (a Tagalog-speaking Indonesian missionary in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture); ♦ Fr. Luke Moortgat, CICM; ♦ Fr. Celso Alcantara, and ♦ Fr. Wilfredo C. Talavera.

After the Mass, memento photos were taken of the eight concelebrants, with Dr. and Mrs. Ernesto A. de Pedro, Takayama Trustees. Members of mandated Catholic organizations similarly took souvenir photos. Then parishioners were allowed to take ‘selfies.’

The Japanese contingent of Manila-based nuns was made up of: Sr. Therese Fukatani, of the Congregation of Marie Auxiliatrice (MA); Sr. Kinue Maura, MA; and Sr. Ma. Therese Chiba, of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (ACI), and lay Japanese: Masako Yamamoto; Mrs. Risa (Ishii) Peralejo, and Sakiko Ishida.

The Paco parishioners' response was superb -- and augurs well for the spread of devotion to Blessed Takayaa de Manila. — *The Paco parishioners’ response was superb — and augurs well for the spread of devotion to Blessed Takayama de Manila.*

The San Fernando de Dilao Parish in Paco counts with 27,000 parishioners (according to census data of 2010 — but Msgr. Dela Cruz estimates the number in 2017 at 95,000) — making Paco PARISH larger than any DIOCESE in Japan: ►Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami (Nagasaki – 67,729 Catholics), ►Bishop Paul Yoshinao Otsuka (Kyoto – 19,198), ►Bishop Bernard Taiji Katsuya (Sapporo – 17,993), ►Bishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD (Niigata – 7,711), ►Bishop Paul Kenjiro Koriyama (Kagoshima – 9,291), and ►Bishop Berard Toshio Oshikawa, OFM (Naha – 6,118). (It should be noted that the Paco Catholic School, adjacent to the church, has the largest student enrollment among Catholic schools in the Philippines.)

This altar-statue, presented to the Paco Catholic Church by the Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama, was carved by the celebrated Paete woodcarver Paloy Cagayat, and financed with contributions from the family and relatives of Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro — who wanted the honor of producing the first Takayama statue in the Philippines.

It is the first Takayama altar statue with the “Palm of Martyrdom” – and a saintly halo. ◘

Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro
Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation

Prayer for Blessed Takayama’s Intercession

The final condition for Ukon Takayama’s canonization is that miracles be obtained through his intercession.

Let us therefore address ourselves to our saintly brother and ask Divine Providence to grant us through his intercessions what is impossible to man, be it a miraculous cure or something else which God Almighty alone is able to do. Let us have great confidence in the powerful intercession of this distinguished Servant of God, who will not fail to reward the heroic deeds in His Service by granting us our request, even if it would call for a great miracle. Favors obtained through Blessed Ukon Takayama’s intercession should be reported to the Bishop of your diocese so as to be presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The following prayer may properly serve the purpose and ought to be addressed to the Lord by as many as possible, whenever human means fail to help us in our needs.

PRAYER

God, in Your Wonderful Providence, You have chosen Justus Ukon Takayama to be a singular promoter of Your Kingdom, and an undaunted witness to the Catholic Faith -- Reward, we beseech you, his zeal for Your Glory, and graciously grant us what we humbly ask through his intervention.

Grant us also that following his example, we may bravely bear all trials for the sake of our holy Catholic Faith. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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