Messages of

Bishop Soc Villegas

Coat of Arms

Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas,D.D. Bishop of Balanga

UNANG SINODO NG BALANGA

Titik: Bishop Soc B. Villegas

Musika: Prof. Ryan Cayabyab

Malapit na ang bukas

Narito na ang pangarap

Pagbabago at malasakit

Na matagal ng hinahanap.

Liwanagin ang landas

magka-isa’t magsumikap

Malapit na ang tagsibol

Kay ganda ng hinaharap!

Ang bukas ay ngayon na.

Nasa ating kasalukuyan,

Ang binhing hasik ngayon

Ang Ina ng kinabukasan.

Kung nais nating rumikit

Ang darating na mga araw

Patatagin ang kasalukuyan,

Ito ang tunay nating yaman!

Ang bukas ay kahapon pa.

Dumating sa ating piling,

Ang ala-ala ng kahapon

Nitong ating bayang magiliw,

Bayani at banal,

Ang ninunong pinagmulan natin,

Tayo’y bayani at banal din,

Lahing banal at magiting!

Abucay,Samal, at Balanga,
Pag-asa ng kinabukasan.
Mariveles,Limay, at Hermosa,
Biyaya ng kasalukuyan.
Orion, Orani, at Pilar,
Ala-ala ng kasaysayan.
Bagac,Morong, at Dinalupihan,
Kabayanihan at kabanalan.

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In Bataan, every Catholic is a HERO

H - holiness through prayer and charity

E - evangelization by all, for all, in all

R - relationship of Love

O - openness to receive and give

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From the Bishop

DIOCESE OF BALANGA

Sulat-Pastoral Ukol sa Nakaraan Halalan sa Bataan

ANG KABANALAN NG HALALAN

Nagsalita na ang balota subalit hindi tinig ng konsensiya ang lubusang narinig. Ang nanaig sa karamihan ay ang nakasisilaw na pera. May sigla sa buong bayan subalit ang siglang ito ay kahiya-hiya at kalapastanganan sa Diyos. Ito ay katulad ng pagsasayaw ng mga Israelita sa harap ng ginintuang diyus-diyosan sa ilang. Bagamat tayo ay nanalangin at nangarap upang maging malinis ang halalan, hindi ito ipinagkaloob sa atin dahil na rin sa ating sariling kabuktutan at kanya-kanyang pagkukulang.

Parami nang parami ang hindi na nababagabag sa buhay ng panlilinlang at ginagawa na lamang nating katatawanan. Sa maraming bahagi ng ating lalawigan, lantaran nang humahanay ang ating mga kababayan upang tanggapin ang kanilang bayad sa botong dapat sana ay banal at walang kasing halaga.

CBCP Monitor

Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace

Bishop Socrates B Villegas accommodated the CBCP Monitor for an interview about the pastoral situation of the Diocese of Balanga and other concerns. Following is the transcript of the interview done by Sr Pinky Barrientos, FSP.

Question One: How does the Diocese of Balanga implement the social reform agenda of the CBCP specially in living out the Church of the Poor vision of the Church in the Philippines?

CBCP Monitor

Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace

Diocese of Balanga

Marching to Heroism and Holiness

Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, D.D.

Bataan is the home of heroes. Along its main highway are markers indicating the route of the Death March, the historical event in World War II, that followed the last stand made by the brave men who fought for their country.

ISANG BAGONG SIMBAHAN

Tinawag Upang Maging Ganap.

Ang kalooban ng Diyos para sa atin ay kaganapan ng buhay. Ang kaganapan ng buhay para sa Katoliko ng Bataan ay mararating sa pamamagitan ng landas ng kabanalan at kabayanihan. Ang pagtanggi o pagtalikod sa hamon ng kabayanihan at kabanalan ay tahasang pagtanggi sa kaganapan ng buhay.

Ang pagpapakabayani at pagpapakabanal ay gawaing nangangailangan ng buong buhay na pagsisikap at katapatan. Mula pagsilang hanggang kamatayan, bawat sandaling handog ng Panginoon ay dapat na ibuhos sa pangarap na maging bayani at banal. Ang gantimpala sa dulo ng paglalakbay na ito ay ang kaganapan ng buhay.

ANG NAZARETH PILGRIMAGE

Ano ang Nazareth Pilgrimage?

Si San Jose ang bukod tanging nilalang na tinawag na ama ng ating Panginoong Jesukristo. Si Jesus na “bugtong na Anak ng Diyos, sumilang sa Ama bago pa nagkapanahon, Diyos buhat sa Diyos, liwanag buhat sa liwanag, Diyos na totoo buhat sa Diyos na totoo, sumilang at hindi ginawa, kaisa ng Ama sa pagka-Diyos” ay buong kababaang loob na napasailalim sa pagtataguyod at pagtatanggol ni San Jose.

BATAAN ON PILGRIMAGE

There are many ways of symbolizing the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The Church is the people of God. The Church is the Sheepfold. The Church is the Vineyard of the Lord. The Church is the Temple of the Lord. The Church is our Mother.

We in Bataan are all of these images of the Church put together but the image of the Church as a pilgrim people seems to be the emerging way to describe us at this point in our journey as a people. We are a Church in transition. We are a Church on pilgrimage.After clarifying our diocesan vision and the pastoral priorities of the Diocese of Balanga through our first diocesan synod in 2006, we see the Christian faith and the Catholic faithful of Bataan undergoing some transitions and entering into a new phase of pilgrimage.

THAT CHRIST BE FORMED IN US

My dear brothers and Sisters in Christ: If this were a planning session of finance officers of various branches or subsidiaries of a Corporation you would be certain that it would have taken several people to plan it. In business parlance it is calledthe pre-planning phase. This pre-planning phase involves a number of brainstorming sessions and meetings to finalize the details of the actual planning session. Management spends a tremendous amount of time and money on planning the planning session, and, of course, on the planning session itself. Big corporations view these sessions with great seriousness and purpose because their yearly operations depend a lot, if not entirely, on their annual business plan.

cardinalsinnarrowweb200x2431 THE HANDS THAT GUIDED US

As I looked prayerfully a few days ago at the bust of Cardinal Sin on top of his tomb, it suddenly dawned on me. Oh my! The Cardinal has no hands! How I miss those hands! Is it really impossible by now to hold those hands again and feel secure and safe again? In his last years with us, you saw with your eyes how his body turned from weak to weaker with every passing month and year until that sad morning of June 21 two years ago. From a robust 220 pounds, when he passed on to eternal life, he was only 170 pounds. The rosy cheeks of the youngest Cardinal of Pope Paul VI had been replaced by wrinkles and marks of sickness and age. The firm knees and legs that climbed the mountains of Panay had become unstable and needed lots of help to be able to move his frail body around. The eyes had dimmed and the voice cracked each time he spoke. We saw the signs of ugly and fearsome death.

+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

More Messages of Bishop Soc

EDSA 1: The feeling may fade but the spirit remains

By BISHOP SOC B. VILLEGAS

Diocese of Balanga

Reflecting on EDSA 1, our People Power Experience, what kept coming to mind was the image of the thousands upon thousands of mostly young people at the peak of Mount Samat in my diocese in Bataan, last year on the evening of the First Sunday of Advent. Most of us who had gone up started at the foot of the shrine in mid afternoon and by the time we reached the top the sun was setting. Yet in the gathering dusk, the bright faces of the people shone. There was hardly any weariness that could be gleaned on their faces, even after the 10-kilometer walk uphill, but there was exhilaration and much energy for the activity that still lay ahead, the celebration of the Eucharist.

News & Features

MARGINALIZED YOUTH IN FOCUS

The Diocese of Balanga in collaboration with TESDA and the Asian Touch Interntional Institute has launched a program to assist the youth of Bataan who cannot afford college education to receive training for future job placements locally and abroad. The BARISTA Course offers modular classes in restaurant service and coffee preparation as well as increased proficiency in English. The first batch graduated fifty out of school youth who are now waiting for placements for their on-the-job training. Poor youth from marginalized communities in Bagac, Balanga and Orani continue to avail of the program. Conducted every other week, the Barista course will help our youth to gain employment and contribute to the transformation of society according to the plan of God. The teaching of Catholic catechism and the habit of daily prayers are part of the training program. This program is not just aimed at generating jobs but the promotion of the values of the Kingdom of God.

Download the power point presentation of Pope John Paul II Youth Camp in Peas Limay Bataan

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Pope John Paul II Summer Youth Camp Program

By the grace of God and for love of the youth of Bataan, the Pope John Paul II Youth Camp in Peas, Limay, Bataan will be ready for blessing and inauguration on April 9, Bataan Day with a concelebrated Mass at 6:00 o’clock in the evening. Please join the blessing and concelebration.

CAMPUS YOUTH MINISTRY GATHERING:

“Bringing New Life to the Church

in Bringing the Youth Closer to Christ”

In keeping with the thrust of the First Synod of the Diocese of Balanga, the Diocesan Commission on Youth and the Diocesan Catechetical Ministry organized a gathering for the core groups of the Campus Youth Ministry (CYM) last March 3, 2007 at Tomas del Rosario College Gym, Balanga City with the theme: “Kabanalan at kabayanihan hamon sa iyo, kabataan.”

Diocesan Schools of Bataan

Vision of the

Diocesan Schools of Bataan

We envision each school of the Diocese to be an educational Christian community which integrates the gospel of Jesus Christ into the life of its members and which offers quality education that will fully develop their human potentials.

Kapisanan ng mga Seminarista sa Bataan (B.A.K.A.S.) LIST OF SEMINARIANS OF THE DIOCESE OF BALANGA ( 2006-2007)