SMAD celebrates St. Candida Feast Day

The smiles of young children, the boxes full of canned goods being handed to the indigent families, the grateful expressions in the eyes of not only the visitors, but also the students — these are the scenes that were commonly observed during the Stella Maris Academy of Davao (SMAD) Feast day celebration of their Mother Foundress, St. Candida Maria De Jesus, last August 3-9, at their school campus in N. Torres St, Bo. Obrero, Davao City.

The celebration had the theme of “Let us form a community to work for the good of our neighbors” in line with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ declaration of this year as the “Year of the Parish as Communion of Communities.” The seven-day celebration began on August 3 as the Grade 1 and 2 students of SMAD had their “Adopt a Child Activity,” and on August 4 as the Grade 3 students of the same school had their “Day with Kuya Seminarians.” On August 7, the Preschool students also had a small program in the school’s audio-visual room.

The Day with the Poor, on August 8, was participated by Marisians from grade levels 4-12. Indigent Families from the different GKKs of Sacred Heart Parish where the school belongs arrived on 1 p.m. , and were given simple snacks at the school’s cafeteria and were given a brief orientation by the school’s Prefect of Discipline, Mr. Luis Arangoso. The students then ushered their assigned families into their respective classrooms where they had a short program prepared by section, which included prayers, the sharing of the Life of St. Candida by the Marisians, the sharing of the family’s life and interactive activities.

The families were then given substantial meriendas and the gifts gathered by each section, which was soon succeeded by the families’ departure. On August 9, SMAD teachers, staff, maintenance, guards and F.I. Sisters, along with parish workers and GKK leaders had a mass at the Sacred Heart Parish Chapel, which was followed by a Life Presentation of St. Candida, and ended with an Agape and sharing. St. Candida Maria de Jesus was a Spanish professed religious and the founder of the Hijas de Jesus (Daughters of Jesus) Congregation, which currently has eight schools in the Philippines, one being the aforementioned Stella Maris Academy of Davao. (Francis Paul P. Relampagos | SMAD Student)