The Church

Excerpt of the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the 17th Parochial Fiesta of San Alfonso Ma. De Liguori Parish, Mandug, Davao City.

Viva San Alfonso!

Along with our claps is the joy that we are gathered here today for the rite of dedication of our parish church. We must be thankful to the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Now our church is almost complete, we must dedicate it to the Lord.

Our beloved patron, I’m sure is now smiling in the heavens above because his people has a new church here in Mandug.

This parish church bears his name so he is our inspiration and we remember him through this house of prayer so that like what he did when he was alive, we will be inspired teach, and guide the people to be close to the Lord.

It is with the same purpose that this church is standing here today.

It is very timely that we celebrated the rite of dedication on St. Alfonso’s fiesta.

This mass is a special mass and there will be many insertions as it is the holy mass for the rite of dedication of the parish church.

The principal prayers used in this mass, those that I have read earlier in vernacular, is the mass of St. Alfonso. But the other prayers, are for the mass of the rite of dedication of the church. If you’re not used to listening with the rite, you may get confused.

So, what is really the purpose of a rite? In our reading, it did not talk much on the structure, instead, it did mention that the church is the people. “You are my church!” says the Lord.

Therefore if you look at the readings, it is not the structure of the church that you have spent money with, that will be offered to the Lord is the people.

So think how will it be if its people are broken or tarnished?

Therefore, this rite does not focus on the walls, or the roofing of this building, but its people.

But on the other hand, it will also touch the beautiful symbols, not of the people, but of the things inside the structure of the church.

This rite will remain as a reminder that the visible should be the remembrance of the invisible.

In other words in this right we will hope that our hearts will be as beautiful as the stained glass window of the church.