Strong Pillars of Faith

(An excerpt from the homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D. on June 28, 2022 during the celebration of the 42nd Anniversary of the Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Pedro, San Pedro St., Davao City.)

The 12 posts and pillars of the Church you heard from ancient customs, that it represents the 12 tribes of Israel or the 12 Apostles. Pillars are the foundation of the Church. I’m happy that this morning I did actually a dedication of a beautiful chapel. You must go and see it. The chapel, its size is already a church in some parishes. The Chapel at the Ateneo of Davao Senior High School Complex. So, I reviewed the Liturgy, why the 12 posts actually, in the Rite first the altar bare, it looks like wood but actually this is marble. The altar is consecrated and rented with Chrism, a special oil blessed only on Holy Thursday. So it was poured and as if washed. And rented fully with oil. And then if the Chapel at the Ateneo was a Cathedral and marked with crosses, the Celebrant would go to 12 posts and these are the posts when this Cathedral was consecrated and these are the pots there with the lighting of the candle where the Bishop of that time wipe holy oils consecration of this place. And then next part, the lighting parang fiesta the lightings, the altar for the first time is vested with altar cloth, flowers and then, first time lit candles and in this Cathedral with the lit candles, people go to the columns to light the candles. But this evening why is it that we thought of hijos de Davao. Fr Voltaire? “Kinsa may imbetahon for this fiesta?” Then it was my chance to tell him kay dugay dugay na – “Voltaire can you investigate. Can you ask around the families belonging to hijo’s de Davao?”.

About 5 years ago, I read an article in the local papers about your assembly. In that article that you assemble during the fiesta of San Pedro. If I read it correctly, these families are not merely an association of founding old families of Davao but they have a special connection to St. Peter, the Patron of the city of Davao. I kept that. And then recently for the oath-taking of Vice-President Sara Duterte, the first news I read I don’t know who wrote it, she will be doing her oath taking in San Pedro St., the oldest street in Davao. I was struck by that oldest street in Davao; and I said this is so beautiful because this is a well-respected place and name San Pedro, then I thought of you the founding families of Davao and if I dare say as your Archbishop, the founding families of then growing Catholic community of Davao becoming a city becoming an archdiocese. So if we think of 12 tribes of Israel, we think of the 12 apostles. We can think also of the families belonging to this group Hijo’s de Davao as the founding families who made the Catholic community of Davao small then becomes big and strong. And that is for me a sincere motivation to invite you today in the simple recalling of the dedication of this Cathedral, lighting of the candles of the 12 posts, 12 pillars that would remind us and remind you, your families have been part of the story of the local church of Davao. We can’t celebrate this anniversary without the efforts and presence and dedication of your lola, of your lolo, your papa, great grandfather of your families who love this community, who love this church, who love this parish. I have to say it publicly, I told Fr. Voltaire, we would invite them as the main sponsor, main family for each post and then invite a younger family double to do the lighting but you are somehow the foundation family for each column of the Cathedral.

Today we hear in the Gospel, St. Peter together with the apostles but Peter among the 12 apostles Jesus declared upon that you, Peter, I will build my church. We know very well that Church is not stone. That church is not cement. That church is not marble. That Church is not a beautiful building. We know that Peter first and foremost built a church of Community of persons. It is the same when we think of the early church of Davao. We don’t think of stones, of cement, of wood. We like to think that it was the church of your mama, of your papa, of you uncle, of your grandpa. The Church of people who gave themselves together with the early missionaries to keep the faith burning, to keep the Catholic Communities strong. And we today a transfigured people together with the priest a bit younger but as we move forward in the years to come we must be able to look back with deep appreciation that the good Lord who told Peter upon you I will build a church. The same grace from the Lord has been given to your families, the founding families of Davao and I believe the founding families of the small Catholic community that became a parish, that became a cathedral all devoted to the Lord, all devoted to Senior San Pedro Apostol.

My dear brothers and sisters, young and old, we belong to one body of Christ. We belong to the same faith that St. Peter heard as a first among the apostles. We belong the same pagtuo the same simbahan that their families called when they were still new to Davao. But look what we have today what a strong Church, what a strong community Davao has which become very big yet the oldest street in Davao is San Pedro Street and right at the heart of Davao it is called San Pedro Square – telling everyone that the Catholic faith has a lot to do at the very core since the beginning up to now, the faith in the Lord, a deep sense of God is so alive. Our coming to this evening is a testimony to that and we continue to beg the Lord and San Pedro Apostol to continue helping us, guiding us young and old, inspire us to keep the faith and keep our love for the church.