MANY parishes throughout the Philippines will tune in to the live canonization rites and Mass of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Rome starting at 4 pm Manila time today.

Their attendance through TV will be in real time ‘simultaneous’ to the big event that will be held at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish in Manila from 2:30 pm to 7pm.

Dubbed “The Canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod” by the organizers, the event is expected to draw more than 1,000 young people from all over Metro Manila including the youth of the Archdiocese.

A live telecast of the canonization rite direct from the Vatican will also be aired during the program.

A closing mass will be celebrated by Fr. Tirso Gliponeo, SOLT, the parish youth minister and Fr. Jacinto Rey Padua, the parish priest of Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish, Manila.

In Makati City, the Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO) will also celebrate their FNYO Day by celebrating the canonization.

Titled “Pedro at Ako,” the event will be held at the Savio Dome of Don Bosco Technical Institute-Makati from 10 in the morning until 7 in the evening.

The Catholic Media Network will also lead a celebration of Pedro Calungsod’s canonization in San Juan where nationwide radio and TV networks will simultaneously broadcast the canonizations rites in Rome via EWTN downlink.

Several diocese in the Central Luzon Region will have their local celebration on Blessed Calungsod’s canonization.

Iba diocese started a walk of faith yesterday and will have a ‘big dare’ today for the young people of the diocese. A motorcade is set for tomorrow and will have a film viewing about the life story of Calungsod. There will also be workshops and fellowship after.

Today there will be an input and a film viewing about Pedro followed by a walk of faith from the Iba Cathedral to the beach area for the sky lantern parade. Each lantern has a prayer intention on it from the person who lighted the lantern.

In Malolos diocese, a St. Pedro Calungsod Day will be held at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center today, October 21.

Mass will be celebrated by the vicar-general of the diocese, Msgr. Andy Valera at 1:30 in the afternoon.

In San Fernando diocese, the youth of Pampanga will celebrate and anticipate the momentous event in a program that includes catechesis, live feed of the ceremony and procession to be celebrated at the parish of Sta. Ana in Pampanga at 1:00 in the afternoon.

The Holy Mass will be officiated by San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto at 5:30 in the afternoon to culminate the activity.

Meanwhile in Cebu, the Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese and the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue, together with the City Government are inviting every Sugbuanon to watch “Barkada ni Pedro Live,” a live telecast of the canonization in Rome from 12 noon to 6:30 in the evening.

The event, which includes a drama on the life of the 2nd Filipino saint, talks and trivia games, will be held at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

Bacolod diocese will have a Taize vigil tomorrow in line with the canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod on Sunday. (Jandel Posion)

The Commission on Youth of Novaliches diocese will hold a diocesan youth day in honor of Saint Pedro Calungsod.

The youth day, titled “Amigo: Calungsod Youth Day” will be celebrated at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Covered Court on the same day of Calungsod’s canonization.

The event features a festive and youthful celebration of the young Filipino saint that will start at 2 p.m. with the presence of the Diocesan Youth Cross and the image of Calungsod which has been on a pilgrimage around the diocese since May of this year.

Activities during the event are the inter-parish “Pedro henyo” showdown on the young people’s knowledge of the life of Calungsod, an inter-vicariate “Sabayang Pagbigkas” that will showcase the creative talents of vicariate representatives as inspired by the song for Pedro Calungsod, a session on “I Am Pedro” that will feature young people who will speak about their faith and share their experiences on how to become a modern day Pedro and a youth jam that will set the tone for faith sharing.

The highlight of the youth day will be a Calungsod play on the life of the young martyr saint which will be presented by the San Isidro Labrador Parish Youth Ministry.

A youth mass will be celebrated by the diocesan youth director, Fr. Roland Jaluag to culminate the event.

The diocese will also officially launch the Year of Faith during the Youth day.

Organizers are expecting 600 youth attendees from different parishes and youth groups within the diocese.

“It is the hope of the Commission on Youth that the Calungsod Youth Day will be a meaningful celebration for all young people as they become inspired by the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod and become living witnesses to their faith,” organizers furthered. (ROY