My family was blessed to have welcomed a Prince to our home. Beloved and respected, he would come simply clothed, sometimes hungry but never fussy with food, dishing out amusing stories from the day-to-day activities of his “reign.”

For as long as I can remember, this royalty – Ricardo Cardinal Vidal -- would come to say mass at our home in Bulacan or Quezon City on special occasions.

HE PICKED THE DATE Cardinal Vidal with the author and husband Je Arriola during their wedding on December 6, 2006 at the Manila Cathedral.

He was my first date at the altar when he baptized me shortly after I was born in 1977. Growing up, I always knew he was a very important part of our family.

My parents Rufo and Ine Mauricio first met the Cardinal when he was still a young bishop in Malolos, Bulacan. He was introduced to them by a parish priest. Just two years younger than my late dad, soft-spoken and chatty like my mom, the bishop quickly became friends with my parents and eventually regarded each other like family.

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I would think the Cardinal was especially drawn to my family’s almost Brady Bunch kind of closeness for he too enjoyed the affection of his parents and siblings no matter where his ministry took him. As such, my mom, who already had 11 siblings of her own, found additional ones in “Ate Lily, Kuya Tusing, Ate Loretto and Juanito”—the Cardinal’s own brothers and sisters in order—who also showered her with much affection. In fact, when he became Archbishop of Cebu in the early ‘80s, he asked my parents to join his family to take him to his new home.

I remember when I was on vacation from boarding school in the mid-90s how he insisted the whole family spend Holy Week in Marinduque with his then 100-year-old dad “Lolo Tusong.” At that time, I was the only one studying away from home and the Cardinal said it was the perfect time to go since we were finally complete.

Every so often, we would be told by members of his family that he had called to gently remind us “wag silang lalangoy sa dagat” because Holy Week is a time for reflection and prayer.

To this day, my family and I always make sure to keep the Holy Week sacred even if everyone around us would go off on holiday because of what he taught us.

High chairs

Another memorable encounter I had with the Cardinal was a visit he made to the family after arriving from Rome for the first time as a Prince of the Church. He had so many entertaining stories to tell, but the most endearing one was how he found it difficult to sit on the chairs of the Vatican.

“Ang tataas pala ng mga silya; hindi tumatapak ang paa ko sa sahig [The chairs were so high, my feet wouldn’t touch the ground when I sit],” he revealed with bashful laughter.

Riveted by his stories, my mom forgot she had a pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove until we smelled something burning. [Most of my recollections of the Cardinal were straight from my mom’s kitchen].

All the same, the Cardinal polished off the pasta with gusto, assuring the very embarrassed cook, “Masarap siya, kasi mahirap gawin ang smoked spaghetti.”

In February 2006, when I was already an editor at The Manila Times, I had my first opportunity to write about Cardinal Vidal after attending the opening of a special exhibit to mark his 75th birthday in Cebu. I was blessed to have witnessed his life of service to the Lord all on that single day.

The exhibit, which they said would be a permanent display at the Archbishop’s Palace on Ramos Street, had photographs of the Cardinal as a young priest in the late ‘50s; as parish priest in Mogpog, Marinduque where he was born and raised; as Coadjutor Archbishop of Malolos in the ‘70s; as Archbishop of Lipa and later Cebu; and as the beloved Cardinal he is remembered today.

I also had a personal mission when I went to see him during that milestone. I told him that I was engaged to be married and asked him to be the one to pick the date of the wedding. I knew he had a very busy schedule and said I would work my wedding around him.

Chuckling, he asked someone to check on his calendar, and on December 6, 2006, we met again at the altar.

This time, I brought another date and he gave us the Lord’s blessing in marriage.

My mom saw him on his last visit to Manila a couple of months ago, and he smiled when she said she will tell me he was in town so I could visit him.

But I never got around to see the humblest and holiest man I ever knew.

Filled with regret, I can almost hear his endearing chuckle and his gentle voice saying, “Ay, ganuon lang talaga minsan.” I pray that at some point in settling down in God’s Kingdom where he belongs, he will get to read this.

And so, my family and I send our fondest love and profound gratitude. May you rest in peace, our dearest

Cardinal Vidal.