THE PATRONESS

THE PATRONESS: OUR LADY OF REMEDIES
(NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS REMEDIOS)
Kevin McHugh, MSSC
Around 800 years ago, Christians in Europe were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands. Nobody knew what to do about this problem until a Frenchman, John of Matha, came up with a solution.

With Felix of Valois (later canonized), he founded the Trinitarian Order which received Papal approval in 1198 and whose principal mission would be to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves, and set them free. To do this, they needed large amounts of money so they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. In gratitude for her assistance, John (later canonized) honored Mary with the title Our Lady of Good Remedy. She is often depicted in the act of handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. The Church celebrates her feast day on October 8.


SPAIN
It seems that devotion to Our Lady of Good Remedy was carried by sea from the region of Provence, in the south of France, to the region of Andalucia on the southern coast of Spain. Several churches dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios still exist in the area surrounding Malaga, in the region of Asturias and as far away as the Canary Islands.

MEXICO
From Spain, devotion to Our Lady of Remedies spread to the New World. In 1519 (two years before the arrival of Magellan in the Philippines), Spanish soldiers, led by Herman Cortez, landed in Mexico. There they encountered peoples from advanced cultures, the Mayans and the Aztecs, who had flourishing cities and over the centuries had constructed earthen pyramids. The one at Cholula, south of Mexico City, is larger than any of the famous pyramids that the Indians had built their temples in which they worshipped the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl.

Cortez and his men set out to subjugate the Indians, killing those who would not accept Spanish rule (conservative estimates put the number at around 150,000) and systematically destroying the pagan shrines. They pillaged the great 20- hectare temple to Quetzalcoatl, and placed a doll-sized wooden statuette of the Virgen de los Remedios on the altar. On the night of July 20, 1520, the enraged Aztecs drove the Conquistadors from the town. The latter attributed their escape to the protection of Our Lady.

Around 1575, on top of the Great Pyramid, once the centerpiece of Aztec pilgrimages at Cholula, the Spaniards constructed a church and dedicated it to Our Lady of Remedies. Every year during the first week of September, thousands of pilgrims come from all over Mexico to visit this shrine at the church of San Bartolome Naucalpan where the authentic image is kept in a glass-covered niche.

For many, she became a substitute for the Aztec mother goddess. In the words of Victor Turner, a world famous anthropologist, “…the Virgen de los Remedios, once the symbol of Spain, has become more indigenous, more Indianized than the Virgin of Guadalupe”.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
As the Spanish conquistadors pushed their way into Central and South America, they brought with them their Catholic faith. At the present time, churches dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios can be found in the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and Argentina.

SRI LANKA
History records that in the year 1544, Portuguese missionaries came to Jaffna, in the northern part of Sri Lanka. They built a church in Pandateruppu and placed in it the statue of Our Lady of Remedies which they had brought with them. Many years later, during the Dutch persecution of Catholics, the people of Sillalai hid this statue so that it would not be destroyed.

In 1687, a cholera epidemic swept through Sillalai, but when Fr. (now blessed) Joseph Vaz and other dying villagers appealed to Our Lady, they were miraculously cured. She is also popularly venerated as “Kathirai Chelvee” on account of the portrait of Mary seated on a chair with the child Jesus on her lap.

INDIA
In India, several churches and schools are dedicated to Our Lady of Remedy. In Vailankanni in the South, there is a famous Marian Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. On February 11, 2002, it hosted the celebration of the 10th World Day of the Sick. On that occasion, Pope John Paul II, wrote:

“Sure of the Divine Mother’s unfailing help in their needs, with profound devotion and trust, millions flock to this Shrine…. Vailankanni, known as the ‘Lourdes of the East’, attracts not only Christian pilgrims but also many followers of other religions, especially Hindus, who see in Our Lady of Good Health the caring and compassionate Mother of suffering humanity”.

PHILIPPINES
Of the 17 listed churches in the Philippines honoring Mary with the title “Nuestra Señora de los Remedios”, Malate, the oldest, was established by the Augustinian friars on September 8, 1588. The image of the Virgen de los Remedios was brought from Spain to Malate by Friar Juan de Guevara, OSA, in 1624.

It survived the Chinese invasion of 1662, the British occupation of the church in 1762, the Great Earthquake of 1863 and the destruction of the church in February, 1945. From that time onwards, the faithful have displayed a great love and devotion to Our Lady of Remedies. The present statue, which is very graceful in its lines and though small (about two feet in height), has a very distinctive beauty. The costume, with large puffed shoulders, may have been the origin of the butterfly sleeves of the Filipino terno.

Down through the centuries, Malate Church has been associated with women’s ills and children’s diseases. On Saturdays, mothers bring their little ones to place them under the care and protection of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Such was the fame of the Malate Shrine that replicas of the image spread to the provinces. In Pangasinan, she is venerated as of the “Virgin of Malate”. In Pampanga, an image of the Virgin of Remedies is brought to various parishes of the province in the course of the year and is hailed as the “Queen of the Pampangeños.”

HISTORY OF THE NOVENA TEXT
The Novena to Our Lady of Remedies used in Malate since 1965 is the English translation of the original written in Spanish by Don Francisco de Gonora. It has helped several generations of Malateños appreciate the special place that Mary has in our lives.

To allow for changes in language usage and to include the insights of Vatican II, a revised text was prepared to celebrate the New Millennium. Preserved (with some editing) are the Introduction and the Daily Novena Prayer. Key moments in the life of Our Lady, as related in the Bible, are revealed to us over the nine days.

Our Lady of Good Remedy, Patroness of the Trinitarians
Perhaps we, in Malate, could make our own the words addressed by Pope John Paul II to the 2001 General Chapter of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, venerated by your Order under the lovely title of Our Lady of Good Remedy, protect and guide you in your journey towards holiness.”

THE CHURCH

THE MALATE CATHOLIC CHURCH
In 1588, in this village known as Malate, the Augustinian friars built a church in honor of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. The stone church and convent, built in 1591, suffered heavily during the earthquake of 1645 and 1863, while both buildings were pulled down in 1667 on orders of Governor General Manrique de Lara, who feared an invasion by the pirate Koxinga. But the Sino corsair died in Formosa or Taiwan just before the invasion, and the church was rebuilt later that year, and during the next three years, with with the use of the same stones and bricks.

When the British landed in Manila in 1762, they made the church their headquarters. Repairs had to be made after the British left the following year. But both church and convent were destroyed beyond repair by the typhoon of June 1868.

The present church was then rebuilt for the third time in its entirety, thanks to the parish priest, Fr. Francisco Cuadrado, who, together with the poor fishermen of his parish, toured the city and nearby provinces to raise the much-needed funds. The upper façade of the church was completed three decades later, from 1894 to 1898.

The Japanese occupation proved disastrous to the church in Malate. Both church and the convent were burned, with just the walls left standing. Fortunately, the Columban fathers rebuilt the roof, the main altar, the dome and the transept around 1950, and in 1978, the interior of the church was painted, the bricks and the stones outside were made to look new. The bell to be found at the entrance of the convent bears this inscription:

“Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Se fundio en 30 de Enero de 1879.”



The façade of the present church of Malate is a “good blending of Muslim and baroque architecture; the solid compact stone structure is enhanced by the cylindrical end buttresses, the few openings and the overall ornateness of the design. The three-story façade integrates with ingenuity the cylindrical end buttresses, hexagonal forms converted into belfries.”

MISSION AND VISION

PARISH MISSION
As we start the new millennium, we dedicate ourselves to listen to God’s Word and to allow God’s spirit, working within us, to respond to the call for Renewed Integral Evangelization.

Habang sinisimulan namin ang bagong milenyo, iniaalay namin ang aming sarili sa pakikinig sa Salita ng Diyos at hayaan ang Espiritu ng Diyos na nananatiling buhay sa amin, upang sumagot sa panawagan nang Ganap na Pagpapanibago ng Pagpapalaganap ng Mabuting Salita.

As we read the signs of the times, we commit ourselves to be responsive to the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the community in the 21st century.

Habang binabasa namin ang mga tanda ng panahon, itinalaga namin ang aming sarili na sumagot sa espiritwal, sosyal at pang-edukasyong pangangailangan ng sambayanan sa ika-21 siglo.

We encourage the active participation of everyone at all levels of parish life: Parish Pastoral Council, Ministries, Areas, and traditional organizations.

Aming hinihikayat ang aktibong pakikilahok ng bawat isa sa lahat ng bahagi ng buhay sa parokya: PPC, mga Ministry, mga Areas, at ang mga tradisyonal na organisasyon.

PARISH VISION
We envisage a parish that is open to be evangelized and empowered to evangelize and be responsive to the needs of the wider community in a participatory manner.

Aming pangarap ang isang parokya na bukas sa pagtanggap ng Mabuting Balita at may lakas sa pagbabahagi nito sa iba at sa pagsagot sa mga pangangailangan ng mas malawak na sambayanan sa paraang may lubos na pakikilahok.

THE COLUMBANS OF MALATE

THE PRIESTS OF MALATE
The Irish Redemptorists had served the people of Malate from 1912 to 1929. For years, they had pleaded with the Archbishop to find replacements so that they could concentrate on their mission work.

The Columban Fathers, mostly Irish, took over Malate Church in 1929 from the Redemptorist Fathers. The Redemptorists, whose charism lay more in reviving-type missions, had long wanted to turn over the parish to another group. The Church had been in the hands of the Spanish Augustinians for centuries. With the expulsion of many Spanish friars during the revolution, many churches were left without pastors.



Fr. John Blowick was coming by boat from China on his way to Australia and, in God’s providence, became the first Columban to set foot in Manila. According to his diary, he was met by a kababayan, Fr. Lynch, a Redemptorist priest, who brought him to the environs of Malate on Friday, August 20, 1920. Two days later, he became the first of a long line of Columbans to celebrate Sunday Mass for the people of Malate. That afternoon he boarded the Aki Maru, bound for Melbourne, via the port of Brisbane. He was in time followed by other Columbans, as Manila was a port of call on the way to Australia or the United States, where another Columban community had taken root.

In 1928, two Columbans stopped in Manila for some rest from the increasingly troubled China mission. They decided to call on Archbishop Michael J. O’Doherty who lamented the scarcity of priests. This was soon followed by a visit by the Superior General, Fr. Michael O’Dwyer, who saw Manila as a limited commitment and an escape hatch should things go badly in China. By the end of May 1929, the first Columban priests assigned to the Philippines had arrived; Michael Cuddigan from Australia, Patrick Kelly on a boat from Genoa. They would be followed soon afterwards by Frs. Gerald Cogan, John Lalor, John Henaghan, Joseph Monaghan, Peter Fallon and Edward J. McCarthy…..

Columbans in the Philippines, though few in number, spread out from Malate to staff the parishes nearby…… By the time Fr. Blowick visited Malate, the transition was underway. Church was becoming a Sunday affair, a fiesta, a procession, a sacrament. Six days a week, body and soul belonged to commerce, the affairs of state and daily living…..

…. By the time the Columbans landed in 1929, churches in the surrounding towns were in a state of disrepair….. Malate Church shared the fate of Manila during the days of Liberation. The Japanese followed a scorched earth policy…. Six Columban priests died with their parishioners during the war. Five of them were taken by Japanese soldiers and never seen again. Out of the six, only Fr. Lalor’s body was found.

…After the war, the Columban Fathers, battered and unbowed, needed more men to help them. Priests were sent in from Ireland, America, Australia, and New Zealand. They stayed at the Malate School until they acquired a House in Singalong Street, which still serves as their headquarters today. Malate Church, the school and the convent were restored.

The Missionary Society was named after St. Columban, a 6th-century monk from Ireland who traveled across Europe in order to spread the Christian faith. It has for its members secular priests who serve in the foreign missions. The Society was originally founded for China but the fathers eventually spread out to other countries.

Concurrently, the parish continues to grow and mature. In the tradition established by Fr. Kelly, the succession of priests assigned to the parish immersed themselves in the life of the community, spreading the Good News through witness and worship, organizing….serving the needs of the people. To this day, the Columban Fathers remain immersed in the lives of the people, especially the poor, speaking their language, walking with them, ministering to them
*Excerpts from the “Columbans- 75 Years in Malate.”

Fr. Leo Distor
Fr. Jude Genovia	Fr. John Leydon

THE REMEDIOS JUBILEE MISSION CENTER (RJMC)

The Remedios Jubilee Mission Center (RJMC) is designed to enhance Malate Catholic Church, a National Historical Monument. Built in 1999, the new building mirrors the unique architecture and beauty of the old adobe Church. “Remedios,” a title of Mary, links this Church community to the coming of the Christian faith to Malate and the Philippines, some four hundred years ago. “Jubilee” marks the year of the Great Jubilee and celebrates 2000 years since the coming of the Savior. “Mission” refers to the coming of Christianity to the Philippines, and the subsequent emergence of a vibrant Filipino Church, bringing life and hope to young and old Churches around the world.

The most distinctive thing about the new building is not its architecture or its beauty, though its winning design is striking. Its uniqueness is not in providing a parochial office and residence for the priests and guests. Its allocation of space for Adult Faith Formation is in line with the thrust of the Church today, a Church inspired globally by Vatican II and locally by PCP-II (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines).



Telling the story of the Christian Faith coming IN and going OUT of the Philippines is the unique and special feature of the Remedios Jubilee Mission Center. An exceptional Visual and Audio-Visual presentation creates a Heritage Center, designed to tell the story of the Filipino Church, a story filled with passion and pain, with joy and pride. This is a story that needs to be told, especially at a time when poorer nations are frequently humiliated and their specific contribution to the whole human development project is under scrutiny, a time when the cultural identity of people is threatened in the rush towards globalization.

The process of constructing the building was highly participative as parishioners voted for and chose the winning design, as well as raised the money to build it. Built alongside the church, the RJMC is intended to foster community, through ongoing faith formation, fellowship and spiritual growth for parishioners to complement Eucharistic celebrations.

The people of Malate thank God Who inspired them, and pray that many people will benefit from this center.

THE REMEDIOS TRAINING CENTER (RTC)

During the 1970s, the parish opened a four-storey social center – the Remedios Training Center or RTC as it is now popularly called, to provide a venue for meetings and social services, as well as vocational trainings for the needy under the direction of Fr. Arthur Price. Located at San Andres corner Madre Ignacia Streets in Malate, the RTC is a gathering place where parish organizations and concerned families respond in various ways to the medical, educational and other basic needs of the poor and transients of Malate.

In the 1980s, the RTC used to house the Bahay Tuluyan, a drop-in center for street children which began as a partnership between individual initiatives and the Parish. Services were also offered to women, who in one way of another are prejudiced or exploited by the tourism industry (Magdalena). These programs have since evolved into independent centers that can be found in various parts of the metropolis.

Today, the RTC continues to be a place which serves the community. Its ground floor was renovated in 2008 to accommodate the Vicariate Health Clinic of Nuestra Señora de Guia, which has been in operation since 2006 through the services given by dedicated doctors and community volunteers.

PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION CHAPEL

During the 1990s, the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel was built and opened on the Mabini side of Malate Church under the leadership of Fr. Colm Rafferty. Renovated a few years ago and then again in 2007, the Chapel continues to serve the community as a place for quiet contemplation.

Gawad CCP Tanging Parangal
Missionary Society of Saint Columban

The Missionary Society of St. Columban settled in the Philippines in the early part of the 20th century with Malate Catholic Church as their first parish. Constructed by the Augustinians in 1588 as a friar building, the church is also known as Our Lady of Remedies Parish.

For over 400 years, the church has witnessed the country’s greatest geological disasters, historical upheavals, and destruction during the last world war.

In the new millennium, the church has deteriorated due to continuing threats from nature, pollution, and mindless urban development.

To save the church, the Columbans implemented the “5-5-5 March of the Thousands” fundraising campaign to raise P25 million in five years. They gained the active participation of their generous stakeholders, community residents, volunteers and parishioners.

They forged a partnership with Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation by employing their trained out-of-school youth graduates as conservation workers.

The Columbans showed that continuing threats to heritage buildings and sites can be overcome by people’s participation and vigilance, and with God’s compassion, and that a heritage structure is not just an old building but a living treasure.

For their unwavering implementation of the conservation/restoration project whose lessons are worth replicating all over the country, the Gawad CCP para sa Sining (Tanging Parangal) was given on the 17th of September 2015 to the Missionary Society of St. Columban.

On 17 September 2015, the Missionary Society of St. Columban was given the prestigious Gawad CCP Tanging Parangal in recognition of its heritage conservation in the restoration and preservation of Malate Church. It was a moment of pride for our priests who have been our guide and pastors, and for all of us who love this age-old yet vibrant church. Indeed, Malate Church has been the center of the lives of its parishioners and many others who have sought the care and protection of Our Lady of Remedies.

Since their arrival in the Philippines in 1929, the Missionary Society of St. Columban has served in Malate Church (also known as the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios), and more than being pastors of the community, they have become more like family to the parishioners. They have gone beyond their spiritual service to the congregation by also taking care of the church that they have called home.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, which is given every three years, is awarded to artists or groups of artists who have consistently produced outstanding works and enriched the development of their art form. The award is also given to cultural workers, who through their works in research, curatorship and administration, have helped to develop and enrich Philippine art. The Tanging Parangal is given to individuals or organizations to honor their outstanding contributions to the development of the arts in the country.

ELEVEN individuals and two organizations received the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining for their outstanding achievements and contributions to Philippine arts and culture on September 17, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining is the highest award given by the CCP. For 2015, the award was conferred on Denisa Reyes for Dance; Fides Cuyugan Asensio for Music; Antonio Mabesa for Theater; Roberto Chabet for Visual Arts; Ricardo Lee for Literature; Nora Villamayor a.k.a. Nora Aunor for Film and Broadcast Arts; Paulo Alcazaren for Architecture; Ben Farrales for Design; Leoncio Deriada, Talaandig School of Living Traditions, Armida Siguion-Reyna, and Basilio Esteban Villaruz. The Missionary Society of St. Columban received the Tanging Parangal.

Acknowledgment goes to CCP Press Release July 14, 2015.

The Parish Pastoral Council

The primary body in charge of planning and implementing the various programs in the Parish. With the Parish priest as its head, together with the PPC officers, heads of the Ministries, the Areas, and the Organizations (MAOs), the Council links the entire volunteer corps to the Parish by coordinating its different activities, cascading information and encouraging active involvement in all parish-related endeavors.

PPC Secretariat
This unit of the PPC, composed of the Parish Priest, the Coordinator of the Parish Council, the Vice-Coordinator, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Coordinators of the Ministries-Worship, Education, and Social Service, which initially prepares and formulates plans and programs for the consideration by the Parish Council. This group meets before the PPC monthly meeting to discuss the agenda for the upcoming meeting and other matters that need to be brought to the attention of the Council.

Ministries, Areas and Organizations

Ministries

• WORSHIP
  Taking guidance from the Worship Spiritual Adviser and other priests, the ministry takes charge of liturgical activities and Eucharistic celebrations in the parish. Coordination is likewise done with the Ministry of Liturgical Affairs at the Arzobispado de Manila regarding basic formation/ trainings of volunteers, and information dissemination concerning liturgical practices, among others. Headed by the Worship Coordinator, the Ministry is composed of:
  
  
  • Lectors and Commentators Guild (LCG)
    Guided by its Vision-Mission to effectively proclaim the Word of God during liturgical celebrations in the Parish and render other liturgy-related services as may be necessary, the Guild is in-charge of enhancing the proclamation skills of its members as well as the recruitment, screening and training of volunteers as readers, lectors and commentators.
    
    
  • Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
    Male volunteers assist in giving communion to parishioners and church-goers during weekday and Sunday masses. They also assist the Legion of Mary by giving communion to the sick within the Parish every Sunday or upon request.
    
    
  • Ministry of Greeters and Collectors (MGC)
    Volunteers in this group serve as collectors and ushers during Masses at the Church. Occasionally, they are also invited by the Arzobispado de Manila to assist during special events/activities in other parishes. It has its regular meeting every first Tuesday of the month and a General Assembly every quarter.
    
    
  • Choir
    They offer their voices in song during Sunday liturgical celebrations and in special events in the parish. They regularly hold practice-meetings every 1st Saturday of the month.
    
    
  • Sanctuary Assistants
    Male youth members, ages 12 to 18, assist the priest-presider during Eucharistic celebrations.
    
    
  • Liturgical Vestments Ministry c/o Mother Butlers Guild
    The group sees to the upkeep and orderliness of liturgical vestments during Eucharistic celebrations and special events. It regularly meets every second Wednesday of the month.
    
    
• EDUCATION
  This Ministry identifies and addresses formation needs of all members of the Parish; supervises and coordinates all the education/formation of the different ministries, organizations and areas; and is directly involved in the formation of student beneficiaries and their parents, children and youth ministries, and the small basic ecclesial community. Other groups involved in formation and education as their primary mandate are included under the Education Ministry, such as:
  
  
  • Care for the Earth Ministry
    its thrust is the dissemination of information on the protection of the environment, particularly on the Spirituality of all of God’s creation. The ministry takes the lead during the Creation Month celebration every September culminating with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and the blessing of animals and plants. Part of the advocacy is the promotion of eco-friendly lifestyle and the after-care of the parish herbal garden.
    
    
  • Public Affairs Ministry
    is tasked with providing information and a venue for discussion of issues of national concern to raise the social awareness of the parishioners to enable them to make a stand on issues confronting the nation. It is the Parish’ s response to the CBCP’s call for the people to ‘watch and pray’ in the wake of grave national concerns and controversies.
    
    
  • Family Life Ministry
    aims to strengthen and empower families through Suyuan (marriage encounter) and family counseling.
    
    
  • Pre-baptismal Seminar Group
    The group undertakes the seminars given to parents who wish to have their child baptized in Malate Church. Parents are re-oriented on the significance and importance of the sacrament of Baptism and their roles and responsibilities in bringing up their children in the Christian Faith.
    
    
  • Pre-Cana Seminar Group
    The group is in charge of a half day seminar given to couples who wish to be married in Malate Church. Intended to somehow prepare the couples of the concerns of married life, the seminar attendees are given an understanding of the Christian marriage and family, the nature of man and woman, husband and wife relationship, stages of love in marriage, levels of communication and birth control.
    
    
  • Social Communications Ministry
    Responding to the need to provide a source of accurate information about the Parish, the group is tasked to handle the design, development and maintenance of the parish website and related social media intended to facilitate the dissemination of information and to enhance communication between the Parish and its constituencies.
    
    
• SOCIAL SERVICE
  This ministry assists parishioners or people residing within the parish and sometimes even non-parishioners through its various programs and services. Programs and services and programs include Kaisaka for members with disability, Parish Educational Assistance Program, MABADAN in charge of street families, Prison Visitation, Livelihood Skills Training, Health program, legal assistance.
  
  
  • Kaisahan ng Magulang at Anak na Maykapansanan (KAISAKA, INC.)
    Kaisahan ng Magulang at Anak na Maykapansanan (KAISAKA, INC.), registered with the SEC in 1989 undertakes community-based rehabilitation program for persons with disability, with mothers and persons with disabilities themselves as frontrunners of the program. Its mission is to develop and provide holistic rehabilitation service both in quality and in quantity.
    
    
  • Parish Educational Assistance Program (PEAP)
    The Parish Educational Assistance Program provides financial assistance to qualified children from the parish. Applicants for scholarship are selected by the screening committee composed of parish staff and area leaders. Part of the program also is the regular meetings of scholars and their parents. Every third Saturday of the month, Spiritual formation, leadership seminars and personality development programs are conducted for the students conducted by the Education Committee. PEAP Parents likewise benefit from these formations. They are also encouraged to actively participate in the various activities in their respective areas or in the church.
    
    
  • Malate Balik Dangal Program for street children (MABADAN)
    a. Pre-school for street children – In 1998, the Church of Malate opened a school for street children. The objective is to give free education and provide them an opportunity towards a better future. It opened with only 10 students which gradually increased to 20. There is a challenge though in maintaining this count for the rest of the school year because it has been observed that by the second half of the school year, almost half of the students no longer come to school despite close supervision of the teachers. This program is ties with the Open Heart Foundation.
    
    b. Scouting – In cooperation with the Boys Scouts of the Philippines, a scouting movement was established among street children in 2008. Under the supervision of Angel Leny Grace Deveza and Teacher Beth dela Cruz, the children conduct their patrol meetings every Saturday afternoon. Last summer, they held their first outdoor camping.
    
    c. Feeding program – Started in 1994 by the parish with Felichina Almaden currently serving as volunteer cook, this is being held from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN and every first Saturday of the month with about 40 direct Our Lady of Remedies Parish beneficiaries and 60 persons sponsored by Caritas Manila and Damayan.
    
    d. Summer Kiddie workshop – Mabadan scholars ages 6 to 10 years old undergo arts and reading workshops during the summer vacation. This is held every Monday to Friday for the whole month of April at the RTC.
    
    e. Mayflower offering - Street children participate in the mayflower activities during the entire month of May. Activities include catechism and recitation of the Holy Rosary.
    
    
  • Prison Visitation
    Every third Saturday of the month, parish volunteers together with one priest visit the Bicutan Correctional Facility. Eucharistic celebration is held participated in by the prisoners and other jail personnel. Volunteers assist inmates in contacting their families. Food items and other basic needs like toiletries are given to them during these monthly visits.
    
    
  • Livelihood Training Program
    Together with the Manila Manpower of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, our parish offer livelihood/vocational courses. Four to five courses are offered every year to members of the community seeking to gain new skills to provide them opportunities for livelihood or employment. Courses offered include: Aromatherapy/reflexology, Hair-cutting, Hotel and Restaurant Management Service and Cooking/Food processing.
    
    
• TEMPORALITIES
  This Ministry is responsible in assisting the parish in the maintenance and repair of facilities, structures and materials within Church grounds and other buildings under the care of the parish. During special occasions, the group also serve as logistics coordinator and works with the members of the Holy Name Society in the physical set up.
  
  
• INFORMATION
  This Ministry is tasked to oversee the preparation of information materials about the Parish. It is also assigned to assist in the planning/ preparation, and documentation of special events and programs. It also takes charge of maintaining the Mission Exhibition at the second floor of the RJMC.
  
  
• YOUNG ADULT COMMUNITY
  The Parish is in the process of establishing a Young Adult Community for single male and female volunteers between 23-39 years of age for them to have a venue where they can discover more of themselves, to bond and share their stories and concerns with others, and to grow and develop in body, mind, heart and spirit. This is a group that will focus on empowerment and growth of each member. It is a kind of support group; a place where young people can find rest and seek refuge from the pains and struggles in life, and just be one’s self.
  
  
• YOUTH
  This ministry is open to young people, ages 16 to 23. Major formations like Youth Encounter (YE), Youth Ecozoic Learning and Living (YELL), and Formation for Formators take place every summer. They receive monthly formation in the Parish and from the Vicariate. They actively participate in all of the major activities in the Parish.
  
  
• CHILDREN
  This ministry caters to young children from ages 8 to 15 years old. Every summer they attend seminar workshops like PUNLA (a workshop where children discover more their real self, family, community and God) and Cabiao kids (which deals with growing in ecology awareness and concern). In addition, they receive monthly formation on Christian Living and Ecology, sports, teambuilding and camaraderie. Lastly, they participate in their own children’s mass every Saturday at eight o’clock in the morning, where they serve as lector and commentator, choir, sanctuary assistants, collectors and ushers.
  
  

Areas

• The parish of Our Lady of Remedies covers 3 areas with large urban poor communities, namely Area 6, Area 8 and Area 9, each of which has its own set of officers who are likewise volunteers in the Parish. The area council leaders coordinate all activities and disseminate information throughout their respective communities regarding parish programs.
  
  
  • Area 6
    boundaries of San Andres and Remedios Streets and J. Bocobo and Ma. Orosa Streets.
    
    
  • Area 8
    boundaries of San Andres Street, Quirino Avenue, M. Adriatico Street and Brgy. 705 boundary.
    
    
  • Area 9
    boundaries of San Andres Street, Quirino Avenue, Leveriza and Brgy. 704 boundary.
    
    
• Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC)
  This is a group who gathers weekly to share the Word of God through their own personal life experiences. Yearly formations are also offered to them, such as the study of the four Gospels and writings of Paul, and Bibliodrama.
  
  

MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE
This group answers the call for interreligious dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters and other denominations. It aims to bring solidarity, peace and unity. The group gathers once a month to have a dialogue on life (and not of religion). They discuss concerns and problems that affect the community of Malate and share the good news with the community. Yearly formations are given to deepen the understanding and camaraderie of the various groups.

SAMAHANG PINAG-ISA SA PAROKYA NG MALATE (SPP)
The SPP is a federation of housing associations composed of about six sub-housing groups organized by the residents from the urban poor communities within the parish. They help protect the rights of the urban poor communities against unannounced and violent demolitions and other abuses, through networking with Urban Poor agencies and organizations within Metro Manila. They also lobby and negotiate with government agencies for the proper and humane treatment of the urban poor and proper resettlement procedures, if needed.

Organizations
The mandated organizations are religious/socio-civic groups meeting and doing apostolic works in the Parish in the spirit of their respective group’s ministry. They actively participate in the various activities and programs of the Parish, though they are guided by the rules and guidelines of their respective organizations. The heads of these organizations attend the monthly meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council.

• Apostleship of Prayer (AP)
  Aligned with their mission to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the AP’s apostolic works include promotion of the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus during mid-year about June or July, food distribution to street children, sick visitation in hospitals, and together with the Prison Ministry of the Parish, conducts visitation of prisoners at the Bicutan Jail and other precincts.
  
  
• Crusaders of the Holy Face
  Its mission is to propagate the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. Their apostolate include sick visitations, conducting Bible study, selling religious and non-religious items for the Parish, and fulfilling their adoration vigil commitment.
  
  
• Daughters of Mary Immaculate
  The DMI’s mission is to help the less privilege in the community. Their regular activities include the promotion of Pro-Life, morality in media, and upliftment of women workers. They also assist by conducting livelihood projects, welfare and assistance to prisoners, Bible study for the elderly, and hospital visitation.
  
  
• Holy Name Society
  This Brotherhood of men give honor and glory to the name of God through different apostolic works. They assist in the different activities of the parish. They are usually in-charge of the logistics and physical arrangement during parish activities.
  
  
• Knights of Columbus
  Basically a Catholic fraternal organization, the group promotes educational, charitable, religious and social welfare activities. The members also assist in the activities of the parish.
  
  
• Legion of Mary
  The LOM’s main object is the personal sanctification of members through apostolic works which include: home, hospital, jail and sick & elderly visitations; conducting block rosary; encouraging people to receive the sacraments as well as apostolate work to vendors, pedicab drivers and street families. The parish has 3 senior and 3 junior praesidia as follows:
  
  • Senior Praesidium Maria Remediorum
  • Junior Praesidium Regina Mater
  • Senior Praesidium Star of the Sea
  • Junior Praesidium Mystical Rose
  • Senior Praesidium Mary Refuge of Sinners
  • Junior Praesidium Maria, Maningning na Tala
    
    
• Mother Butler Guild
  The group is referred to as ‘handmaids of the altar’, a community that serves with love and humility and finds joy in the Lord. Their tasks include preparation of vestments for daily Masses; decorating the altar and environs, assist in the sacristy during Liturgical Celebrations; and help maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of altar linens and vestments.
  
  
• Perpetual Eucharistic Adorers
  This small but cooperative group supervises the adorers in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. They welcome volunteers 20 years old and above.
  
  

PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY THE PARISH

• VICARIATE HEALTH CLINIC
  is found at the Remedios Training Center and serves the health and medical needs of parishioners of the Vicariate of Nuestra Senora de Guia.
  
  
• PONDO NG PINOY
  is a program of the Archdiocese of Manila which is strongly supported by the parish.