In this September 3, 2015, our Congregation of the Sacred Hearts has completed 25 years of presence in the Philippines. It was September 3, 1990 when three sisters and three brothers SSCC settled in Quezon City in Metro Manila. They were Damien Therese Dang, Marie Lemert, Charla Jane Reeves, from the Pacific Province (USA); John Kenny, Steve Foster from the USA-West Province, and Kurt Roters from the Province of Germany. John Kenny suddenly died in the Philippines on May 11, 1994, because of a brain aneurysm. He was 52 years old.
The project began to develop from the General Chapter of 1988, became a reality in 1990 and was consolidated in the following years as a joint project of brothers and sisters for Asia. The General Chapter of 1994 established it as "priority project" for the whole Congregation, together with the project of Africa, both focused on the formation of local vocations of the respective continents. At the same time the pastoral ministry was developing. In the early years the Congregation had an apostolic commitment in the Diocese of Imus (Cavite), adjacent to Manila; today she serves two parishes in Bagong Silang and Bagbag, in the Diocese of Novaliches in Metro Manila.
During these 25 years, brothers and sisters of many nationalities have passed or remain in the Philippines. Today, there are representatives of Ireland, Germany, USA, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Tonga, French Polynesia, Chile, Vietnam and Congo. But in the past there have been also people from Spain, France, Canada, Poland, Japan and Peru.
SSCC Brothers and sisters remembered and gave thanks for this event celebrating the Eucharist together, recalling important moments of these 25 years and sharing a family party on the evening of September 3. Other celebrations will follow in our parishes, which will culminate in an open Eucharist on October 10, Saturday in the cathedral of Novaliches, presided by the diocesan Bishop Antonio Tobias.
09/04/2015