Feast of St Francis Caracciolo (Lipa)
04 June, 2025
The SDC members in Lipa were invited for a gathering and Mass as part of the celebrations of the feast of St Francis Caracciolo, founder of the Clerics Regular Minor, better known in the Philippines as the Adorno Fathers.
The celebration started with a meal in the afternoon of Monday 2nd June 2025, at Batangas Lakelands. This was hosted by the administration of FAITH Colleges (First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities), a Catholic private educational institution based in Tanauan City. The SDC has been in contact with FAITH since January 2023, when the possibility of collaboration between the Society and the Colleges started being explored.
Some representatives of the Adorno Order were also present, including their Superior General Fr Teodoro Kalaw CRM, who is originally from Lipa City. During the event, the partnership between this religious order and FAITH was celebrated, especially through the presence of the Fathers at Marian Orchard, a pilgrimage site in Balete which is owned by FAITH. This site hosts a number of Adorno seminarians who are undergoing formation. The Adorno Order is already familiar with St George Preca and the SDC spirituality due to the presence of the female members in the Bicol region in the south-east of Luzon Island, where the priests are also present.
The gathering was concluded with an evening Mass at the chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in Marian Orchard, as part of the novena in honour of St Francis Caracciolo. While we thank the Lord for another opportunity in this new field, we pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance in further experiences of collaborations within the Philippine Church.
