18 December 2013 - Monsignor Emmet Nevin, Vicar of the Rockland Archdiocese comprising of 18 parishes, held a concelebrated mass of healing and hope for the Filipino people after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The celebration was attended by priests and deacons on Thursday, November 21 at St Paul’s Church in Congers, New York.
The mass service had a distinct Filipino flavor as envisioned by Monsignor Nevin. The Philippine flag was displayed prominently on the wall towards the right side of the altar. Readings and prayers of intercessions were read by representatives of the various parishes in Rockland in English, Filipino, and Visayan--a dialect spoken primarily in the region hardest hit by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines). Filipino songs were sung by a group composed of choir singers mainly from St Paul’s and St Catherine's Churches. The choir’s rendition of a patriotic Filipino song “Ang Bayan Ko” (My Country) was an emotional moment. Community leader and businessman Ramon Labitigan stood in front of the altar and waved the Philippine flag, joined by the children’s choir waving their own miniature paper flags, while the whole congregation sang along with tears in their eyes.
After the communion, the entire congregation was surprised by the unannounced appearance of Cardinal Dolan. He said that he “just had to drop by and express his sympathies" when he heard that the Rockland county Filipinos were gathering for this mass. He also told the congregation that the Filipinos were close and dear to him because they are a "lively lot" and the Philippines is the biggest Catholic nation in Southeast Asia.
Immediately following the mass, Consul General Mario L. De Leon Jr. stood up at the pulpit and described how the Philippines was devastated by a historic storm in magnitude and intensity that displaced a total of 4 million people without any shelter nor livelihood. He informed the congregation that the United Nations Relief Agency was able to come up with immediate assistance of $320M, but said the Philippines will need four times that amount to restore it to its pre-typhoon conditions. He provided statistics on casualties and paid tribute to the efforts of the U.S. Armed Services in being the first to reach the most remote areas hit by the typhoon. The congregation was moved when the Consul-General ended his speech in tears as he choked out the words, "If we all got together, the Filipino people will be back on their feet again". END
