16 April 2014 - For the fourth consecutive year, the Saint Pedro Calungsod Devotees based at the St. Aidan’s Parish in Rooty Hill, New South Wales, Australia, celebrated the feast of St. Pedro on April 12 with a groundbreaking ceremony at the church garden where a shrine of the Filipino saint will be built. A solemn mass concelebrated by eight (8) priests, a fellowship lunch and a cultural program were held.

Fr. Renato Paras, first Filipino Chaplain in Australia and Parish Priest of St. Aidan’s from 1998 to 2011, and current Parish Priest Fr. Alan Layt blessed the site where the shrine will be built before the groundbreaking ceremony. Fr. Paras, who hails from Cebu, Philippines, was instrumental in forming the group, Saint Pedro Calungsod Devotees. He urged the members of the Filipino-Australian community to support the building of the shrine in honor of the second Filipino saint.

Fr. Ruben Elago, main celebrant and Filipino Chaplain, spoke of St. Pedro’s martyrdom as an inspiration to all Christians during the mass.

Philippine Consul General in Sydney Anne Jalando-on Louis joined the Filipino-Australian devotees to St. Pedro in St. Aidan’s Parish as well as the parishioners of St. Kevin’s Church in Dee Why, Northern Sydney, who celebrated the Filipino saint’s feast day on April 5.

In her message on both occasions, Consul General Louis expressed her hope that St. Pedro’s life and martyrdom would inspire many people, particularly the youth in the community. She also hoped that, in the same manner that St. Pedro served as a living witness of God’s love and work in a foreign land, Filipino-Australians would also aspire to become living witnesses of their proud Filipino heritage. END