Year 2019 is coming to an end and every time we arrive at the end of a year it is almost natural to look back and reflect on the events that make 2019 what it is.
Here at our North Star Publication, it has been our ‘tradition’ to list down the top ten stories among all the stories that we run throughout the year. Now, there were many events that happened in our diocese in 2019 but the question we ask in choosing the top stories is, ‘what comes immediately to our mind when we think of 2019?’
1. CLUSTERING OF PARISHES
It has been 5 months (4 for others) and most parishes if not all are still adjusting in the clustering of parishes that Bishop Ryan Jimenez has implemented in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa beginning last summer.
This initiative is a result of prayerful discernment and consultation with other bishops in order to better serve the needs of the diocese and to effectively implement the current Diocesan Pastoral Plan.
At the heart of this clustering of parishes is the importance of team ministry and collaboration not only of the clergy assigned in each cluster but also of the lay ministers and parish volunteers. With this type or organization, Bishop Ryan hopes that the priests and the deacons will be able to assist and help each other beyond the parish they are assigned not only in the liturgical celebrations such as Masses, funeral, weddings and baptisms but also in the catechetical formation of the faithful and youth ministry.
The thirteen parishes of the diocese were grouped into 5 clusters:
Cluster 1 consists of the parishes of San Roque, Santa Soledad, Kristo Rai and San Jose in Tinian.
Cluster 2 consist of the central parishes of San Jose, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral and the Korean Catholic Church.
Cluster 3 is composed of the southern parishes of San Antonio and San Jude.
Cluster 4 consists of the parishes of San Vicente and Santa Soledad
Cluster 5 are the two parishes in Rota – San Isidro and San Francisco de Borja.
Understanding that changes are never easy for everyone, Bishop Ryan is asking all the faithful for patience, understanding, collaboration and most importantly, prayers so that we as one Church may remain faithful and united with Jesus Christ and with one another in our one journey of faith.
2. AD LIMINA VISIT OF CEPAC BISHOPS
On September Bishop Ryan and the bishops of Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) travelled to the Vatican and Pope Francis for their Ad Limina Visit
‘Ad Limina’ visit is the meeting that groups of bishops from each ecclesiastical region in the world have with the pope which traditionally is done every five years but recently has changed. The last visit of CEPAC bishops was 8 years ago. During such visits, bishops’ conferences prepare exhaustive reports for each dicastery, describing the status of the Church in the country or region.
The private audience with the Holy Father on Monday, September 30th was the highlight of the ‘ad limina’ visit of the bishop of CEPAC which the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa belongs.
In his conversation with Pope Francis, Bishop Ryan spoke about three things: First was the devastation that Saipan and Tinian suffered last year with Super-Typhoon Yutu. He shared with the pope about the suffering of many families endured and the destruction of the homes and the church. “I told Pope Francis that along with the rebuilding of the structures is the rebuilding of our faith and that is why we do our best in implementing the priority ministries in our Pastoral Plan.”
3. 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIOCESE OF CHALAN KANOA AND THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL CHURCH
This Year, the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa took a trip down memory lane and commemorated two important events in the history of the Church here in the Northern Marianas Islands: The establishment of the Church in the CNMI as a separate diocese from Guam on November 8, 1984 and the Dedication of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on December 14, 1949.
Bishop Ryan with the clergy of the diocese led the Masses of Thanksgiving to commemorate these two events in a simple yet solemn celebration with all the faithful. On November 8th, Fr. Jeff San Nicholas who is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Agana was the homilist to represent the Church of Guam, whose ecclesiastical jurisdiction Saipan was under for many years until the 1984.
On December 14th, Bishop Ryan in another simple celebration in which all the clergy of the diocese were present, recalled the humble beginning of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Which was build by the sweat and labor of the faithful of Saipan. After the war, this church became the main parish church for the island of Saipan.
4. ANNUAL SPORTS FEST
“Let the games begin!” exclaimed Bishop Ryan inside the MHS gym after saying his blessing over the participants. After a round of applause and cheers filled the gymnasium, the 2019 Sports Fest of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa began.
Most of the youths in the parishes of Saipan and Tinian already look forward to the annual sports fest which is organized by the Diocesan Youth Commission. This year, the sporting event was held at Marianas High School from July 19-21, 2019.
The weekend was a fusion of healthy doses of physical and spiritual experience for the young people. San Jose, Tinian for the third year in a row once again came out victorious. Tyler Santos from San Jose, Tinian, titled the star player by his peers, shared his thoughts on the weekend. “We were proud to represent our parishes and do our best in playing the sports. We arrived here on Thursday and we leave tomorrow, and there was tough competition here, but overall, the Sportsfest this year went by great.”
5. COMMISSION ON LITURGY PUBLISHED LITURGICAL DOCUMENTS ON FUNERAL, WEDDING AND MUSIC
Liturgy is one of the priority ministries that was identified by the Diocesan Pastoral Plan which was began two years ago. This year, thanks to the hard work of Mrs. Margaret Dela Cruz and the members of the commission, the diocese was able to complete and publish 3 documents of Wedding, Christian Funeral and Liturgical Music.
Last May, the Liturgical Guidelines on the Celebration of Christian Funeral was promulgated and implemented after consultation with the clergy and the funeral home directors in the island.
In November, the guidelines on Wedding Ceremony and Liturgical Music was also published for immediate implementation after consultation again with the clergy and the parish choirs of the diocese.
The aim of these documents is to highlight the most important aspects of different liturgical celebrations and to create uniformity in the celebrations of the sacraments throughout the diocese.
6. MCS OPENS SCHOOL YEAR WITH ANOTHER STRONG ENROLLMENT, AFFORDABLE TUITIONS, ALONG WITH SOME NEW AND NOT-SO-NEW FACES
Every year, Saipan’s premier Catholic School has consistently opened the school year strongly, and 2019 is no exception. Early on May, the Board of Directors of MCS decided to maintain current tuition levels. In maintaining current tuition levels, the board recognized that issues such as immigration and austerity measures are weighing heavily on many families. In the past 20 years, the school has only twice raised tuition across the board, in 1999 and in 2009. At the same time, the board also decided to raise employee salaries by 20% to make salaries more competitive.
MCS also further strengthen their staff by adding some new and not-so-new faces: Frances Taimanao, 8th Grade English Teacher; Victoria Deleon Guerrero, Director of Institutional Development; Brittany Norris, Academic Adviser; Jener Pineda, High School Math Teacher; and Randee-Jo Barcinas Manglona, High School English Teacher
7. ANNUAL 5K WALKATHON
The 5K Walkathon organized by the Health Ministry of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa is now officially part of the community events in January here in Saipan. This year, even the early morning rain did not deter over 500 participants to the walkathon.
The Health Ministry, a part of the Diocese’s Commission on Marriage and Family Life, had been planning the event for months. Sherwin Pasillos, a member of the commission and ministry, had shared how the turnout for the day was great.
“We were targeting to reach at least 500 participants, the same number as last year’s 5k walkathon, but today all the shirts were distributed which meant we surpassed our goal. Next week Saturday, February 2nd, we will have the same walkathon in Rota. This is the second year that we’ve done this walkathon, and so we hope to have it continue. For this year, there are some more events under the health committee, so it won’t end with just this walkathon. There will be the Youth Camp, Sports fest, Health Fair, and more. The goal of this walkathon was to bring awareness to the island community about the importance of having a healthy and active lifestyle. With Christmas season over, it is the start of the new year and a new journey to a new self.”
Members of the clergy, the Pastorelle Sisters, CCD students, and parishioners from all over the island were seen walking and running together that morning demonstrating what it means to become healthier disciples of God.
8. LENTEN PARISH MISSIONS
In the past years, Come Back to Life Program was one of the highlights of the Lenten Season here in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. It was normally done by having off-island speakers lead the retreats or by cluster parishes. This year, the Faith Formation Committee led by Fr. Ken Hezel, SJ, organized a Parish Mission Program in the parishes in Saipan, Tinian and Rota, with Bishop Ryan himself personally leading the retreats. “I welcome this opportunity to visit once again parishes and to personally engage our parishioners,” says Bishop Ryan.
The theme that Fr. Ken and the members of the Faith Formation Committee chose for these Lenten reflections is taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Tim. 1:5-6)
Unlike in the past Lenten Retreats where the target audience was largely the CCD students (Confirmation and Pre-Confirmation), the committee wanted to emphasize that this Lenten Parish Mission is for ALL parishioners and not only CCD students.
9. RCIA PROGRAM
24 candidates for the 2019 RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) received the sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation last Easter Vigil presided by Most Rev. Ryan P. Jimenez, D. D.
The RCIA program of the diocese under the Faith Formation Ministry and the Office of Religious Education is its response to the growing number of people who grew up as adults without receiving baptism or without completing their Sacraments of Initiation (First Holy Communion and Confirmation). RCIA are for those in their twenties and above who obviously cannot be placed in the same classes with the teens. This is the second year that the diocese fully implemented the RCIA including the various stages (scrutinies) which are normally done in the Sundays of Lent leading towards the Easter Vigil.
10. 5 COUPLES RECEIVED SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
The Commission on Marriage and Family Life completed its Annual Group Wedding with the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony by 5 couples on the Feast of the Holy Family.
In a simple yet beautiful wedding celebration officiated by Bishop Ryan Jimenez, along with Father Jason Granado and Father Leo Neil Bullos, OAR, tears of joy were shed as the couples said their vows that placed Jesus as the center of their relationships.
There are many couples in the parishes that have been together for years without receiving Holy Matrimony and suffer without God’s blessings. For the newlywed couples, it was a great moment that raised their spirits and brought an incomparable happiness.
Aside from this event, the commission also completed rounds of Amoris Laetetia Seminars in the islands of Rota last Juanary and in Tinian last May. The seminar was meant to help the faithful, in particular married couples and families to read and understand the document Amoris Laetetia which Pope Francis wrote as an Apostolic Letter in 2016.
