CTK Youth Leaders’ Outing-Pilgrimage to Holy Land Subic
The CTK Youth Ministry held its Youth leaders outing-pilgrimage to Holy Land Subic last May 27.
Led by Youth Ministry heads Louie and Lei Abando, Youth coordinator Althea Geronilla, Youth core members Teenie de Leon and Mikey Malixi , and accompanied by no less than Fr. Bong Tupino, the 25 youth accompanied by a handful of other adult supervisors and counselors left CTK at 6:45AM, arriving at Subic at 10:00AM.
The first order of the day was to pray before the Pilgrims’ Prayer wall where everyone wrote down their own personal petitions, then placing these petition papers between the cracks in the wall. Similar to what pilgrims to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem do, the CTK youth pilgrims raised their petitions to express the prayers in their hearts which hopefully would be interceded on their behalf by the saints and holy men and women in Heaven.
This was followed by meditating at the Apparition of Fatima area, before the group picture taking.
The group then walked the way of the Lord by going through the Way of the Cross around the Sanctuary. Under the scorching heat, the youth pilgrims reflected before the different Stations the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. ‘It was a great way for us to understand the life of Christ during His Passion,’ explained Althea.
Afterwards, the pilgrims took a quick lunch break to gather their thoughts and to rest. But shortly after, they all gathered in the Chapel of Jesus and Mary at Cana. Maribi Garcia, the President & CEO (and CTK Parishioner) of the Holy Land Subic Foundation shared with them the journey she experienced, with its challenges and struggles that were faced in building the Holy Land Subic site in the Philippines.
They then celebrated the Eucharist presided by CTK parish priest Fr. Bong Tupino, joined by another group from Quezon City. Afterwards, some of our Youth Ministry core members led the praying of the Rosary while reflecting on the Joyful Mysteries.
Looking back on the day’s events, Althea said, ‘The day was filled with love and light, reJlecting on the beauty of God’s plan. For us, who may not be able to go all the way to the Holy Land in Jerusalem, we journeyed with grateful hearts in this Sanctuary and left going home with so much gratitude in our hearts that came filled with prayers to be lifted up.’
The 37 tired, weary but spiritually satisfied pilgrims left Subic at 4 pm and arrived back in CTK at 6:30 pm.
Two months later, last August 2, another pilgrimage to Holy Land Subic took place, this one led by Bishop Raul Martirez. The tour bus left CTK at 9 am, proceeding first to an early lunch place. Then the pilgrims stopped over at the Chapel of Cana to visit the Cenacle. Snacks were served before the 4 pm guided tour of Holy Land Subic. At 5:30, Bishop Raul said a special mass, followed at 6:30 pm with a short half-hour candle-lit rosary procession with the image of Our Lady of Fatima. Dinner was served at 7 pm and by 8 pm, the pilgrims were on their way back to CTK.
