For the Parish of St Mary Euphrasia in the Philippines, Pistang Hulio Festival is a vibrant celebration of faith, unity, and the enduring legacy of their beloved patroness, St Mary Euphrasia.
July’s festivities commenced with an Opening Salvo, igniting the spirit of joy and anticipation within the parish community. This was followed by a procession in which the image of St Mary Euphrasia visited various neighborhoods, spreading her message of love and compassion.
The Cultural Night showcased the rich cultural heritage of the community through music, dance, and art, reflecting the unity and diversity that St Mary Euphrasia championed. The Grand Parade brought together residents in a colorful display of faith and festivity, demonstrating the collective spirit of the parish.
A highlight of the celebration was the nine day novena of prayer and reflection, deepening their spiritual connection with our patroness. The Grand Karakol followed, a lively dance procession expressing gratitude and devotion. The celebrations culminated in the Misa-Concelebrada and Misa-Mayor, solemn masses led by our Bishop and guest priests, marking the pinnacle of our communal worship.
St. Mary Euphrasia’s legacy of evangelization through compassion, social work, and spiritual guidance was evident in every event. Her teachings continue to inspire and unite our community, reinforcing our commitment to her mission.
Further, across the region, over 500 educators from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore gathered together online to visit each other’s schools and engage in open-hearted conversations relating to the Congregational Call to Action on the Universal Culture of Justice.
Organized by the Good Shepherd Asia Pacific Educators Committee, the July 27 event ‘Be the Spark’ was hosted to celebrate St Mary Euphrasia’s birthday and her legacy in Asia – where over 2000 educators shape and influence over 35,000 young minds through our 35 Good Shepherd schools in the region.
The global staff rooms were opportunities to dream together to respond to the new generation upholding the true spirit of St Mary Euphrasia. With the theme, “Love is our banner,” they committed to building tunnels, skywalks, and bridges to integrate justice at the core of education, thereby paving new pathways.
Another of our Good Shepherd schools, Carrera Sánchez Bruno in Ecuador, led up to the birthday of our foundress with three days of celebrations.
Drawing to a close today, the days were filled with creativity and community, in which they enjoyed games, competitions, plays, musical performances by teachers, students and their families, fundraising events, band parades, and moments for reflection and prayer.
The spectacular days brought a sense of renewed zeal to the school and created memories that will remain in their hearts.
On St Mary Euphrasia’s native island of Noirmoutier in France, sisters and partners-in-mission came together to celebrate a Eucharistic Mass at St Philibert’s Church in her honour.
Four celebrants and over a hundred people attended the joyful event following which everyone was invited to watch a short video on the life of Saint Mary Euphrasia and to raise a glass to her legacy.
A special mention goes to Mrs Lilianne Gibault, President of the Association of the Friends of Noirmoutier, who has just written a book entitled Portraits de Femmes de Noirmoutier (Portraits of Women from Noirmoutier) and was on hand with Sarah Elbisser, our archivist at the Motherhouse in Angers, to answer many of the questions that came thick and fast following the screening of the film.
The event finished with mission partners sharing about how the legacy and life of Saint Mary Euphrasia live on through the global mission of the Congregation.
What did you do to celebrate the birthday of Saint Mary Euphrasia? Send your pictures and stories to editorial@olcgs.org
