The Alberione Apostolic Center of the Daughters of St. Paul in Tacloban City was blessed on June 22. Most Rev. Oscar Jaime Florencio, D. D., a close collaborator of the Paulines Media Apostolate officiated the blessing rite and the Eucharistic Celebration. Fr. Ronel Taboso, Parish Priest of the Sto. Niño Church and Fr. Erby Davy Lajara, also a Pauline collaborator, helped to solemnize the event. Other attendees include the Association of Pauline Cooperators, some IMSA members or Annunciationists, Pauline Associates, Pauline Lay Mission Partners, and Friends.
The newly-blessed Apostolic Center, built adjacent to the FSP convent, is a two-storey building with a roof deck. The Center’s first floor is primarily a TV and Radio Production Studio. The multi-purpose apostolic hall located also on the ground floor is intended for Seminars on Scriptures and Media, Formation Sessions for Young People, Book Fora, Art and Music Therapy for the poor and traumatized children. Other projected plans for the near future is the formation of Young Paulines Media Youth Club and production of TV programs for the Youth with the involvement of Paulines Media Youth Club.
Bishop Florencio during his homily recalled their Bethlehem experience at the early stage of the “An Pamilya nga may K, Ok” and “An Binhi” TV productions. It is a blessing in disguise that the Apostolic Center was conceptualized at the aftermath of the storm surge brought about by the typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November 2013.
The TV programs are already on its 13thyear of service, thanks to God’s grace and mercy to the Sisters who consecutively toiled in the TV apostolate, namely Sr. Judith Gabutero, FSP (2006-2009), Sr. Gemma Ria dela Cruz, FSP, (2010-2018) and Sr. Cristina Madrigallos, FSP, who is also the present Local Superior of the Tacloban community.
The Daughters of Saint Paul is grateful to the Catholic Media Council (CAMECO) a consultancy specializing in media and communications, in Aachen, Germany; the Archdiocese of Köln (Cologne) in Germany; and the Kindermissionswerk in Aachen, Germany for financing the project. It was indeed a dream come true for the community of Tacloban, and for the whole PMPT Province.
