The ROSARY BRACELETS AND THE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM

One of the criticisms of the bishop who banned Fr. Suarez in his parish is that he is selling something to the people who come for healing. The bishop did not say that this is the porduct of the livelihood program that Fr. Suarez put up to raise money for the feeding and education assistance projects of the Mary Mother of
Poor Mission

I have thatRosary bracelet.



In Matthew 13:45-46 Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek his
treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys."

When was the Rosary Bracelets Livelihood Program conceived? Fr. Fernando Suarez came to the Philippines June of 2006 with a group of missionaries from Canada to start up a livelihood program in Barangay Butong, Taal Batangas, his hometown. The group stayed in Villa Clavel,Nonong Casto, Lemery, Batangas through the hospitality of the owner Clavel Bendaňa.

Josephine Marie “Baby” Lizares who happened to be staying with Clavel at the time was asked to look after the missionaries during their stay. It became evident that it was all a part of God’s plan as Fr. Fernando ended up asking Baby, who has five years experience in making costume jewelry, to head up the livelihood program. Let us just say, the rest is history. To date, we have distributed 250,000 rosary bracelets in the Philippines and all over the world.

What was the inspiration for the rosary bracelets? Fr. Fernando and Baby went to Quiapo to buy materials to be used for the livelihood program. There was a Muslim who kept on following Fr. Fernando trying to sell him a strand of pearls. Fr. Fernando got scared as he would not leave him alone. To get rid of the guy, Fr.Fernando ended up buying the strand of pearls.

Then he thought to himself, “What are we going to do with these pearls?” He was then inspired with the idea of using the pearls to make rosary bracelets. That same day, when they got home,Baby ended-up making the first ever MMP rosary bracelet.


The Phenomenon of the Rosary Bracelets! It
did not take long until the rosary bracelets became a hot commodity. Wherever Fr. Fernando and Fr.Jeff went, they were in demand. The most wonderful thing that happened is the testimonies of people being healed when they rub the bracelets in
the parts of their body that are in pain or inflicted.

The Miracle Rosary Credited for Lump Disappearance. In Valencia, California, Cielly
Pagador testified that on October 23, 2006, she was booked at the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for surgery to remove the mass in her breast. However, on October 21, 2006, the Saturday before her scheduled surgery, she attended a General Assembly of their community and Frances Atienza was distributing some of Fr.Fernando’s rosary bracelets for donation. She took one immediately and started to rub the beads on the
affected area of her breast. She did it again and prayerfully retired to prepare for her surgery the following day. The next day she was immediately wheeled into the
operating room. The anesthesiologist was getting ready to mark the place where the incision was going to be made when suddenly, he asked “Where’s the mass?” He searched for a while but could not find where the lump was. Finally, he decided to abort and cancelled the surgery. She went home praising God and thanking Fr.Fernando and could hardly wait to call everyone to share the good news. The following week, she saw
one of her friends who had enlarged thyroids and was also scheduled for surgery. Having just experienced the miraculous power of the rosary bracelet, she wasted no time to deliver one of them to her. Our Lord through the intercession of His
Blessed Mother did not disappoint again as her friend’s thyroid shrunk so small that her surgery was also cancelled.

As in the parable, the merchant who gave up his merchandise for the pearl he had found, people around the world, through the Most Holy Rosary with the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, give up all their concerns to “The Pearl of Great Price”,
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for truly, He is the only answer to our concerns.

Father Fernando Suarez Feeding Program and Education Assistance Program

FEEDING PROGRAM – Batangas City, Phil. On Feb.6, 2008, Fr. Jeff Shannon with
Canadian volunteers participated in the 5th school to launch the MMP Feeding Program in Pagkilatan Elementary School, Batangas City.

Currently, Mary Mother of the Poor’s Feeding program provides for 3,000 malnourished students in 5 schools: Pulot Aplaya (seashore), Pulot Itaas (mountain top), De La Paz Itaas (mountain top as well), Ilihan and recently launched in Pagkilatan.
The cooking is done by volunteers consisting of parents and teachers. Principals of the schools determine which students from very poor families are in dire need of food. The respective schools provide for the utensils and the budget provided by
the Foundation is used solely for food. he schools provide lunch 5 days a week which
includes fish, vegetables and other nutritious food.

All schools fall under Fr. Eugene Peñaloza
IV’s, Parish of St. Michael the Archangel.


EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM – Phil.Mary Mother of the Poor is currently assisting
116 students in different levels: 40 in high school 60 in elementary school, 16 in college, 4 of which are seminarians: 4 from St. Frances de Sales in Lipa, 1 from St. Paul in Tagaytay, and 1 from SVD
(Society of Divine Word) in Tagaytay as well.
The criteria are that the students are poor and deserving, with good academic standing. The term of the assistance is full term up to graduation.
Ongoing monitoring of academic standing is done through report cards and regular interviews.

To help, please mail your donations
payable to Mary Mother of the Poor to:
Canada: Tel: 613 225-6212
1568 Merivale Rd., Suite 103
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2G 5Y7
USA: Tel: 815 262-1691
5411 East State St. #356
Rockford, IL USA 61108
Philippines: Tel: 632 772-2190
22 Don Ramon Santos St, Phase 6 A, BF Homes
Parañaque City, Philippines

FATHER FERNANDO SUAREZ SCHEDULE FOR JUNE 2008

(Friday, May 30 - Sunday June 1: Vigil @ Montemaria)
Sunday, June 1, 2008: Vigil
6:00 AM Holy Mass

Contact: Aileen Galang
842-3772 and 842-3794



Thursday, June 5, 2008
9:00 AM Holy Mass & Healing Services -
Lake Shore Tent - Km. 71 - NLEX (Mexico Exit) Mexico,Pampanga

Contact:
Lynne-63919 728 9382;
Abby - 63917 859 9367



Monday, June 9, 2008
9:00 AM Holy Mass & Healing Services - San Jose De Navotas Parish
M. Naval St., San Jose, Navotas City , Metro Manila

Contact Person:
Kai Llobrera
Tel: (632) 361-9924
Cell: 63928-942-6856

Here is Father Fernando Suarez' schedule for the month of June 2008.

June 12-17, Germany
Friday, June 13, 2008 to Sunday, June 15, 2008
St. Augustin Mission Seminary
Arnold-Janssen- Strasse 30, 53757 Sankt Augustin,
Bonn, GERMANY|

Contact: Fr. Adonis Narcelles Jr. SVD.
Schedule to follow
June 17-20, Switzerland
Schedule, venue and contact info to follow

June 30-Jul7, Vienna
Schedule, venue and contact info to follow

Father Fernando's sense of humor

Father Fernando is a very simple man but like other ordinary person he has also a sense of humor. Although the story is true, the way he narrated the story in the gathering of 2000 people in Atlanta in June 2007, you can not help but laugh.

Using humor, the Filipino priest shared the story of his first healing of a crippled beggar woman whom he took pity on and prayed with after attending Mass when he was a college student. He closed his eyes, made the Sign of the Cross and prayed “an Our Father, Hail Mary and a Glory Be.”

“When I opened my eyes she was standing, walking. My first reaction was that I got scared. I ran home and told my mom that if a woman comes here and says she’s been healed, she’s crazy,” recalled Father Suarez with a laugh.

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles, Father Fernando Suarez schedules,Father Fernando Suarez touched by a miracle,Divine Mercy

RP's Global Healing Center

This is an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer about the Montemaria Healing Center.

Stage set for RP as global healing center

By Bernardo V. Lopez
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Last Christmas eve, the security guard at Montemaria in Batangas saw from afar a bright glow on the makeshift altar-stage.He thought the electricity had been installed. But then, he thought, why now in the middle of the night, on the eve of Christmas?

When he went out to check, the light was gone.

The guard sent a text message reporting the incident to Paz Monteclaro of the Mary Mother of the Poor Foundation (MMPF), which supports Fr. Fernando Suarez, the now famous healer of the blind, deaf, mute and lame.

Both Suarez and the MMPF wondered: Was this mysterious light, which came at the time of the birth of Jesus, perhaps an omen of His coming to this remote hillside?

Suarez and the foundation are feverishly preparing for a big event at Montemaria on Jan. 11-13, a vigil that Suarez has named “Healing the Nation by Prayer and Adoration”—deemed timely in this era of turmoil, economic decline and disasters.

They expect a huge crowd, perhaps the beginnings of the vision of a global healing center.

The logistics are extremely simple—a tent that can accommodate about 80 people when thousands are expected to come. Pilgrims will have to bring their own food and beddings, and sleep under the stars.

Suarez is praying for good weather. He says the tent is “biblical,” reminiscent of that used in the desert when the Jews wandered to the Holy Land from Egypt.

Before the Christmas Eve glow, there had been many strange omens at Montemaria—earth, wind, water, and now fire, the primordial elements of our planet.

First, the wind omen: During the groundbreaking and blessing of the altar-stage in January 2007, just as Suarez was beginning his homily, the calm was broken by a violent wind.

When others, including a bishop, spoke, everything became calm once more.

Second, the water omen: Just as Suarez began sprinkling holy water on the altar-stage, an eerie drizzle of fine raindrops descended on the 500-odd people attending the ceremony. It was as if the heavens were joining him in blessing the place.

Some of those present reported an odd, circular cloud hovering above them. There were many pictures taken. (I am still trying to get a copy.) Suarez himself said he saw a cloud in the form of a hand.

Third, and most spectacular, the earth omen: The stones taken from Montemaria by Fr. Nap Baltazar of the parish of St. Francis of Assisi were reported to have healed cancer and diabetes patients. (See Inquirer, Dec. 2, 2007, or search for “montemaria healing stones” at www.youtube.com.)

Last Oct. 22, after news of the healing stones had spread like wildfire, Baltazar celebrated a healing Mass at Montemaria. Some 400 devotees were in attendance, and the same fine drizzle descended on them.

Baltazar, who had yet to meet Suarez then, said: “Montemaria is a sacred place of healing, just like Lourdes and Fatima.”

When the “rock priest” and the healing priest finally met on Dec. 19, they embraced like old friends.

Perhaps by divine inspiration, Suarez had envisioned Montemaria as a global healing center.

He did not even know that this might be a fulfillment of a Marian message at Medjugorje that the Philippines would become a global spiritual center one day.

Indeed, Montemaria may be a continuation of Medjugorje, if the many omens lead to a realization.

Montemaria’s global character is evident. Suarez reports that many people in Europe and America are asking about it.

Foreigners know more about Montemaria than Filipinos do because of the Internet (See www.fatherfernando.com and www.marymotherofthepoor.org). They are all anxious to go to Montemaria even when there is nothing there now except a makeshift altar-stage.

Big plans, designed by architect Nestor Mangio, are afoot at Montemaria.

Mangio met Suarez by “divine accident” in Ottawa, Canada, which is the base of the latter’s congregation, Companions of the Cross.

The architect instantly offered his services for free.

Mangio’s blueprint includes the first two edifices that will rise late this year—a residence for the ministry called the House of St. Joseph (to be donated by MMPF stalwarts Greg and Paz Monteclaro), and a prayer chapel called the House of Mary (a replica “down to the last brick” of an ancient shrine in Ephesus, Turkey).

The megashrine of Our Lady of the Poor (according to Suarez, to include the poor in spirit and not just the financially poor) will follow. The statue will stand 102 meters tall and will include a 40-meter pedestal and a complex of large rooms of several floors.

There will also be an oratory the size of a cathedral, and a dozen or so chapels scattered all over the 18-hectare complex.

The history of Marian apparitions through the centuries, from Fatima to Lourdes to Medjugorje, shows that they often occur before a cataclysm.

The apparitions at Fatima occurred before the bloody Spanish Civil War, at Lourdes before World War I, and at Medjugorje before the bloodbath of the Serbian wars.

It is as if the Lord is frantically reaching out to a sinful world through His mother, the last and only prophet of the New Testament.

The flood of healing is an omen, a warning for humanity to return to His fold.

This is the recurring theme throughout the Old and New Testaments about the relationship of humanity with God — sin and punishment, the return to His fold, forgiveness and reconciliation.

In his homilies, Suarez always cites the lack of prayer, the no-longer-having-time-for-the-Lord attitude, as the essential ingredients behind His disappointment (manifested in rampant terminal ailments such as cancer) and His joy when people return to His fold (manifested in rampant healing).

He uses Suarez’s touch as an instrument for these messages, which are as old as those in Genesis and Exodus.

Will Montemaria rise as a global event in fulfillment of the Lord’s healing message?

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles, Father Fernando Suarez schedules,Father Fernando Suarez touched by a miracle

MEDUGORJE PROPHECY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

Međugorje ([ˈmɛdʑu.ɡɔːrjɛ], roughly meh’-joo-gor-yeh) is a town located in Hercegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, around 25 km southwest of Mostar and close to the border of Croatia. Today the town is best known due to apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary which appeared to six Herzegovinian Croats since 24 June 1981[1], and is now visited by pilgrims from around the entire world as a shrine.

Medjugorge Prophecy on RP soon to be fulfilled?
By BINGO P. DEJARESCO

MANILA. A message from Our Lady of Medjugorge spoke of the Philippines to become the "global spiritual center." Will this become a reality soon?

The Philippines, the only Catholic nation in Asia, has a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Last January 7, two thousand people watched the groundbreaking of the Shrine of Montemaria dedicated to "Mary Mother of the Poor" at the Southern part of Batangas City Bay area facing the famous Verde Island.

The statue of the Shrine of Montemaria will be 102 meters high - higher than New York City's Statue of Liberty (96 meters high) and Rio de Janeiro has Statue of Jesus (100 meters high).

The pilgrimage site is five-hectares of land (donated by Batangas tycoon) whose development will cost P8 billion funded from donations of Filipinos - P200 million of which is already deposited in a bank.

The pilgrim site which can accommodate as much as 2,000 pilgrims will honor the massive shrine together with a Montemaria oratory of the Blessed Virgin, a cathedral-like complex to be built along the slope of the mountain. In the complex will be a Rosary Garden, Way of the cross, Eucharistic and Adoration Chapel, St. Joseph Chapel, Divine Mercy Chapel, colambarium and retreat houses for pilgrims.

The humongous statue of the Blessed Virgin can be seen from the ships passing through a major shipping lane called "Verde Strait" where as many as 200 ships pass daily. The Verde Island, known for its biodiversity of aquatic species is part of the "Sulawesi Triangle extending from Batangas to Borneo in the West and Celebes in the South.

The "Sulawesi Triangle" a 300,000 square kilometer area is the "richest in marine biodiversity in the world."

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles, Father Fernando Suarez schedules,Father Fernando Suarez touched by a miracle

The avid watchers of Father Fernando Suarez

CBCP said that they are closely watching Father Fernando Suarez activities. According to the article of Larry Faraon, instead of being avid watchers, these Church authorities should help in the effective crowd control since many people attending to these healing sessions are desperate or may be too poor to spend on expensive medicines just to extend their physical lives.

Before this article will be buried in the archives of the newspaper, I am preserving it here in this blog.

Larry Faraon

There is no doubt Fr. Fernando Suarez is gifted with whatever charismatic gifts there are in order to bring people to an experience mostly of instant physical healing. From an evangelical point of view, such healings should lead to a deeper experience of faith among the people. We thank the Lord for sending and using mightily such ministers of healing to manifest God’s mercy and love among the sick members of the flock. But the healing crusades of Father Suarez seem to have their share of unexpected turn of events, for instance, the almost unmanageable mass of people coming in droves and crowding the healing venues, long queues of people exasperated for waiting to be prayed over. There are obvious frustrations, disappointments, the irrational rush for tickets and sadly even sudden deaths happening right there in the venues of the healing sessions. But all of these sad turn of events are inevitable results of a lavish media hype surrounding the activities of the healing priest. The publicity afforded such healing services simply exploded.

Healings and miracles are happening everywhere without much media coverage and hype such as those in the thousands of prayers answered, mostly healing petitions in the popular shrines of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo, Our Lady of the Rosary in Manaoag, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, or Our Lady of Good Voyage in Antipolo among others. Also, in our midst are other noted personalities with healing gifts such as Sister Gloria, RVM, Fr. Joey Faller, Fr. Teofilo Rustia, Fr. Andres Cacao and lay Catholic healers, Bro. Jiggers Alejandrino, Bro. Mike Velarde, Bro. Bo Sanchez, etc. Even the local arbularyo and a host of psychic healers littering the different parts of the country register healing successes among their believers. But there isn’t much hype or sensationalism in these healings. Mostly, especially in devotional centers, the healings happen in the privacy or confines of one’s very deep personal faith without media fanfare.

Now here come some bishops with loads of questions thrown on Father Suarez’s floor regarding his background, past activities especially in Canada where he is based, his merchandise and marketing of rosaries and DVDs to which the healing priest attributes healing powers, the construction of a gigantic Monte Maria Shrine where an image of the Virgin Mary shall dwarf the Statue of Liberty in New York, the “healing stones” and, of course, his violations of official protocol with the local bishop. Today, the healing ministry of Father Suarez is under the tight watch of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Phlippines.

The “watchers,” however, should go beyond the issues of merchandise, the church collections, the shrine, but should dig deeper into the meaning of all these phenomenal events. All of these peripheral issues could be answered by Father Suarez and his group satisfactorily in due time. In the meantime, what an opportunity for the church to reflect deeply on its universal healing mission, especially when in the past and presently, the institutional church represented by some bishops and priests have created more wounds and hurts among the “unwashed, uneducated, smelly” — the marginalized, rather than heal the wounds inflicted by religious bias, bigotry, negligence and Phariseeism.

For instance, the poor masses were wounded when some of their religious leaders joined hands with the plotters to oust a president they chose to lead them; also their eventual silence and indecisiveness on some glaring issues of corruption in government. Wounds are still gaping wide among the Catholic flock, while insult continues to be added on to the injury. These urgently need healing, too.

In my experience as a priest and pastor, physical healing is the easiest and most common form of healing. The more difficult is spiritual, emotional and psychological healing which revolves around acts of humility, repentance and forgiveness. Physical healing simply extends the borrowed biological life God has given us. Eventually, we shall all die; but not our hearts, minds and spirits; hence, the necessity of spiritual healing. There is so much the church leaders should be doing rather than just becoming avid watchers of the activities of healing priests.

In the meantime, the concern of Father Suarez and his organizers and perhaps of the bishops themselves should focus on effective crowd control. The people who come to the healing sessions are no ordinary people with ordinary needs. They are mostly desperate people wanting to liberate themselves from all sorts of illnesses without the benefit of costly medicines and hospital care, which they cannot afford to pay in the first place.

A repeat of the nightmarish Wowowee tragedy does not deserve an encore among these poor healing hopefuls, although both crowds were creations of media hype and the overrated expectations generated by such. The similarities and tendencies to fanaticism are giving us the chill in the spine. If only the group could get a little education from the crowd control experts of El Shaddai’s over one-hundred thousand regular attendees, then some unpalatable or untoward incidents could be averted. The worst thing that could ever happen in these grace-filled events is when there would be more wounds inflicted than wounds healed.

After all, the God who heals, Yahweh me rapha, is a God of order.

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles

Berating Father Fernando Suarez is uncalled for said the writer

This is letter published in the Inquirer about the news regarding the Malolos Bishop
filing a complaint against Father Fernando Suarez. I wholeheartedly agree to the writer.

As Catholics, we do understand that it is only proper that religious activities involving Catholic priests, especially healing sessions, must have the approval of the bishop of the place, he being the head of the diocese. But I think it was not proper for Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros to blame Fr. Fernando Suarez before the media, for all the world to see, that the latter’s healing session did not have the bishop’s imprimatur.

In the first place, I do believe that Father Suarez would not go to a certain parish to conduct a healing session if he were not invited by the parish priest of that place. I think Father Suarez and his group, when they go to a place for the purpose, assume that all requirements have been met by the parish priest concerned.

Before blaming Father Suarez, the beloved Bishop Oliveros should have done some investigation first and asked the concerned parish priest of his diocese. Then he would have had reason to reprimand those who have committed mistakes, if indeed there were any. And for the good of the Roman Catholic Church, he should not have told the media about it.

Telling the media that he is planning to write a formal complaint to the religious superiors of Father Suarez was, I think, unnecessary. Maybe he could have just invited Father Suarez to a dialogue which, I believe, the good father would have welcomed.

Father Suarez is a very simple, very humble person, and you can see in his being the image of Christ, healing the sick, raising the dead to life, in many parts of the world. Instead of making some negative statements against the poor priest, we should be proud that we in the Roman Catholic Church have somebody in the real image of Christ.

And also as Filipinos: We should be proud and happy that Father Suarez is a genuine Filipino, by his looks and by the way he speaks and moves. Even though he finished his priesthood in Canada and stayed there for a long time, you cannot see any foreign qualities in him. And the best thing that he did was to decide to stay here in the Philippines for good by putting up a healing center that will benefit all Filipinos.

All of us Catholics, and all Filipinos for that matter, should inspire Father Suarez to go on sharing the gift of healing he received from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. “Mabuhay ka,” Father Suarez! We love you.

ED DEL ROSARIO (via email)

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles

Healing Testimonials

Healing Testimonials from People Who have been healed by Father Suarez

1.

Dr. Ching Manalo of Ayala Alabang Village had a cataract operation on her left eye in July, 2004. It was not successful. Then she had a glaucoma and corneal irritation which made her vision very difficult and hazy.

In July 2005, she had a corneal transplant which made her see but uncomfortably. She could not read small letters and her left eye was always itchy.

"On July 19, 2006, she attended the healing mass of Fr. Suarez and was prayed over. I immediately experienced a vast improvement of my left eye as I could then see all the statues of saints in the church which I wasn’t able to before. I was overwhelmed with joy although I initially thought it was only my imagination and wistful thing that I was cured.

On Tuesday, July 26, I was again prayed over by Fr. Suarez and he told me not to doubt. I "rested" in the spirit after he prayed over me. Then I tried to read the small letters of a newspaper and I could see the small letters!

That afternoon I went to my eye doctor for my monthly checkup and he was very happy and satisfied with the great improvement of my eye. He then advised me to stop all my eye drops; that I will see him every three months instead of monthly; and I no longer need prescription glasses!

I use a disposable pair now and am very comfortable with it. Praise the Lord!"

2.

Gregoria Benito went to the healing mass at the Manila Cathedral in pain because of her osteoporosis. Now she feels "relieved" of her pains and walks straight!

3.

Bella Pamintuan of Tayuman, 77 years old, had an abnormal heartbeat. After Fr. Edo prayed over her, she felt greatly relieved and no longer had palpitations.

4.

Marissa Cruz has breast cancer and toxic goiter. After being prayed over, she feels "I am healed!" Her painful shoulder and migraine has also been healed, she said.

5.

Daffodil Pastor of Project 6, Q.C., said: "I thank and praise the Lord for healing me of my abdominal pains, stiff neck muscles, chest pains and in my right eye !"

His healing touch has not been confined to making the deaf hear, the blind see and the crippled walk, as the testimony of one Catalina Adocio, nine years old who was suffering from tonsilitis that morning in the Manila Cathedral showed.

She was in pain but after Fr. Suarez prayed over her, her pain disappeared and when she looked into the mirror to see her inflamed tonsils, she saw normal looking tonsils. Yes, God is good!

source: Manila Bulletin



Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles

Miracle or Hoax

There are doubters and there are non-believers.You can not blame them.It is when the need for a miracle when they start believing.



Cure or Hoax

In 1950, Lipa, Batangas was a virtual Lourdes, Fatima, and Mecca rolled into one. All the media headlines focused on the "Shower of Roses" from heaven, the church tower or any unknown portion of roofing and corner of Lipa Cathedral.

Holy caucus

My wife’s grandma Paz Moran-Mata (first cousin of Chief Justice Manuel V. Moran) summoned her clan to a "holy caucus" and asked them to join her in contracting a special bus for a pilgrimage to Lipa.

She ordered my brother-inlaw, Louie Canlas, 12, to join the religious excursion with baon of chicken-pork adobo, white rice, Lingayen fish bagoong, etc.

Farther than Nazareth to Cana

It was a long trip: Lingayen – Manila, 180 km and Manila – Lipa, 80 km or a total of 260 km x 2 (forth and back according to Amang Rodriguez) = 520 km in less than 24 hours. To girls in their 70s hardship was nothing if only they could just catch or breathe one fresh petal from heaven.

Not a drop of half a petal

As Louie described it: "We were outside the churchyard as people stood on streets and alleys, all looking up and waiting for a rain of roses."

Let’s fast-forward the event. More than 20 years after the "miracle of roses," the official Church version declared it a hoax.

Hardship and suffering

But why the long wait? People suffered hunger, thirst, etc. just to see a miraculous petal drop. According to my barkada in Lemery and Tanauan, "Two altar boys were ordered by naughty priests to shower not more than 10 fresh roses from the tower every other day during dark hours."

Some priests prospered beyond their wildest dream, they continued, selling crucifix, rosaries (some with fewer than 10 beads), estampitas, poorly printed missal, pins, and all the items Christ saw at His Father’s Temple in about 30 BC.

Seeing Christ in a trance?

In the early 1990s, countless thousands flocked to a town in La Union where people of strong faith saw the image of Christ beyond the clouds as told by a young boy after a trance.

My wife and mother-in-law virtually ordered me to join them in a pilgrimage. I reminded them of Lola’s Calvary in Lipa some 42 years earlier. My final excuse: I was of little faith anyway and the vision was of no use to me.

Sum total of physics

The boy they saw in long habiliments had prospered fast and quick. The church had declared the apparition as a variation of Einstein’s knowledge of the universe, the sun and high physics.

There’s a new healing priest who travels fast and far from south to north via Manila’s popular church near Malacañang.

Higher somehow

This case is different, but definitely higher than most "miracles" known to Filipinos like Cana, Lourdes and Fatima. According to one priest in Mexico, Pampanga: "I checked his pulse, his neck and stomach. I didn’t hear a heartbeat. He was lifeless."

No stethoscope to check death

The "dead" patient began to stir after a blessing in his direction from Suarez, the healing priest. Remember, the dead was pronounced lifeless by a priest without a stethoscope – the instrument doctors use to listen to sounds in the body like the heart, lungs, etc.

The priest was not lying, but could not simply conclude that the sick man was dead, alive, dying or far from dead by feeling his pulse and stomach.

The visible danger coming from the practice of medicine without the use of the right instrument is not to be sneezed at.

Statue bigger than Liberty in NY

Interviewed by news media the healing priest’s first project is to build a religious statue higher than Liberty (151 feet or 46 m to the top of the torch), designed by Bartholdi, with Gustave Eiffel’s help, builder of Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In the mid-1980s Pres. Reagan named Lee Iaccoca (former president of Ford Motor) as chairman of a commission to raise funds to repair the statue. Iaccoca resigned without accomplishing his mission of raising tens of millions of dollars.

P100 M for the project?

Can devotees donate R100 M to the project’s organizers a sum that is beyond the government’s power to question in audit?

If Cardinal Sin were around us he could smell a hoax or fraud, like pyramiding.

Father Fernando Suarez,healing prayers,miracles