Remase Marks The 40th Edsa Anniversary: A Day Of Faith, Memory, And Hope

Forty years after the world witnessed the peaceful uprising that restored democracy to the Philippines, the Saint Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao stood in solidarity with the entire Filipino people in commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

With theme “40th People Power Anniversary: Celebrating Faith, Freedom, and Peace—A Day of Prayer, Remembrance, and Hope,” the seminary dedicated an entire day to prayerful reflection, patriotic remembrance, and communal discernment.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, in its pastoral letter “Remember the Wonders the Lord Has Done,” invited the country to three sacred tasks: to remember, to repent, and to respond. ReMaSe answered this call knowing that seminarians—future shepherds of the Church—are called not only to preach the truth but to accompany a people who continue to long for justice, integrity, and national renewal.

From the earliest hours of the morning, the seminary community entered into the spirit of commemoration with a Novena Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, whose maternal mantle once protected the peaceful crowds at EDSA. Standing before her image, the community invoked her intercession anew for a nation still wrestling with corruption, poverty, and moral fatigue.

A special flag-raising ceremony followed, solemn yet resolute. As the Philippine flag ascended against the morning sky, seminarians and formators stood in silence, embodying a unity that mirrors the millions who once linked arms on EDSA. The gesture, simple yet profound, became an act of gratitude for the freedom won by nameless heroes—mothers, youth, clergy, the elderly—whose faith proved stronger than fear.

Midmorning, the community gathered at the seminary refectory for the film-viewing of “A Dangerous Life,” a documentary that revisits the events leading to the downfall of the dictatorship in 1986. Through cinematic retelling, the seminarians experienced once more the climate of fear, courage, and moral clarity that defined those critical days.

The film served not just as a history lesson but as an invitation to vigilance. As the CBCP warns, the crisis today is not only political but profoundly moral: a society gradually losing its ability to discern good from evil, truth from manipulation.

In the afternoon, the community gathered at the ReMaSe gymnasium for a Conversation in the Spirit, culminating in a plenary sharing of insights. The method, imbued with synodal spirituality, allowed seminarians to listen—to God, to one another, and to the cry of the nation.

As the day drew to a close, the ReMaSe community joined the faithful of the Archdiocese of Davao for the 5:30 p.m. Eucharistic Celebration at the San Pedro Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Romulo G. Valles with the presence of Auxiliary Bishop George Rimando and concelebrating clergy from the various parishes and institutions.

Following the Mass, the faithful processed in prayer toward the Davao City Centennial Park for a candle-lighting ceremony and prayer rally. As candles flickered in the night, so too did hope—a reminder that even the smallest flame can pierce the deepest darkness.

For seminarians—future pastors of God’s people—commemorating EDSA is a formative task. It teaches that shepherding includes defending human dignity, promoting justice, and safeguarding the soul of the nation.

The miracle of EDSA was, and remains, a kairos—a moment of grace.

Forty years later, the Lord invites His people once more: to remember with gratitude, to repent with humility, and to respond with courage and love.

People Power lives on wherever faith becomes action, and wherever love for God becomes love for country. (St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao)