Mary’s Son with Us

(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., during the 54th Parochial Fiesta of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, Bajada, Last June 21, 2026.)

I’m happy as your bishop to present this first half of this homily to give thanks to the Lord for the gift of faith. Look your beautiful side chapel, sacristy and confessionals, gara pag-ayo, but all this, you, it’s for you. When you go to the chapel kay medyo daghang tao diri and you kneel there rich or poor is welcome. You kneel there you’d feel in the hustle and bustle of life, maghuna-huna ta sa atong mga utang, maghuna-huna ta sa atong arthritis, we go to the chapel and like the Blessed Mother there in the chapel we’re assured that her Son is with us. We thank the Lord, grasya, blessing, for this fiesta.

And then bishop what is the connection of the confessionals, 3 beautiful confessionals. Maybe some of you can get the meaning but I hope many. Mary would like us to be reconciled to her Son. The confession is very important, so it’s a blessing that there is a place that we would be moved from the chapel perhaps or here we are moved to come or to go to be reconciled to the Son of Mary, our Savior.

So as catechists, GKK Leaders, sa youth, finance council o PPC nga nagspearhead sa atong dako nga na project, youth ministers, mga altar servers, this is a day of rejoicing together manifested as parish life, our faith salamat sa Diyos. Viva Maria!

Now, the second part, blessing. I’d like to propose the second part, the blessing that we would like Mama Mary, beg her that we would be granted this grace. Katong unang parte given murag go na ta but kining ikaduhang parte for this day, Mama Mary for this fiesta hatagi mi gamay mao ning special pangayo. Number 1, examine your fears, niingon si Lord today: Fear no one. Estoryahi.

But the Lord says, her Son, our Savior: Fear no one. Then we examine our fears, valid fears, though I say jokingly, valid fears. But today on this fiesta, with Mama Mary, we ask her evaluate our fears and tell us Mother Mary don’t be afraid of this, listen, don’t worry about that and then in the end be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Cana.