LIPA CITY, November 29, 2009—As the church enters the new liturgical year of Advent today, Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles will formally proclaim 21 pilgrim churches in the whole metropolitan province under his jurisdiction.

The proclamation of pilgrim churches is in preparation for the 1st Centennial Celebration in 2010 of the Archdiocese of Lipa

“From April 10, 2010 to April 10, 2011, the local Church of Lipa will celebrate is Jubilee Year as Pope Benedict XVI has endowed the Archdiocese of Lipa with special grace throughout the year,” the 65-year old prelate said.

Noting the pilgrim churches proclaimed by Pope John Paul II during the great jubilee year of 2000, Arguelles announced that plenary indulgences are gained in visiting these pilgrim churches.

“This means that time a every pilgrim visits any of these 21 churches he receives a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions,” he emphasized.

These conditions include the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation within the octave before or after the prayerful visit, participation in the Eucharist and Communion on the said day, praying one Our Father, a Hail Mary, a glory Be and the Apostles Creed for the intentions of the Holy Father and doing an Act of Charity.

“A plenary indulgence is the Church’s way of remission of all punishment due to forgiven sins which can be applied to oneself or the souls in purgatory and it cannot be applied by one to another person still living on earth,” he further said.

Listed as Pilgrimage Churches are the Parishes of St. John the Baptist (Lian), Immaculate Conception (Balayan), St. Francis Xavier (Nasugbu), St. Raphael (Calaca), Minor Basilica of St. Martin of Tours (Taal), Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay (Labac, Taal), Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Sta. Teresita), minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Batangas), Most Holy Trinity and Shrine of the Glorious Cross (Pallocan West, Batangas City), St. John Nepomuceno (San Juan), Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch (San Jose), Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian (Lipa), Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer (Banaybanay), Divino Amor Chapel (Redemptorist, Lipa City), Monastery of Mt. Carmel of Our Lady of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace (Antipolo del Norte), Monastery of Clarisas Capuchians Sacramentalis (Lipa City), Monastery of St. Benedict (Pinagtung-ulan, Lipa), St. Padre Pio (Sto, Tomas), St. John the Evangelist (Tanauan), Immaculate Conception (Bauan), Monastery of Minim Nuns of St. Francis of Paola (Lumbang, Lipa City), Nuestra Senora de Soledad (Darasa, Tanauan City), Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart (Sabang, Lipa), Binakalan Church (Alitagtag) and Holy Family (Bolo).

“The year 2010 is very crucial for the local Church of Lipa which was founded on April 10, 1910 by Pope St. Pius X,” the prelate said.

He added the Diocese of Lipa comprised then of the whole provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Tayabas (now Quezon, Aurora and Marinduque) and Mindoro island.

He recalled it was Pope Paul VI who elevated Lipa into a Metropolitan See in June 20, 1972 with the Dioceses of Lucena and Gumaca in Quezon, Boac (Marinduque), the Apostolic Vicariates of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro and San Jose in Mindoro Occidental and the Prelature of Infanta (parts of Aurora and Quezon provinces) as suffragans.

The Diocese of San Pablo (Laguna) was returned as suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. (Melo Acuña)

Source:  https://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/11379