A Pilgrimage of Hope and Healing with Saint Ezekiel Moreno

Saint Ezekiel Moreno Novitiate-Recoletos in Antipolo City recently embarked on a profound spiritual journey with the launching of “Pilgrimage of Hope and Healing,” honoring Saint Ezekiel Moreno, patron saint of cancer patients and a revered icon in the Order of Augustinian Recollects. This event occurred last Saturday, September 21, 2024, at the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

The community of Recoletos de Antipolo, which comprises the novices, pre-novices, the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (SARF), and the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY), came together at Antipolo Cathedral to honor Saint Ezekiel Moreno in a heartfelt ceremony of enthroning and venerating the bust of Padre Ezekiel, which enshrines the largest first-class bone-relic of the saint in the Philippines. The solemn enthronement was presided over by Rev. Fr. Joseph Cyprian Panaligan, OAR, Vice Prior of the Saint Ezekiel Moreno Novitiate-Recoletos, followed by the Eucharistic Celebration, presided over by Rev. Fr. Rommel Rubia, OAR, Novice Master, concelebrated by the religious priests of the community.

After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the community gathered in the camarín where the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother of Antipolo rests, offering heartfelt prayers and deep reverence. A harmonious singing of the Salve Regina followed that enveloped the space with devotion at the sight of the revered statue of the Blessed Mother.

The bust of Padre Ezekiel has returned to the novitiate after a period of public veneration at the cathedral. This pilgrimage is not just a single event but a journey that will traverse various significant churches across the Philippines, deeply connected to the life and mission of Padre Ezekiel over fifteen years of being a missionary on the Philippine shores. This will also weave through various churches to cultivate devotion, especially among those who are sick with cancer, to ask for his intercession and prayers.

The pilgrimage aims to deepen the devotion to Saint Ezekiel, especially as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has elevated his feast day to an obligatory memorial. This is also a remarkable activity that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Province of Saint Ezekiel Moreno.