St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

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St. Expeditus:  Patron Saint of Speedy Causes The venerated image of St. Expeditus in  the Lipa Cathedral In the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian in Lipa City is a venerated image of a young Roman Centurion saint named Expeditus. Every month of April, a nine day novena in his honor is held in the cathedral that culminates in the celebration of his feast day on the 19th of the month. Who is this saint whose intercession was also invoked in the Oratio Imperata  to avert a catastrophic eruption of Taal Volcano prepared by the Archdiocese of Lipa when the volcano exhibited extra-ordinary activity early  in January, 2020?  St. Expeditus could have found affinity with the Lipenos since the martyr shares a lot of commonality with St. Sebastian, the city’s patron. St. Expeditus, like St. Sebastian was also a young Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was also martyred as a consequence, during the period of Diocletian persecution.  Hence, a devotion to him has developed amo
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Filipino Saints 17: Servant of God Fr. Joseph Aveni, RCJ

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Servant of God Fr. Joseph (Guiseppe) Aveni, RCJ (1918 - 2010)

Pari ng Rogationists of the Heart  

Si Padre Joseph Aveni ay kasapi ng Rogationists of the Sacred Heart, isang kongregasyon ng mga pari at hermano na itinatag ni San Hannibal Maria di Francia sa Italya noong Mayo 16, 1897. Ang salitang rogationist ay nanggaling sa saling Latin na rogate na may kahulugan na manalangin. Ginugol ni Fr. Aveni ang huling 30 taon ng kanyang buhay sa paghuhubog sa mga Pilipinong Rogationista at sa pagtupad ng kanyang mga gawain at tungkulin bilang pari. 

Si Padre Aveni ay isinilang sa Tripi, Messina noong Disyembre 5, 1918. Masasabing likas na relihiyoso ang mga Aveni. Ang kanilang bahay ay kadikit ng simbahan ng San Blas at dingding lamang ang naghahati sa pagitan ng kanilang tahanan at ng altar ng simbahan.

Natutunan niya ang katesismo habang siya ay musmos pa at naging isang madasaling bata kung kaya’t nang makatapos siya ng kanyang elementarya ay ipinahayag niya ang kanyang kagustuhan na maging isang pari. At noon ngang Setyembre 7, 1931, sa gulang na 13, sinimulan niya ang paghuhubog sa buhay relihiyoso sa Apostolic School na pinamamahalaan ng ng mga Paring Rogationista sa Avignone Quarter ng Messina.

Hulyo 15, 1945 nang siya ay naordinahan at opisyal na na naging si Padre Joseph Aveni. Bago pa man sumapit sa gulang na 30, siya ay itinalaga nang Novice Master sa Trani. Nagkaroon siya ng reputasyon bilang isang tunay na maestro ng kabanalan, at pinangasiwaan ang paghuhubog ng napakaraming henerasyon ng mga kabataang Rogationists na patuloy na nakipag-ugnayan sa kaniya sa paglipas ng mga taon. 

Noong 1974, siya ay nahalal bilang Bikaryo Heneral ng kongregasyon. 

Ang kanyang masidhing pagnanasang tupadin ang kalooban ng Diyos ay konkretong makikita sa kanyang pagsunod sa kagustuhan ng kanyang mga superyor. Pagkatapos ng kanyang termino bilang bikaryo heneral, niyakap niya ang atas na magmisyon sa Rogationists Province of St. Matthew sa Pilipinas. Siya ay 62 taong gulang na noon. Bilang Novice Master sa kanyang unang sampung taon sa bansa, ginampanan niya ng buong puso ang paggabay sa kanyang mga hinuhubog kahit na di siya ganoon kahusay sa pagsasalita ng Ingles. Lumipas ang panahon at pinili na niyang manatili sa Pilipinas at kinalimutan na ang pagbabalik sa Italya.
Si Fr. Aveni kasama ang kanyang mga doktor

Matapos bumaba sa tungkulin bilang Novice Master noong 1991, ipinagpatuloy pa rin niya ang pagbibigay ng gabay ispiritwal at pagkakaroon ng buhay ng masidhing panalangin. Sa magtatapos ang dekada, siya ay nagkasakit ng malubha at sa edad na 91, na-diagnose na mayroong late stage cancer na kumalat na sa kanyang buto. Inialay niya ang kanyang pagkakasakit bilang sakripisyo para sa intensyon ng Banal na Simbahan, sa ikadadakila ng Diyos, sa kaligtasan ng mga kaluluwa, sa pagbabalik loob ng mga makasalanan at sa paglago ng bokasyon sa buong Simbahan.

Bilang pagsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos, isinuko niya ang kanyang sarili sa pangagalaga ng kanyang mga doctor at sa mapagmahal na yakap ng mga tao sa kanyang paligid gaya ng kanyang ginawa sa buo niyang buhay. Si Fr. Aveni ay sumakabilang buhay noong Hulyo 24, 2010. 

Ang pagbubukas ng Cause for the Beatification and Canonization ng Servant of God, Fr. Joseph Aveni ay sinimulan noong Pebrero 1, 2020 sa Pambansang Dambana ni Maria, Tulong ng mga Kristiyano sa pangunguna ni Obispo Jesse Mercado ng Diyosesis ng Paranaque na siyang petitioner ng cause. Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na ang Diyosesis ng Paranaque ay magiging actor sa isang proseso ng beatification. 


Pinagsanggunian:

Cause for Beatification and Canozation of Fr. Joseph Aveni (1918 - 2010) retrieved from https://rcj.org/it/news/cause-for-beatification-and-canonization-of-fr-joseph-giuseppe-aveni-opens-on-feb-1-in-para on April 21, 2020.

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