(NOTE: THIS APPEAL IS SUSPENDED AS OF OCTOBER 28, 2011. AN UPDATE WILL BE POSTED ON OCTOBER 31, 2011)
AN APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE from my friends at the Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph, currently based at the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy (PLDM) in Quezon City, Philippines (where the above photo was taken), with the support of the President of the International Federation Una Voce, Mr. Leo Darroch.
In 2010, Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph (EDSSJ) became part of Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce (FIUV) the first to be founded and the most internationally prominent group of Roman Catholic laity who are strongly attached to, and promote, the Usus Antiquior of the Roman Rite, also known as "Tridentine Mass", "Traditional Latin Mass" or "Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite", within the canonical norms of the Roman Catholic Church. This made the EDSSJ the first-ever Filipino society to become part of this highly-esteemed organization, which enjoys high-level contacts with the Roman Curia and is known for its fidelity to the Holy See.
This year, for the first time in history, a delegation from the Philippines will go to Rome to attend the General Assembly of FIUV, which will be held on November 5 to 6 in Rome. The opening Mass will be offered in a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica by His Eminence, Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy) and those attending the General Assembly will also have the opportunity to meet His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke on November 5. In addition, it is the intention of the Philippine delegation to meet not just the other delegations from the member-associations of Una Voce, but also members of the Traditional Catholic community in Rome. These contacts are absolutely necessary given the difficult climate that continues to exist in parts of the Philippines regarding the Traditional Latin Mass.
However, to make this a reality, we still need to raise (as of the evening of October 26, 2011) some $ 2,800 (two thousand eight hundred US dollars) to finance the airfare (which will take up the lion's share of the costs), lodging, transportation and food of our delegation. The delegation will stay in Rome for 5-6 days to cover the conference on the 5th and 6th of November as well as meetings with Traditional Catholics in the days to follow.
We appeal to your generosity, dear readers, even as time runs short. Those wishing to donate may donate either via paypal (see the Una Voce Philippines blog), or by donating to the following bank accounts:
FOR THOSE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Account name: Carlos Antonio P. Palad
Bank name: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Acropolis-Libis branch
Account number: 4339-0502-74
Kindly email caloyraj AT yahoo DOT com to inform Mr. Palad of the deposit.
FOR THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES
Account name: Richard Friend
Bank name: Wells Fargo, N.A., California
Account number: 3903416646
Routing number for wire transfer: 121000248
Routing number for direct deposits: 121042882
Please indicate that payment/deposit is for Una Voce - Philippines
As soon as the minimum amount reached is needed, we will inform our readers.
At this point in time, all gifts given to Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph (EDSSJ) will have to be free-will gifts, without tax deductibility. However, donors and their families will be remembered in the Masses and prayers of the EDSSJ, and we are confident that the Lord, Who will not be outdone in generosity, will bestow his blessings upon those who will donate for this necessary action.
