Bohol devotees express faith during feast of 'God the Father of All Mankind'

By Leo Udtohan

Sister Precy Aseneta-Macasaet, a missionary, vissionary and divine healer, leads the devotees in Bohol province on Sunday, Aug. 7 to celebrate  the feast of the "God the Father of All Mankind" at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral-Shrine in Tagbilaran City. Photo: Leo Udtohan Visayas

A devotee who credits her health recovery to the "God the Father of All Mankind" reminded her fellow faithful about the importance of faith as they celebrated the religious figure’s feast day Sunday (Aug. 7).

"My faith brought me closer to God. Faith is the victory," said Lucina Lugod, 48, a resident of Barangay Balintawak, Talibon.

Lugod said her faith and devotion to the God the Father of All Mankind was strengthened when she underweant surgery for breast cancer on Feb. 12, 2021.

Her anxiety grew when she found out that the cancer cells grew abnormally and spread.

It was Sister Precy Aseneta-Macasaet, a missionary, vissionary and divine healer, who shared to her about God the Father and prayed for her recovery.

After praying, laboratory results showed she was negative of cancer cells.

"In those days I was thinking my chance for survival was very slim. I was emotionally and spiritually down including financial crises. But God the Father of All Mankind provides everything," she said. "Having faith is to trust in God, to believe in God's ability to sustain and uphold us."

On Sunday, she and her husband Christopher, 45, travelled to St. Joseph the Worker the Tagbilaran Cathderal-Shrine in Tagbilaran City, at least 109_km from Talibon, for Sunday's feast.

She met her fellow devotees and Sister Precy who were wearing white Filipiniana.

Earlier, Sister Precy and her group distributed food to at least 100 candle vendors.

Devotees attend Mass during the feast of the "God the Father of All Mankind" at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral-Shrine last Aug. 7, 2022. Photo: Leo Udtohan Visayas

It was in 2010 that Sister Precy, who is from Davao City, introduced the God the Father of All Mankind to Bohol province after following God’s will.

"It was God the Father who brought me to this place because He wants his children to know him,” said Sister Precy.

"God the Father's mercy and love is eternal. It is not only limitless, it flows from His heart of complete love and compassion for us," she added.

The feast of the God the Father of All Mankind is held every first Sunday of August, as a day of consecration to God the Father.

At 9 a.m. Sunday' Holy Mass officiated by Bishop Abet Uy, in his homily he told devotees and parishioners that faith is much more than passive belief. It is express our through action and the way we live.

He narrated that Abraham's faith in God was tested in a way that most of us will never know. But Abraham took God at His word, and became the father of our faith.

"Our devotion to God the Father means we have only one father in heaven. It means we have to see as one another as brothers and sisters. Faith is to believe of what you not see. The reward of the faith is to see what you believe," he said.

Bishop Uy also consecrated the image of the God the Father of All Mankind.

Sister Precy said more and more people have become devotees of the God the Father of All Mankind not just in Bohol province but as well in Cebu, Manila and Cagayan de Oro City.

She said he will never get tired of serving the God the Father of All Mankind for as long she lives.

"I am ready where He will send me," said Sister Precy who will visit Baguio City, Nueva Ecija and Tuguegarao City for her mission. 

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Fiestas in Bohol in time of COVID-19

The bigger the inasal, the better. Contributed Photo

The community quarantine imposed in localities as a precaution against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has snuffed out the fiesta atmosphere in Bohol.

May is a special month for Boholanos because it is during this month when every sitio, barangay, town and city in Bohol has a fiesta everyday.

But this year, the fiestas are being celebrated in isolation, as strict coronavirus lockdown measures remain in place around the province preventing social gatherings.

Tagbilaran City was silent on Friday, May 1 even as it celebrated its fiesta and transitioned to more relaxed measures against COVID-19.

The city was under a one-day “lockdown” to make sure there wouldn’t be too much merrymaking and to prevent people from converging.

In Tagbilaran City, residents have been advised to avoid gatherings with friends and family and are being told to celebrate in private.

May 1 marked the city’s fiesta in honor of St. Joseph the Worker, and starts the merry month of May, where there is a fiesta in every place in Bohol every day.

Fiestas in Bohol, which are very much embedded in the psyche of every Boholano,  are characterized by an abundance of food, plenty of beer and tuba and mass gathering. 

What made Bohol fiesta unique is that anyone can roam around the province for the entire month without having to pay money for food because everyone is putting up a feast to celebrate the fiesta.

Fiestas in Bohol are characterized by an abundance of food, plenty of beer and tuba and mass gathering.  File Photo

But since the city was placed on lockdown on Friday, all was silent when the mood was supposed to be festive, colorful, and bright.

There were few vehicles along its thoroughfares. There were also no banderitas and fanfare or any indications of the fiesta celebration.

“It doesn’t really feel like fiesta,” said Booy resident Nita Niluag who was looking forward to continuing the tradition of celebrating fiesta with her children. Then the coronavirus disrupted life.

"Normally, the stores are opened and crowded. The house is full with friends and family with the joy and excitement of fiesta," she added.

Churches were still closed and Holy Masses were still held in private.

Friday's Pontifical Mass, for example, tend to bring in more parishioners

This year, it’s just Bishop Abet Uy, some priests and a four-person camera crew.

The sermon was shorter, without the “amens” from the pews.

It was different when parishioners have to type “amen” in the comments of a livestreamed service or shout “Hallelujah!” alone at home.

Sister Precy was one of those who came to the cathedral on Friday to pray before the closed doors of the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in  to celebrate the saint’s feast day on May 1.

She said it was so different to watch Holy Mass online. She felt like she was just observing a show instead of participating in a worship.

“Here, you can feel the presence of the Lord. You can hear His voice through the bishop and priests who are officiating the mass,” said the 56-year-old visionary.

“It’s the music, it’s the people, it’s the Word that moves you,” she said. 

Sister Precy said she prayed for the end of the pandemic.

“It’s important to remember that a quarantined fiesta does not detract from the holiday. It strengthens its messages of G-d’s love, helping and praying for other people in this moment of darkness and doubt,” Sister Precy said.

Many residents hooked up with the online mass of the diocese because it is better that way than not having observed religious practices at all.

The good of the pandemic, it has renewed  spritual ties with the Lord with the nightly family rosary with special intention for protection against COVID-19, said Cogon resident Fiel Angeli Araoarao.

Sister Precy on quarantined fiesta: “It strengthens its messages of G-d’s love, helping and praying for other people in this moment of darkness and doubt.' LPU

The realities of the fiesta season, Boholanos really roll out the best for their visitors — at all cost to the point of borrowing money from " loan shark".

Pigs were bought a month and others raised a pig three months before the fiesta. The bigger the pig, the better.

Others would slaughter additional pig for "bring house."

Inasal (roasted pig) is the center piece of fiesta. Some have biggest "inasal" you’ll ever see - 80 to 90 kilos.

There is also a practice of "bandihay" wherein the "sangga" (partner) would support each other financially during fiesta. The first to celebrate the fiesta will be the first to use the money and return the favor in time he/she is celebrating fiesta.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fiesta celebrations in Bohol are going to look different for thousands of families.

Some residents still prepared food in their homes in thanksgiving to their patron and G-d.

“We have prepared a small feast just for the family,” said Hilda Vertulfo, 38, and a resident of Barangay Cogon.

“However, visitors and friends are not invited at this time," she said.

The world is changing, but fiesta is here to stay.

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