UST Pax Romana - College of Tourism and Hospitality Management Unit

22/03/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒

Covering crosses, statues and images or “veiling” with unadorned violet opaque cloths begins on the Saturday before the 5th Sunday of Lent. It is an older custom of the Church that remains an option even to this day. The exact era it began no one is sure, but the origins seem to come from an medieval tradition of the “hunger cloth” which was a huge violet cloth hung in front of the altar to keep the congregation from viewing the altar. Originally Lent was a time that public sinners were “banished” from the church and had to do a public display of penance. Over time the understanding that everyone is a sinner prevailed and sinners were no longer restricted from the liturgy in church, but the hunger cloth gave all attending a “fast of the eyes.” The cloths over time changed to smaller sizes and with more decorations.

The actual covering of images came later, perhaps continuing that theme of “fasting of the eyes.” According to Adolf Adam’s The Liturgical Year,

At the end of the thirteenth century Bishop William Durandus of Mende (Southern France) explains this custom by the fact that Christ veiled his divinity during his passion. Durandus saw this explanation as implied in this Sunday’s gospel (from pre-Vatican II), the concluding sentence of which read: “But Jesus hid himself and left the temple” (John 8:59). Prior to Vatican II the editors of the Schott Missal saw the veiling of crosses and so on as intended “to remind us of the Redeemer’s humiliation and thus to imprint the image of the crucified Christ more deeply on our hearts.”
In other cultures, the covering of images is seen more like shrouding, as in a death shroud. I have a dear friend from Iran who is very unsettled by the covering of the statues. But I have thought much about her reaction, and it actually gave more weight to the tradition to me, because we are focusing on the death of our sinful selves and putting on a new life. We are putting on Christ at Easter, and the coverings help us remember that focus.

What Is Passiontide?

In the 1962 calendar (and before), Lent had a division, so that the last two weeks was considered “Passiontide”—time more focused on the passion and death of Christ. The Fifth Sunday of Lent was called “Passion Sunday.” This was when the images were covered. Even in the revised liturgy, these last two weeks, especially Holy Week do continue to dwell more closely on the sufferings of Christ, but the name of Passiontide was removed. Again, from Adolf Adam:

On the other hand, we may not overlook the fact that the entire season of Lent speaks of the Lord’s passage through suffering and death to resurrection. The decision to eliminate the name “Passiontide” is explained in the commentary on the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar as based on the desire “to preserve the internal unity of Lent. The Sunday now known as the First Sunday of the Passion will henceforth be the Fifth Sunday of Lent, as in the Ambrosian Rite” (The Liturgical Year, 105-106).
The older calendar’s Passion Sunday is now combined with Palm Sunday in the current calendar, so the official title is “Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord.”

Whether one attends the Ordinary or Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the covering of sacred images can be practiced in both. The rubrics in The Third Edition of the Roman Missal states,

In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from this Sunday may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil (Fifth Sunday of Lent, p. 256).
According to Monsignor Peter J. Elliott:

The custom of veiling crosses and images in these last two weeks of Lent has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology, because it helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ’s work of Redemption. The episcopal conference decides whether this should be obligatory within its territory, but any pastor may choose to restore or maintain this wise practice in his own parish (Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year).
And even though the term “Passion Sunday” is no longer used, another remaining vestige of Passiontide is that the First Preface of the Passion is used during the Fifth Week of Lent, no longer the Lenten prefaces.

How To Veil:

The cloths are to be plain fabric, preferably light material, with no decoration. Before the vigil Mass or Evening Prayer I of the Fifth Sunday of Lent all statues and images except the Stations of the Cross and stained-glass windows are veiled. Older liturgical books reference papal permission in 1878 to keep St. Joseph uncovered in March since it is his feast month. After the Good Friday ceremonies all crosses are unveiled. In the Ordinary Form, the coverings are removed without any liturgical ceremony before the Easter Vigil begins. Sometimes in the Extraordinary Form the images are not uncovered until the Gloria is sung at the Easter Vigil.

The Triduum is so near. Last Sunday we celebrated with great joy that we had reached the halfway mark, and this Sunday we have a visual that reminds us that we are only two weeks away from Easter. The covering of sacred images is a beautiful custom that can perhaps lead us to greater contemplation as we walk with Jesus through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Our eyes are not drawn away to other objects and we can turn our focus to the altar and inward to contemplate Christ.

Source: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/passiontide-and-veiling-images/

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Jasmine Crisostomo
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

09/03/2026

The Center for Campus Ministry, in coordination with the Office of the Vice-Rector for Religious Affairs, invites the Thomasian Community to its annual celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation on April 11, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Registration for the sacramental activity is open until March 9, 2026.

Scan the QR code for more information.

03/03/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

In a time when many parts of the world are marked by conflict, uncertainty, and suffering, we are reminded of our Christian responsibility to become instruments of peace.

The UST Pax Romana – CTHM Unit humbly invites the Thomasian community to come together in solemn prayer for world peace, fostering hope and unity.

Through this collective act of prayer, we entrust to God all nations experiencing unrest, all families burdened by fear, and all individuals longing for healing and reconciliation. May this moment of unity and hope strengthen our commitment to promote understanding, uphold human dignity, and embody the peace of Christ in our daily lives.

We encourage everyone to join us on our Facebook Live on March 3 at 3:00 PM as we stand together in faith and solidarity.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Czantella Elynna Korrin Aguas
Caption by: Miguel Angelo Cruz
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

18/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

As we approach the solemn season of Lent, the Church invites the faithful to enter into a forty-day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for the Paschal Mystery. By embracing these penitential disciplines, we unite ourselves more closely to Christ’s sacrifice in the desert and seek a genuine interior conversion (cf. CCC 1438–1439).

To assist in the faithful observance of these holy days, here are the specific regulations regarding Fasting and Abstinence as mandated by the Code of Canon Law and sacred tradition:

NOTES ON FASTING AND ABSTINENCE

As we enter the season of Lent, we are invited to deepen our spiritual discipline through the practices of fasting and abstinence. To assist our community in observing these traditions with devotion and clarity, we have compiled the following summary based on established guidelines:

1. Abstinence means refraining from eating the meat from mammals or fowl, and soup or gravy made from them. This does not apply to dairy products, eggs, or condiments and shortening made from animal fat.

2. Fasting is the taking of only one full meal and two smaller, meatless meals that don't equal the large one meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids are allowed, including milk and fruit juices. Fish and all cold-blooded animals may be eaten (e.g., frogs, clams, turtles, etc.).

3. Fasting and abstinence are obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday under the pain of mortal sin. Traditionally it is highly recommended to extend the fasting and abstinence on all Fridays of Lent, but this is now optional.

4. Abstinence is obligatory on all Fridays of Lent and is recommended on all Fridays throughout the year.

5. The law of abstinence binds all Catholics, beginning on the day after their 14th birthday. The law of fasting binds all adults (beginning on their 18th birthday) until the midnight which completes their 59th birthday.

May these observances serve as a meaningful sacrifice during this holy season.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

References: https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini.html

Board by: Czantella Elynna Korrin Aguas
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

18/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐀

Ash Wednesday, in Western Christianity, the first day of Lent, occurring six and a half weeks before Easter (between February 4 and March 11, depending on the date of Easter). Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. It is commonly observed with ashes and fasting. Eastern Orthodox churches begin Lent on Clean Monday and therefore do not observe Ash Wednesday.

In the early Christian church, the length of the Lenten celebration varied, but eventually it began 6 weeks (42 days) before Easter. This provided only 36 days of fasting (excluding Sundays). In the 7th century, 4 days were added before the first Sunday in Lent in order to establish 40 fasting days, in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fast in the desert.

It was the practice in Rome for penitents and grievous sinners to begin their period of public penance on the first day of Lent in preparation for their restoration to the sacrament of the Eucharist. They were sprinkled with ashes, dressed in sackcloth, and obliged to remain apart until they were reconciled with the Christian community on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. When these practices fell into disuse (8th–10th century), the beginning of the penitential season of Lent was symbolized by placing ashes on the heads of the entire congregation.
In the modern Roman Catholic Church, the ashes obtained by burning the palms used on the previous Palm Sunday are applied in the shape of a cross on the forehead of each worshipper on Ash Wednesday. The ashes serve as a memento mori and are often accompanied with some variation of the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Together with Good Friday (which marks the crucifixion of Jesus before Easter), Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence, where only one full meal and no meat are to be consumed. Although Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, it is traditionally one of the most heavily attended non-Sunday masses of the liturgical year. Worship services are also held on Ash Wednesday in Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Protestant churches.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Czantella Elynna Korrin Aguas
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

17/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent in Western churches). It occurs between February 2 and March 9, depending on the date of Easter.

Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the day is sometimes still used for self-examination and introspection, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired the character of a carnival or festival in many places and is often celebrated with parades. As the final day before the austerity of the Lenten fast, Shrove Tuesday also has many customs pertaining to food. Pancakes are traditional in a number of European countries because eggs, sugar, and fat, commonly forbidden during the Lenten fast, are used up so they will not go to waste; the day is known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Ireland and in many Commonwealth countries. Similarly rich pre-Lenten treats, sweet pa̡czki are traditional in Poland, and king cake is an iconic part of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) in New Orleans.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Czantella Elynna Korrin Aguas
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

14/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

February 14
Saint Valentine

The origin of this holiday doesn’t spark from romantic love at all, but more of a platonic sacrificial love as displayed by the most honored Saint Valentine.

In the 268 AD the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Claudius II, or Claudius Gothicus. Claudius was generally tolerant of most religious policies, but persecuted the Catholic Church. He passed an edict forbidding the young to marry, based off of the belief that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers, who were constantly worried for the health and well-being of their family in the soldier’s absence, or what would happen to the family in the event of the soldier’s death. Polygamy was also more popular during this time, though much against the Christian teachings of the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. Despite the restricting edict, marriage was the special mission of St. Valentine. He secretly married young lovers in the Catholic Church, going against Roman law to secure the bonds of love between young couples. However, the Roman authorities eventually captured and imprisoned him. After imprisonment and grueling torture, St. Valentine was put before the Roman law for his acts of sealing love in the Catholic Church against the laws of the Emperor.

Meanwhile, Asterius, one of Valentine’s jailers, was the father of a young blind girl. A Roman put up to judge Valentine, he was clearly not a man of faith, but his concern and desperation for his daughter’s health led him to give Valentine the chance to heal his daughter during Valentine’s imprisonment. Valentine prayed to God and miraculously healed Asterius’ daughter of her blindness. Witnessing this astounding deed of healing led to Asterius’ conversion to Christianity. Shortly thereafter in 269 AD, Valentine was condemned to a three-part ex*****on of beating, stoning, and beheading. Popular tradition holds that the very last words of this man of love were written to the once-blind daughter of the very jailer he converted, Asterius. He signed the note he sent her “from your Valentine”, and was led off to meet his painful end.

How he signed his final note inspired the romantic messages exchanged on Valentine’s day and gives a deeper meaning to the commonplace phrase of the holiday, “Will you be my Valentine?”. The name of Valentine shows a deeper love than many romantic relationships and a willingness to sacrifice your life for your faith and loved ones. It shows a deep commitment and love that should be valued and cherished in all forms in which it is found. We celebrate his feast day, St. Valentine’s Day, on the 14th of February, and he is honored as the patron saint of lovers. St. Valentine celebrated love in all of its forms, and inspired the romantic holiday of love today.

Saint Valentine, pray for us.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Jasmine Crisostomo
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

14/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

February 14
St Cyril, Monk and St Methodius Bishop

These brothers, the Apostles of the Slavs, were born in Thessalonica, in 827 and 826 respectively. Though belonging to a senatorial family they renounced secular honours and became priests. They were living in a monastery on the Bosphorous, when the Khazars sent to Constantinople for a Christian teacher. Cyril was selected and was accompanied by his brother. They learned the Khazar language and converted many of the people. Soon after the Khazar mission there was a request from the Moravians for a preacher of the Gospel. German missionaries had already laboured among them, but without success. The Moravians wished a teacher who could instruct them and conduct Divine service in the Slavonic tongue. On account of their acquaintance with the language, Cyril and Methodius were chosen for their work. In preparation for it Cyril invented an alphabet and, with the help of Methodius, translated the Gospels and the necessary liturgical books into Slavonic. They went to Moravia in 863, and laboured for four and a half years. Despite their success, they were regarded by the Germans with distrust, first because they had come from Constantinople where schism was rife, and again because they held the Church services in the Slavonic language. On this account the brothers were summoned to Rome by Nicholas I, who died, however, before their arrival. His successor, Adrian II, received them kindly. Convinced of their orthodoxy, he commended their missionary activity, sanctioned the Slavonic Liturgy, and ordained Cyril and Methodius bishops. Cyril, however, was not to return to Moravia. He died in Rome, 4 Feb., 869.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Jasmine Crisostomo
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

14/02/2026

11/02/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

Notre Dame de Lourdes
February 11

In the grotto of Massabielle, in the small village of Lourdes, France, Bernadette Soubirous—the daughter of a poor farmer—was sent to gather firewood together with two other young women. They needed to cross the cold waters of the Gave River to reach the wooded area. Fearing that she might fall ill, Bernadette chose to stay behind on the riverbank, beneath the grotto of Massabielle.

While waiting for her companions, Bernadette heard a loud gust of wind. She turned toward a rocky cave and saw a dazzling golden cloud. Then a woman of extraordinary beauty emerged from the grotto. She was dressed in white, with a sash around her waist. She wore a white veil and held a rosary in her hands. At her feet were two yellow roses. Frightened, Bernadette began to pray the rosary, and the woman prayed along with her. This was the first apparition of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes—February 11, 1858.

This was followed by seventeen more apparitions of the Virgin. The Blessed Virgin instructed the young girl to proclaim to humanity God’s will that a shrine be built at the site of the apparitions. Central to the message of Lourdes is the call for people to return to the Lord God and to make acts of penance for their sins.
When Bernadette asked who she was, the Virgin replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception!” The final apparition took place on July 16, 1858.

Oh ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfortess of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Jasmine Crisostomo
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

28/01/2026

𝕻𝖆𝖝 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎 𝖎𝖓 𝕽𝖊𝖌𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎!

St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest minds in the Church, was not always recognized as brilliant. In fact, his path to holiness began quietly, humbly, and with more resistance than encouragement.

He faced family pressure, ridicule, temptation, and deep spiritual trials, yet he kept choosing Christ. Even when his own family imprisoned him, his vocation only grew stronger. Even when classmates mocked him as "the dumb ox," he quietly pursued truth with humility. And at the height of his brilliance, he still humbled himself before God, calling all he had written "like straw" compared to the Lord's glory.

Thomas became a saint not because he was brilliant, but because he was faithful: faithful in prayer, faithful in purity, faithful in seeking truth, faithful in loving God above all else.

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

𝕴𝖓 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙,
UST Pax Romana - CTHM Unit

Board by: Jasmine Crisostomo
Caption by: Robbie Jan Padilla
Approved by: Pax CTHM - Org Adviser

09/01/2026