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Palo Metropolitan Cathedral

The official page of the Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Our Lord's Transfiguration
(Palo Metropolitan Cathedral).

25/07/2026

IKANAPULO KAG-PITO NGA DOMINGO HAN KATUIGAN
Julio 25, 2026 | 5:00PM (Anticipated Mass)

Pangulo:
Rdo. P. Arc Ryll C. Bureres
Resident Priest

24/07/2026

July 25 | FEAST OF ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE

In Spain, he is called El Senor Santiago, the patron saint of horsemen and soldiers, and his great shrine at Santiago de Compostela in that country has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. He is one of those that Jesus called Boanerges, "son of thunder," the brother of John the Evangelist and the son of Zebedee the fisherman from Galilee.

St. James the Greater and his brother John were apparently partners with those other two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and lived in Bethsaida, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. How and where James first met Jesus, we do not know; but there is an old legend that makes Salome, his mother, a sister of Mary, and if this were the case, he would have known Jesus from childhood.

Along with Peter and his brother John, James was part of the inner circle of Jesus, who witnessed the Transfiguration, were witnesses to certain of His miracles, like the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemani. Like his brother, he was active in the work of evangelization after the death of Jesus, and one legend, very unlikely, even has him going to Spain after Jesus' resurrection.

His prominence and his presence in Jerusalem must have been well known, for scarcely a dozen years after the Resurrection, he became involved in the political maneuverings of the day and was arrested and executed by King Herod Agrippa. This was followed by the arrest of Peter also, so his death must have been part of a purge of Christian leaders by Agrippa, who saw the new Christian movement as a threat to Judaism.

Jesus had foretold this kind of fate when He prophesied that James and his brother John would "drink of the same chalice" of suffering as Himself. The two brothers had asked to be seated at the right of Jesus and at His left in His kingdom, and Jesus told them that they would be with Him in a far different way than they expected.

James's death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first of that chosen band to give his life for his Master.
—Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

22/07/2026

𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗦 | PPC AND PFC MEETING
(July 22, 2026)

The Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council convened for a meeting to prepare for upcoming church projects and the 430th Parish Fiesta Celebration. The meeting was led by our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Rodolfo P. Barro, and graced by the presence of Most Rev. John F. Du, D.D., Archbishop of Palo.

We ask for your continued support and prayers for the successful completion and success of these initiatives.

21/07/2026

July 22 | THE FEAST OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE

The feast of St. Mary Magdalene is considered one of the most mystical of feasts, and it is said that of all the songs of the saints, that of Mary Magdalene is the sweetest and strongest because her love was so great. That love was praised by Jesus Himself who said that because much was forgiven her, she loved much. Where she is buried, no one knows. Legend has her dying in Provence, France, in a cavern where she spent her last days, and her body resting in the chapel of St. Maximin in the Maritime Alps. Another has her buried in Ephesus where she went with St. John after the Resurrection. This latter view is more likely, and St. Willibald, the English pilgrim to the Holy Land in the eighth century, was shown her tomb there.

She was the first recorded witness to the resurrection of Jesus, His most ardent and loving follower. She had stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross on that brutal Good Friday afternoon and had been by the side of Mary during these difficult hours. On Easter morning, she went with the other women to the tomb and it was there, in the garden near the tomb, that Jesus appeared to her. It was she who brought the news of the Resurrection to the Apostles, and Peter and John raced to the tomb to see what had happened.

She was from Magadala, a small fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and Tiberias. She was known to be a "great sinner," a woman of the streets who heard Jesus speak of the mercy and forgiveness of God and changed her life completely. Her matter-of-fact witness to the Resurrection moved Peter and John to go and see for themselves: "I have seen the Lord and these things he said to me." Jesus had chosen her to bring the news to them and she simply told them what had happened.

She has always been the example of great love and great forgiveness, one of those close to Jesus who grasped the truth of God's love for human beings and spent her life bearing witness to that love.
—Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

19/07/2026

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
July 19, 2026 | 3PM

Presider:
Rev. Fr. Arc Ryll Bureres

19/07/2026

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
June 19, 2026 | 10AM

Presider:
Rev. Fr. Peter Tiguelo

18/07/2026

IKANAPULO KAG-UNOM NGA DOMINGO HAN KATUIGAN
Julio 19, 2026 | 6AM

Pangulo:
Rdo. P. Arc Ryll Bureres

16/07/2026

𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 #𝟮 | 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗟'𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗢

With only 21 days before the Fiesta Celebration in honor of Señor San Salvador, may we continue to prepare our hearts in prayer and faith as we await this joyous celebration of our Lord’s Transfiguration.

The main reredo or retablo of the Palo Cathedral is an intricate wood carving which most probably dates back to the 1700s (but not the images inside the niches). On the topmost part is the image in bas-relief of God the Father. Immediately below is the inscription in Latin - HIC EST FILIUS MEUS DILECTUS IN QUO MIHI COMPLACUIT IPSUM AUDITE - which translates “this is my beloved Son in whom I am pleased; listen to him” (Mt 17:5) - an obvious reference to the Transfiguration. In the topmost niche is the image of the (Transfigured) Christ, the divine Patron of Palo, and immediately below is the image of the Blessed Mother (Immaculate Concepcion), secondary Patron, flanked by the images of St Peter (right side) and St Paul (left side) - the pillars of the Church; these two apostles are the Patrons of the Diocese of Calbayog, the Mother diocese of Palo. On the lower level is the Tabernacle in the center, flanked by the apostles St John (right side) and St James (left side).

The retablo clearly PORTRAYS THE MYSTERY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION. The basic characters are present - the voice (in the inscription), Jesus with the apostles Peter, James, and John. the Blessed Mother and St Paul. Why are the latter included in the ensemble? Both the Blessed Mother and St Paul heard the Word of God and kept it in their hearts and lives. So, this simply implies that all who gaze at the retablo (and participate in the liturgies inside the cathedral) are constantly challenged to be part of the Transfiguration mystery - to be truly renewed, transformed and changed in the teachings and ways of God, as the apostles, the Blessed Mother and St Paul have been.

It is good to be reminded once and for all that as part of the liturgical environment, the retablo or altarpiece should not just be a beautified display rack of religious images without any unified connectivity to one another except in the fact that they are all objects of religious veneration.
____________________
From the Facebook post of Rev. Msgr. Gilbert Urbina

15/07/2026

July 16 | Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Today is the principal feast day of the Carmelite Order. Through the efforts of the crusader Berthold, a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel were organized into an Order after the traditional Western type about the year 1150. Oppressed by the Saracens, the monks slowly emigrated to Europe. During the night preceding the sixteenth of July, 1225, the Blessed Virgin is said to have commanded Pope Honorius III to approve the foundation. Since the Carmelites were still under constant harassment, the sixth General of the Order, St. Simon Stock, pleaded with the Blessed Virgin for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. That is why the present feast is also known as the feast of the Scapular. The scapular, as part of the habit, is common to many religious Orders, but it is a special feature of the Carmelites. A smaller form of the scapular is given to lay persons in order that they may share in the great graces associated with it.
—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

15/07/2026

𝗔 𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝟰𝟮𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬, 𝗠𝗦𝗚𝗥. 𝗚𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧!

The community of the Cathedral-Parish of Our Lord's Transfiguration would like to extend its greetings to the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Palo, Rev. Msgr. Gilbert Urbina, as he celebrates his 42nd Sacerdotal Anniversary today, July 15.

We celebrate the beautiful gift of his priesthood and the many ways he served God and His people with love, humility, and faith. His dedication to the Holy Eucharist, compassionate guidance, and his tireless service are true reflections of Christ’s love on Earth.

May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly, strengthen your vocation, and fill your heart with joy in every step of your spiritual journey.

Ad multos annos, monsi!

Address

Palo
6501

Telephone

+639453365949

Website

https://archdioceseofpalo.org/

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