There is a beautiful church there, St. Anthony's Parish. There was a lot of destruction done to the church during Typhoon Yolanda and the church is still undergoing repairs, but it is nonetheless a beautiful church. It is said that people go there when they are facing insurmountable challenges, going to have surgeries or have loved ones in need of serious prayer. It is also a place people go to when they want to give thanks to God for blessings received. Every year after Sister Clarissa returns from her mission appeals in the United States, the community travels to Sulangan to give thanks to God for all of the people who gave so generously to the Oikos mission and for thanks for safe travels to and from the United States. This year has been so busy, we couldn't go before now...and so we went.
St. Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal. He entered the religious life at the tender age of 15 and studied for 9 years in the order of St. Augustine. He became a Franciscan when he felt God was calling him to be a martyr, which he embraced wholly. However, God had other plans for Anthony. Quite by accident, it was discovered what a good preacher he was. He became a profound speaker and preacher, and not only that, he converted many people because of his firm belief in living the life he preached about. He was a simple and humble man who preached the Word of God lovingly and with fearless courage. Tuesdays are a special day in honor of St. Anthony of Padua. It was on the Tuesday after his death that his body was transferred from Arcella to Padua and buried there in the Chapel of Our Lady. On this Tuesday, there were innumerable miracles that occurred at the site of his tomb. All of the sick who were gathered to witness the burial of the saint were immediately healed on this day. (http://www.St.Anthony.org)
My grandparents were married on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, June 13th. Each of their sons has the middle name "Anthony." They had a great devotion to him, my grandfather still does. And it seems that the people of Eastern Samar share that same love and devotion to St. Anthony. I call on him constantly myself as I am always losing things!! "Dear St. Anthony, please come 'round, something is lost and can't be found"... or, if you're BFF's with him, you can use the more casual one..."Tony, Tony turn around, something's lost and can't be found." Seriously, it works!!!
Anyways, we went to Sulangan, to St. Anthony's Parish to give thanks to God for Sister Clarissa's successful journey, and for each of us to offer our own prayers, light candles and enjoy the beauty of the site. It was such a wonderful journey.
Afterwards, we stopped along the sea for lunch and had a restful bonding time. It was such a beautiful day!! Here are some pictures of our trip:
