BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos will lead students in giving tribute next week to Pope Francis. “We will sing for Pope Francis. We will play musical instruments for our Holy Father. We will pray for him,” said Bishop Santos in a statement sent to the press.
Fresh from visiting the Vatican, the Balanga bishop said that the religious program is what the primary and secondary students of nine (9) Diocesan and seven (7) religious catholic schools will do on Thursday, December 11 at the Mariveles Sports Center.
According to Bishop Santos, “the 3rd annual Bataan Association of Catholic Schools Children Christmas Carols is dedicated to our beloved Holy Father”. He pointed out that as a sign of filial affection and devotion to Pope Francis, the whole day affair will feature songs and dances, musical skits, prayerful greetings and best wishes to the Holy Father. “This is to show how much we love him and so grateful for his coming to our country,” Santos qouted a fifth grader, Marian as having proudly said.
He said that it has been a practice during Children Christmas Carols, around 300 children from public elementary schools from Mariveles are selected to watch and at the end of the program will be given by the performing children bags of gifts items which include school supplies, personal dental kits and packed lunches.
“These catholic school children play Santa Claus to their fellow school children, and with this we are already teaching them the value of sharing and self-offering,” Father Rosauro Guila, the Diocesan Schools of Balanga superintendent explained.
Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos, who initiated the praiseworthy project has in mind to maximize the artistic skills and talents of Diocesan and religious primary and secondary students, and also instill in them the values of helping and sharing what they have to their less fortunate fellow students.
“This year we dedicate our Children Christmas Carols to our dearest Pope Francis so that our students will know him more and love him deeply. And they will see and recognize him truly as a Holy Father, a Father who comes to us especially in our dire needs and very difficult situations. Pope Francis comes to us to provide us God’s mercy and compassion.” added Bishop Santos.
