OFF-THE-AIR

Five outstanding alumni – two bishops, one environment undersecretary, an international lawyer and a book author - all graduates of the Mary Help of Christians Seminary in Binmaley, Pangasinan were formally honored last December 30 at the MHCS Kabalens Annual Homecoming.

This was announced by Fr. Allan Morris Abuan, MHCS rector, who said the individual awards were duly signed by himself and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz. The awarding was held at the newly-refurbished MHCS chapel following a concelebrated mass for Batch ’81 (silver) and ’86 (porcelain) jubilarians with former Pangasinan Vice Gov. and now Lyceum Northwestern University President Gonzalo T. Duque, already an MHCS Fr. John Healy awardee, in attendance.

Among the five honorees are Bishop Renato Mayugba who now serves as auxiliary bishop of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese, Bishop Marlo Peralta now serving as co-adjutor bishop in the Diocese of Alaminos, Environment Senior Undersecretary Francisco S. Bravo, New York-based lawyer Felix Q. Vinluan and book author and media executive Melandrew T. Velasco.

Both Bravo and Velasco are key officers of the newly-revived Kaluyagan Nen Palaris, a confederation of civic organizations in Pangasinan, Manila and overseas where they both serve as KNP president and secretary-general respectively.

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LABRADOR, PANGASINAN – A century-old wooden image of the Virgin Mary has been stolen from the Catholic Church here, while another one was decapitated in a daring robbery in this sleepy coastal town.

Fr. Jim Sjeehy, parish priest here, said that he discovered the wooden image missing when he opened the church for the first mass at 5:30 this morning.

“The thieves may have come early dawn, when we were deep in our sleep,” Sjeehy, an Irish Columban, said.

“This could have only been done by people who are selfish and who do not fear God,” he said.

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