Golden Jubilee of the Dioves To: Pastors, Parish Rectors and Parish Administrators Ce: Clergy, Religious and Lay Leaders From: Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., D.D. Re: Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Agaia Date: Thursday, November 6, 2015 ‘My dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Peace be with you! First of all, thank for your participation and observance of our Golden Jubilee Year of the Diocese of Agana. Thus far, we began our Golden Jubilee Year celebration last year, October 14, 2014. On September 5, 2015, we launched the Golden Jubilee Prayer at the Archdiocesan Catechetical-Liturgical Conference. A Solemn Golden Jubilee Mass at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica was celebrated on October 14, marking the actual 50" year of the establishment of the Diocese of Agana, 1. Golden Jubilee Theme and Prayer. “Katoliku: Silebrasion Minagof, Ina'fa'maolek yan Mina'ase’ (One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church Celebrating Joy, Reconciliation, and Mercy)” The Golden Jubilee of the Diocese is an opportunity to unite as one, holy, catholic and apostolic local faith community. I call upon all of us to pray the official Golden Jubilee Prayer, together as one. While it may seem lengthy, I ask that you refrain from editing the prayer and use the prayer as it is. If you have already edited, please put aside the edited prayer and use the official prayer. As a reminder, please pray this prayer after the Post-Communion Prayer. 1 ask this because 1 truly believe that the spirit of the prayer offers life-giving words that have the power to reach, teach and heal the hearts and souls of our people who have been truly wounded by words and actions that have caused confusion, and therefore disorder, and much distress. Understandably, the inspiring and healing process will take a while for everyone of us. But today is yet another day in which we continue to be open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, hope to experience healing and be moved to a conversion of heart, mind, and way of being. As the prayer slowly soothes, nurtures and challenges us to deeper faith, we can begin anew each day with hope. Please allow our people the untold benefits of praying the Golden Jubilee Prayer together as is, as one.At the October 14, 2015 celebration of the 50" anniversary held last month, our liturgists offered our people another experience of praying the prayer together. The prayer was assigned in 6 different parts: first prayed by me; second, by the youth and young adults; third, by the clergy; fourth, by those in consecrated life; fifth, by families; sixth, by all. I know that not all of you were able to make this celebration but I received a lot of positive feedback from the experience. Please take these to heart and let us make a concerted effort, in our words and actions, to be in union with one other. 2. Golden Jubilee Parish Coordinato Please delegate someone in your parish to be your Golden Jubilee Coordinator / Contact Person and another parishioner to be an alternate for the parish jubilee committee. Kindly send / e-mail the name and contact number to Tricia Tenorio at e-mail: tricia.tenorio@archagana.org or tel. no. 562- 0022 or 562-0000. The first meeting will be on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at the St. John Paul the Great Center for Evangelization (Chancery Office-DPM side) @ 6:30 p.m. 3. The Golden Jubilee Banners for Parishes. The Golden Jubilee Banners (size 11ft x 4 ft) for each parish are now here and will be hand delivered to your parish before November 10. Thanks to the Memorabilia and Logistics Sub-committees. The Golden Jubilee Executive Committee (GJEC) is asking that each parish take the time to ritualize the reception of the Golden Jubilee Banner as a sign of its inclusion and participation in the celebration. (See suggestion for the simple ritual in the attached.) I would also like to have the banner hung up in a conspicuous place, preferably in the sanctuary of the chureh by November 21/22, by the Solemnity of Christ the King. 4. Golden Jubilee Year closes on December 8, 2016. The Plenary Indulgence for the Golden Jubilee Year had been approved and extended to December 8, 2016, fiestan Santa Marian Kamalen, the date recommended to me by the Golden Jubilee Executive Committee to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Agana. More details will be forthcoming. 5. Suggestions. If you have any suggestions or want to offer assistance to the Golden Jubilee Executive Committee, kindly call or e-mail Tricia Tenorio, the chair for the Secretariat Sub-committee. In the spirit of the jubilee, I humbly ask for your continued support and cooperation as the events of the Golden Jubilee unfold. Once again, sen dangkulo na si Yu’os Ma’ase’, thank you. May Jesus, the Jubilee of Yesterday, Today, and Forever and the blessings of Santa Marian Kamalen, Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, and San Pedro Calungsod be upon us during this Golden Jubilee Year. Servus tuus, Minor her hater Molly Goro waz Most Rev. Anthony Sablan‘Apuron/OFM Cap., D.D. Metropolitan Archbishop of AgafiaA. Banner will be hand-delivered by November 10 @ 4pm. B. Preparation: SELECT a representative group of 6, 8 or 10 persons who will unroll and carry the banner (as though it were a flag). REHEARSE how you would have the parishioners unfurl the banner, walk the banner to the sanctuary, stand in place, walk back and roll up the banner when the prayer and blessing of the banner and praying the Golden Jubilee Prayer are complete. At each of your Sunday Masses on November 14 / 15: Rationale: to raise consciousness around the celebration of the Golden Jubilee Year. We are each called to live out our Christian faith as fully as possible as mentioned in the Golden Jubilee Year Prayer. D. By the Feast of Christ the King, November 21 / 22, please hang up the parish’s Golden Jubilee of the Diocese banner in a prominent place in your church parish, preferably in the sanctuary of the Church. BLESSING OF GOLDEN JUBILEE BANNER (After the Post-Communion Prayer) An assigned group of parishioners will process banner to the sanctuary and stand at a designated spot with unfurled banner so that it is visible to the Assembly, Priest: Brothers and Sisters: Our Parish has received its special banner for the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese. May it serve as a sign of our faith through the years. May it serve as a reminder to pray for one another. May it serve as a sign of unity amongst our people that we are One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic grateful for God’s gifts of joy, reconciliation and mercy for each of us.Eternal God, source of every gift, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you grant us your blessings, that the Church might be nourished and strengthened. Bless + this Golden Jubilee banner in grateful remembrance of the Golden Jubilee of Agaiia as a diocese. Bring us all into the peace of your kingdom, where all honor and glory are yours, Lord our God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Sprinkling with holy water) Let us now pray the Golden Jubilee Prayer together... O Lord, our God, you have planted the seed of Christian faith in our island and have granted our particular Church of Agaiia to celebrate the golden jubilee as a diocese. We thank you as we profess our faith and belief as one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let this be a year of joy. We remember with gratitude the countless blessings that you have bestowed on our Church: especially the gift of marriage and the stronghold of family life, and the courageous witness to the faith by our bishops, clergy, religious, and lay faithful. Let this be a year of reconciliation. As we reach this moment of our history with love as your people, we ask you to grant usa sense of urgency to activate and cultivate the values and forces of goodness, justice, love, peace, and reconciliation. In wounds of sin and division, may there be unity and wholeness. Let this be a year of mercy and compassion. In facing the years ahead with hope, teach us that in abundance and luxury, may there be simple lifestyle and sharing, In poverty and misery, may there be dignified living. In selfish ambition, may there be humble service. Strengthen us, for we are called to a witness of mercy. Guide us always to respect life from conception to natural death, so that, together with all people of good will, we may build the ci ition of truth and love. May the Holy Family of Nazareth inspire us and make us more steadfast to support marriage and family life. We ask you to safeguard marriage and that our families will be strengthened in love and protected from all the forces of evil. Through the maternal intercession of Santa Marian Kamalen, and through the venerable prayers of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, San Pedro Calungsod and their companion martyrs, help us to be more committed as a people to a new evangelization. Let this Jubilee be a year of special grace for us and for the generations to come. Amen. Banner returns to point of origin (sacristy or entrance of the Church, etc.). The group then rolls up banner and puts it away ready for the next Mass. Ritual prepared by the Golden Jubilee Executive Committee & the AOA Office of Worship - 5 November 2015