Veneration of Saint Jerome Emiliani

He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1747, and canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767. The Office and Mass in his honor were approved eight years later. He was thus not included in the 1570 Tridentine Calendar. When inserted in the Roman calendar in 1769, he was assigned the date of 20 July. In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved his feast to the day of his death, 8 February.

St. Jerome Emiliani: A Different Kind of Saint

Born in Venice in 1486, the youngest of four brothers, Jerome Emiliani went through an adventurous youth. In 1531 he decided to abandon any military, political, and economical career. Though a layman, he dedicated himself to a unique mission: to share his life with the poor and to build a community with homeless children. His Christian experience took shape inside the Catholic Reformation through the movement of the Divine Love, under the guidance of such illustrious people as Cajetan Thiene (Founder of the Theatines), and John Peter Carafa (Pope Paul IV).

As a member of the Confraternity of the Divine Love, Jerome became a valuable organizer of the works of Charity in Venice (the Hospital of the Incurables and the Shop of St. Rocco). The fame gained in this field took him through the cities of Northern Italy such as Verona, Vicenza, Brescia, Bergamo, Milan, Como, and Pavia. The Bishops of these towns invited Jerome to organize works of mercy in their dioceses.

Around Jerome a group of cooperators started to take shape and some of them decide to take up his lifestyle. Consequently the "Company of the Servants of the Poor" was born. Today, it is called the Congregation of the Somascan Fathers and Brothers. Jerome died in Somasca, February 8, 1537, after having contracted the plague from the sick he was assisting during the epidemic. It was his last supreme gesture of love, according to the command of the Lord to lay down one's life for the others.

Biography of Saint Gerolamo Emiliani

Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice. He was the son of Angelo Emiliani( popularly called Miani) and Eleonore Mauroceni. He joined the army and, in 1508, defended Castelnuovo against the League of Cambray. He was taken as a prisoner and was miraculously liberated. He made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Treviso, in fulfillment of a vow. He was then appointed Venetian Magistrate of Castelnuovo, but after a short time returned to Venice to supervise the education of his nephews. All his spare time was devoted to the study of theology and to works of charity.

The hospitals and the hovels of the poor were his favorite resorts. In the year of plague and famine (1528), he seemed to be everywhere and showed his zeal, especially for the orphans, whose number had so greatly increased. He rented a house for them near the church of St. Rose and, with the assistance of some pious laymen, ministered to their wants. To his charge was also committed the hospital for incurables, founded by St. Cajetan. In 1531 he went to Verona and induced the citizens to build a hospital; at Brescia and at Bergamo, he erected orphanages, one for boys and another for girls. Here also he founded the first home for repentant prostitutes.

Two priests, Alessandro Besuzio and Agostino Bariso, then joined him in his labors of charity, and in 1532 Gerolamo founded a religious society, placing the motherhouse at Somasca, a secluded North Italian hamlet in the Comune of Vercurago between Milan and Bergamo, after which the members became known as Somaschi. In the Rule of this Society, Gerolamo stated the principal work of the community was the care of orphans, poor and sick, and demanded that dwellings, food and clothing would bear the mark of religious poverty.

St. Jerome became a martyr to his zeal; contracting a disease at Bergamo, he died at Somasca in 1537.

Saint Jerome Emiliani

SORSOGON PLACES

Sorsogon City is composed of two districts with several municipalities 

   

 The Aerial View of the whole Sorsogon City, with the Sorsogon Bay on the background

Several kiosk were built alongside of Rempeolas, in the Sorsogon Bay

Bacon Beach, facing South. The mountains in the background divides Bacon district and the town of Prieto Diaz.

A beautiful sunrise can be seen from Rempeolas.

Bacon Church, located on the former poblacion of the old Bacon town (now Bacon district of Sorsogon City).

Bacon Beach, facing North. The mountains in the background divide Sorsogon and Albay provinces.

Pepita Park and Recreation Center

THE CITY OF SORSOGON

Republic of the Philippines

City of Sorsogon

Province of Sorsogon

Sorsogon City is the capital city of the Province of Sorsogon. It is located in the southernmost part of the province of Luzon. This city was formed by the merging of the municipality of Bacon and town of Sorsogon.

           The city is also dubbed as the ‘Gateway to Southern Philippines”. Sorsogon City is one of the region’s leading cities in urbanization, Bicol’s largest city in terms of land area and one of its most populous cities as well.

History

          Sorsogon City was created by virtue of Republic Act 8806 which was enacted on August 16, 2000 and was ratified in December 2000.

          The following prominent politicians were the one behind its creation:

·       Senator(former) Francis Escudero

·       Bacon Municipal Mayor(former) Leovic R. Dioneda

·       Bacon Vice-Mayor(former) Aurelio Destacamento

·       Sorsogon councilors(former) Antonio C. Detera, Azel Diesta, and Telo Mello

Prior to its ratification, a petition to declare RA 8806 null and void was filed by Attorney Gil Gojol. Because Bacon municipality was enjoined as one of the respondents in said petition, a young practicing lawyer from Buenavista, Bacon District, named Atty. Glenn Olbes, defended its constitutionality.

Opponents for its ratification were incumbent Governor Raul R. Lee and his wife, Sally A. Lee who became its first contested City Mayor.

On 2007 census, the city has a populace of 151, 454 people spread across 64 barangays.

Economy

          The Bay City Sorsogon, which is currently being built at the coast of Barangay Balogo will definitely have a huge impact on the economic growth of the city. It is a priority project of LKY Development Corporation, a privately-owned real estate company. The Bay City Sorsogon includes a Commercial Complex, Five Star Hotel, Coliseum, Outdoor Dining Area, and a Central Bus Terminal.

          The excavation of this 16-hectare property just started during the last quarter of 2010 and the completion is expected by the 3^rd quarter of 2011.

          It host most of the banks around the province like Landbank of the Philippines, Metrobank, Allied Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Development Bank of the Philippines, United Coconut Planters Bank, Chinabank, Philippine National Bank, Camalig Bank, BDO UniBank, Postal Bank, Producers Bank and Green Bank Inc.

Demographics

·       Religion—95% Roman Catholic

·       Labor Force—56% of the total population, ¼ of the over-15 years old is, at least, high-school graduate, 15% of the total workforce have college-level education

·       Population Growth Rate—2.15% (1995-2000)

·       Voting Age Population—58,235

·       Projected Population on 2012—173,878

Infrastructure

          The proposed Sorsogon Business and Leisure Park is a 20 hectare reclamation area linking the 3-hectare Pinaculan Island to the Sorsogon Pier in Sorsogon Bay, forming part of the expansion area of the Sorsogon City’s central business district. The area shall have a rock causeway and seawall, complete with wide and well-paved roads, underground electrical and telephone systems and water supply. Low, medium and high density zones shall be identified for business establishments, plants and factories, including a central park.

          This is located in Barangay Bucal-Bucalan along the national highway, about 15-20 minutes away from the center of the City. Already in place is a small rest area for travelers, complete with a mini-park and a small canteen with a view deck. The proposed development of the area involves the construction of a seafood trading and rest facility, complete with seafood stalls, bayside restaurants and cafes, and adequate parking space. The food stalls and restaurants will specialize in fresh blue crabs which Sorsogon is known for. Customers can have their pick of crabs and other seafood from the stalls and have them cooked at the adjacent restaurants or open air grill shops.

Television and Radio Stations

·       PBN Bicol: Channel 11

·       DZSC-TV ABS-CBN: Channel 7

·       Aemilianum TV: Channel 5

·       ABC(TV5): Channel 11

·       ACQ-KBN: Channel 31

AM Stations

·       DZMS—1251 Sorsogon(Media Kan Sorsogon)

·       DZZH—1287 Sorsogon(Manila Broadcasting Company)

·       DZRS—1263 Sorsogon

FM Stations

·       DZGN—102.3 Spirit FM Sorsogon

·       DWSN—91.9 Sorsogon

·       DWOL—103.9 Padaba

·       DWLH—101.5 The Wave

Education

          Elementary

·       Almost all barangays from Bacon District and in the Sorsogon city are served by public elementary schools, there are also some private schools located in Poblacion, Bacon and in Sorsogon City.

·       On the past school year 2002-2003, enrollment in the city was counted almost 23, 823

·       There are almost 72 schools in the city

·       Sorsogon East Central School (SECS)—Founded in 1917, during the early American occupation—formerly known as Burabod Elementary School.

·       Sorsogon Pilot Elementary School (SPES)

Secondary

·       There are 11 private and 9 public high schools in the Sorsogon City

·       During the school year 2002-2003 enrollment was almost 11, 570

Tertiary

·       Aemilianum College

·       AMA Computer Learning Center

·       Annunciation College of Sorsogon

·       Asian College of Science and Technology—Sorsogon Campus

·       Bicol Merchant Marine College

·       Computer Communication Development Institute—the pilot college of the Ladderized Education Program in the Province of Sorsogon.

·       Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary

·       Saint Louise de Marillac College of Scorsogon (formerly Colegio de la Milagrosa)

·       Saint Peter and Paul Technical Institute

·       Sorsogon State College

·       Sorsogon College of Criminology, Inc.

·       Sorsogon Community College School of Midwifery

·       Sorsogon Chiang Kai Shek School

·       The Lewis College

·       WRI Computer College, Inc.

Public Safety

·       There are 88 PNP personnel

·       20 traffic aides and Barangay traffic aides

·       There are maximum of 8 inmates a month

·       19 firefighters

·       2 fire trucks and equipments

·       2 Filipino-Chinese fire trucks and 20 fire volunteers

·       Disaster preparedness—CDCC, BDCC, Sorsogon Emergency Rescue Team

People from Sorsogon City

·       Asisclo Jimenez—Great Zarzuelista

·       Eddie Garcia—Film actor and director

·       Eugenia Apostol(sister of former Sorsogon Mayor Duran)—one of the founders of Philippine Daily Inquirer

·       Francis “Chiz” Escudero—former congressman, and now senator of the 15^th congress

·       Harry Reed—thomasite assigned in Brgy. Guinlajon

·       Jorge Barlin—first Filipino and Bicolano Bishop and was assigned parish priest and Vicar Forane of Sorsogon from 1887 to 1906

·       Loida Nicolas-Lewis—Chairwoman and CEO of TLC Beatrice, LLC, the Lewis family investment firm and is also Chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice (China), Limited, a Cayman company which operates retail convenience stores in five major cities in China and TLC Beatrice Foods (Philippines) which operates a fresh meat and processing plant  

·       Mary Walter—actress whose career spanned through several decades. She was born in Bacon

·       Sally Lee—first Mayor of the city of Sorsogon and former Governor of the province of Sorsogon

·        Gerry Barba a.k.a DJ Bazura—amateur philosopher and independent short video specialist.

·       Salvador Escudero Sr.—former provincial governor of Sorsogon and was a guerilla leader during the Japanese occupation.

·       Salvador Escudero 111—Former minister of Ministry of Agriculture during the time of late Pres. Marcos. Father of Senator Chiz Escudero.