Edition of Wednesday, October 21

Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. said vicars for consecrated life must listen well, encourage dialogue, and stay attentive to the needs of religious communities. Speaking at the Conference on Mutual Relations at the Manresa Retreat House in Quezon City on Oct. 21, the Bishop of Cubao described these vicars as essential collaborators who help bishops support religious institutes and other forms of consecrated life.

Ayuban, who chairs the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Commission on Mutual Relations Between Bishops and Consecrated Persons, identified three primary duties for vicars: overseeing the lives of consecrated persons and their institutes, coordinating their pastoral and apostolic work, and managing matters involving religious priests.

According to Ayuban, canon law requires vicars to meet specific standards regarding age, education, experience, and sound judgment, noting that expertise in theology or canon law is important. While women religious and religious brothers may assist in this role, the office is reserved for priests.

The Diocese of Milano will host the Señor de los Milagros procession on Sunday, October 25. The event brings together members of the Peruvian community to honor a devotion that originated in Lima during the 16th century.

The procession begins at 10:00 a.m. at Piazza San Carlo on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Participants will walk toward the Duomo, arriving around 12:30 p.m. to meet Archbishop Delpini, who will greet the procession and lead a prayer. From the Duomo, the group will proceed to the Santo Stefano parish, the personal parish for migrants in Milano, for a Mass. This year's celebration includes the inauguration of a fully restored altar at the parish.

The event also marks the 30th anniversary of the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros, a brotherhood officially recognized by the Diocese of Milano. Father Alberto Vitali, who leads the diocesan pastoral care for migrants, stated that the brotherhood aims to involve more young people, including recent arrivals to Italy, in the devotion.

Back in His Arms Again Ministry hosted its annual Wave of Light ceremony in mid-October at Resurrection Cemetery. The event took place at the Garden of the Holy Innocents, a burial section for infants and babies lost to miscarriage that serves as a resting place for nearly 4,000 children.

The ceremony coincided with Infant Loss Awareness Day on Oct. 15. During the remembrance program, hospital chaplain Father Jacob Stinnett offered opening and closing prayers, while Kambra Conley, executive director of Back in His Arms Again, offered a reflection for families.

The Garden of the Holy Innocents is available to any parent free of charge.

The Diocese of Bùi Chu reports that John Baptist Vương Văn Điến passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Born in 1962, he was a member of the Quần Phương Parish in the Diocese of Bùi Chu and was 65 years old.

The Bishop of Bùi Chu celebrated Mass to pray for the marriage of Joseph and Teresa.

The St Vincent de Paul Catholic Chapel in Cambridge held a Heritage Open Day on Sunday, September 27, to mark the feast day of Saint Vincent de Paul. Members of the chapel, which is part of the Our Lady and the English Martyrs parish, welcomed visitors to learn about the building's history and the saint's life.

The chapel originally served as a prefabricated hut for the First Eastern General Hospital during the First World War. After the hospital closed, the structure was used for temporary housing, a working men’s club, and as the original church for St Laurence’s parish in Chesterton before it was moved and re-erected at its current location.

During the event, Father Adrian Gates concelebrated Mass with former parish priest Monsignor Tony Rogers. Following the service, parishioners hosted visitors with coffee, cake, and wine made from grapes grown in the chapel garden.