Two years after the canonization of Carmelite Titus Brandsma, the relics and an image of the saint continue their tour around the Philippines. On May 14, the eve of the anniversary of Brandsma’s canonization, the relics were at the headquarters of ABS-CBN in Quezon City.
ABS-CBN Corporation is the largest radio broadcaster, entertainment television production, program syndication provider and media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is Filipino owned and based in Quezon City which is in Metro Manila, Philippines. It employs more than 5,200 people.
Tuesday’s event was the first time a media company has hosted the nationwide pilgrimage of the relic and image of St. Titus. Known as a defender of truth and a martyr for press freedom, the saint's values and principles “perfectly align” with ABS-CBN’s mission, said Brother Lester Hallig, O. Carm., as quote in an online article on the ABS-CBN website. “That’s what makes his presence here very special. He resonates with the values that ABS-CBN represents.”
Members of the Philippine Province which is dedicated to St. Titus Brandsma led the visit to the media corporation’s Chapel of the Annunciation. The chapel’s chaplain, Fr. Carmelo “Tito” Caluag, presided over the Mass to celebrate the relic’s visit.
Following the Mass, ABS-CBN’s President and CEO Carlo Katigbak, Chairman Mark Lopez, and Chief Operating Officer Cory Vidanes signed a “pledge of truth.”
The pilgrim relic tour of St. Titus started in July 2022, two months after he was declared as a saint on May 15, 2022. It has been the subject of a previous CITOC online Update (134/2023).
St. Titus' relic has visited several provinces, including Pangasinan, Isabela, and parts of Mindanao, as well as different schools around the Philippines. Last year, the Order of the Carmelites brought the relic and image of the saint to Kalibo, Aklan, and introduced it to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
