75 Years of Catholic Life in the Diocese of Lucena

Homily of Most Rev. Charles John Brown, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines

September 8, 2025

Feast of the Nativity of Mary and 75th Founding Anniversary of the Diocese of Lucena

St. Ferdinand Cathedral, Lucena City

Your Excellency, the Most Rev. Mel Rey M. Uy, Bishop of Lucena; Your Grace, the Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lipa, Your Excellency, Bishop Emeritus, the Most Rev. Emilio Z. Marquez, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Lucena; brother bishops who have come from near and far this morning, to join us here in this beautiful Cathedral of Lucena; priests of the Diocese of Lucena and other diocese including Diocese of Gumaca; deacons, seminarians, religious sisters, civic officials, all of you brothers and sisters in Christ:

For me as the Apostolic Nuncio, it makes me very happy to be with you this morning. I came from Manila, leaving at about 5:30a.m., with the Council of the Nunciature, Monsignor Giuseppe Trentadue. We traveled here to be with you for this glorious celebration, the 75th Founding Anniversary of the Diocese of Lucena. That moment in 1950 when your diocese was created during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII.

I greet, as I said, all of you gathered here. I wanted to greet in a very, very special way, the people who are outside, the people who are watching on the LED screens. God bless you! You're with me, close to the altar, even though you're outside of the cathedral this morning.

Venerable Bishop Alfredo Obviar and the Diocese of Lucena

Your diocese has an extraordinary and venerable history. In fact, your first bishop, as all of you know, †Bishop Alfredo Obviar has been declared a Servant of God, Venerable, on his path towards eventual beatification and canonization—a holy bishop who led this Church from the beginning. A bishop whose holiness, whose sanctity, was radiant and obvious to everyone who met him. Bishop Alfredo Obviar who, in 1958 founded the Missionary Catechists of St. Thérèse. This wonderful community that's gathered here in large numbers in the cathedral, this morning. We thank God for the gift of your first bishop.

As all of you know, the diocese was created, taken out from what was then the diocese, now the Archdiocese of Lipa, and that's why we are so grateful to have His Grace, the Most Rev. Gilbert Garcera, the Archbishop of Lipa, with us this morning, because you are a daughter of his archdiocese.

The Birth of Our Lady

One of the things I've noticed in the Philippines (having been here now for five years—I arrived in November of 2020, in the middle of the COVID pandemic,) is how much Filipinos love birthdays. I've never been in the country anywhere in the world where birthdays are celebrated with so much enthusiasm and joy, as they are in the Philippines. In fact, I've noticed that a birthday is celebrated oftentimes not just on the birthday itself, but for several days before and after the birthday. Because Filipinos love birthdays.

Today we celebrate the most beautiful birthday, after the birthday of Jesus on December 25^th, that we can imagine—the birthday of His mother, the birthday of Our Lady, the birthday of the Mother of God.

Nine months ago, today was December 8, 2024, the Feast (or Solemnity) of the Immaculate Conception. That is the moment in which the mother of Mary, Saint Anne, became pregnant with Our Lady. For nine months, Saint Anne carried Mary in her womb like any mother. Today, nine months after December 8, on September 8, Saint Anne gives birth to Our Lady. 

There are many traditions associated with the birth of Our Lady. Of course, we know from our theology that Our Lady was conceived back on December 8, without the stain of original sin. She was given a gift from God, that none of us have received. The gift to come into the world without the contagion of original sin; and we believe that she was raised in Nazareth. Our Lady was raised in Nazareth. That's where she spent her childhood. That's where she was espoused to St. Joseph, as we heard in the Gospel this morning (Matthew 1:18-23).

It's interesting to reflect, brothers and sisters, about Nazareth. Nazareth is not the capital. Nazareth is a province. The capital is Jerusalem. Nazareth is outside the capital. A little bit like Lucena. There, Our Lady grew and was espoused to St. Joseph. Then she herself becomes pregnant in a miraculous fashion as a virgin, and gives birth to Jesus.

So, Our Lady is this beautiful figure, this beautiful intercessor, the mother of our Lord. Of course, Filipinos, as I've said, love birthdays; but you also, even more than birthdays, you love Our Lady. That phrase in Spanish that the Filipinos are the Pueblo Amante De María, the “People Who Love Mary”, is so appropriate. I see that wherever I go, all over the Philippines, from Batanes to Jolo, from East to West: people love Mama Mary. That's beautiful. Today we combine those two loves: our love for birthdays and our love for Mary, put together in this beautiful feast day of the Mother of God.

Let's appeal to Our Lady to watch over us, to guide us, to lead us, always closer to her Son. 

The Birth of a Diocese

Today is not only the birthday of Mary, it's also the birthday of your diocese, through this double birthday today. Today is the day in which your diocese was created, on September 8, 1950.

A diocese is a local Church. A parish is, strictly speaking, not a Church, but a portion of a Church. The diocese is the local Church, the people of God around a bishop. Your first bishop, of course, was Bishop Alfredo Obviar, now Venerable. So, the Church here in Lucena has its birthday today. Today is the birthday of the Church and the birthday of Mary. There's an amazing correspondence between these two birthdays. An amazing, we can say, symbolic correspondence between the birthday of Mary and the birthday of Lucena as a diocese.

You know, of course, that Mary gives birth to Jesus, our Savior. The Church gives birth to us, as children of God. We are born again in the Sacrament of Baptism, in the font of baptism, in the baptismal water. In fact, the early Church fathers spoke about the baptismal font—that means, the container of baptism, as the womb of the Church in which we are born.

All of us know people who call themselves “Born Again Christians”, don't we? We as Catholics are all “Born Again Christians”. We have been born a second time in baptism, as children, sons, and daughters of the Church.

So, just like Mary gives birth to Jesus, so the Church gives birth to us. Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church of Lucena, the people of God in this area, gathered around a bishop. That is what a Church is.

Looking Forward to 100 Years

Today we think over these 75 years of all the baptisms, all the confirmations, all the holy communions, all the weddings, ordinations, all the funeral Masses, all of this life of God that has been bestowed on you. The blessings of God that have been poured out on Lucena as a diocese in 75 years. So today, we say a massive “thank you” to God for everything that He's given you in these 75 years. We say “thank you” to God for all the bishops, priests, deacons, sisters, and especially you, the Catholic people—parents who have brought children into the world. You give them natural birth. They are born of you, but you bring your children to the Church, so they can be baptized and become truly children of God, children of the Church, sons and daughters of the Church. How beautiful that is. That's why we thank God for the gifts of 75 Years of Catholic life here in the Diocese of Lucena.

When we think about these 75 years, let's think about what will happen in the future. Let's imagine for a moment, 25 years from this day, I'm sure, on September 8, 2050, the nuncio will come from Manila. Maybe he'll come in a helicopter, maybe he'll come in a car, but he'll come to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Diocese, 25 years from today. Let's hope, brothers and sisters, and priests, especially, that when that nuncio comes (it won't be me, because I'll be 91 years old—I'll come in my wheelchair, if I can,) in 25 years, let's hope that when he arrives, he sees a local Church as vibrant, as alive as the Diocese of Lucena is this morning. With this wonderful welcome that I received as I approached the cathedral, all of these people, both inside and outside the cathedral, Catholic life here in Lucena. If that nuncio comes in 25 years, if he's going to find Catholic life in Lucena, it's up to you and me, to make sure that happens. By evangelizing now, by passing the faith on now to the younger generation. I see some younger faces here, also in the cathedral, this afternoon. They'll be here in 25 years for this morning, I should say, they'll be here in 25 years for that celebration.

Let's continue our work of evangelization, continue our work in the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs), so the faith continues to live here. So that in 25 years, the celebration of the 100th anniversary will be even larger than it is this morning. This morning is totally glorious and beautiful to see all of you here.

Conclusion and Final Exhortations

So, for me, as the representative of Pope Leo XIV, who today, if I'm not mistaken, celebrates four months since his election as Holy Father. Let us continue to pray for Pope Leo. Let's thank God for the gift of Pope Leo. He's God's gift to the Church at this moment in her history. He asks for our prayers.

So, for me as your Papal Nuncio, as you can tell from my words this morning, it gives me so much joy to be part of your 75 year Foundation Anniversary, to wish you all the best as we go forward in faith, hope, and love—evangelizing, bringing the light of Christ to those around us.

May God bless you!

Happy 75th anniversary!

Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo

cover photo from The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucena Facebook page