Don Bosco Philippines South Province

by: Novice Nicolo Lorenzo Cervantes

The Don Bosco Sacred Heart Novitiate at the Don Bosco Formation Center (DBFC) Lawaan recently concluded a deeply moving celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Novena Masses began on June 18, 2025 at the Shrine of St. John Bosco the Dreamer. Throughout the nine days, the faithful were invited to share their prayer intentions with the Novices. Also, during the Novena, the aspirants and novices shared their reflections on the solemnity drawn from Dilexit Nos, an encyclical letter issued by the late Pope Francis through their sermonettes. Excerpts of these reflections are posted in the Novitiate’s Facebook page.

The Novices and the Don Bosco Youth Center Lawaan presented an academia, an original musicale entitled “Laban Lang!” (“Keep up the fight!”) on June 25. The story follows a group of young people, each with their own battles: rejection, pride, broken families, unspoken grief — ultimately revealing a Heart that remains steadfast in love. The production was directed by Novice Anjoe Dayday.

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart was marked by the Fiesta Mass, which was presided over by Fr. Joseph Kunle Ogundana, SDB. In his homily, Fr. Joseph called the faithful to “listen deeply to the Heart that never stops speaking.” Later in the evening, a solemn foot procession saw the faithful journey with the Holy Eucharist to the Shrine of St. John Bosco the Dreamer where the adoration, animated by the Sisters of the Maria Stella Matutina, was held. The celebrations were capped off with a dinner program where the Novitiate sector was joined by young people, select cast of the academia, altar servers, and the Matutina sisters.