The king and his queen were subsequently baptized together with their followers. It was on this occasion that the queen, newly given the baptismal name of Juana was gifted by Magellan with a statue of the Santo Niño, which was later found in 1565 by soldiers of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and is now preserved in the Basilica of the Santo Niño in Cebu. In preparation for the celebration of this providential event of the first arrival of Christianity in our shores, the Church in the Philippines has planned nine years of intensive evangelization, with a theme for every year.
Apat na parokya ang magdiriwang ng “jubilee year”: ikalimampung anibersaryo ng Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish, Taguig at Santo Rosario de Pasig Parish, Rosario; ika-animnapung anibersaryo ng Sto. Tomas de Villanueva, Santolan, Pasig; at ikaapat na raan at dalawampu’t limang anibersaryo ng St. Anne Parish, Taguig. Natatangi din na sa taong darating ay ikasandaang anibersaryo ng Pasig Catholic College at ikadalawampu’t limang anibersaryo ng dalawa pa nating parochial schools, Sto. Nino Catholic School at Bicutan Parochial School – mga maituturing nating malaking biyaya sa paghuhubog ng kaisipan, buhay moral at espirituwal ng libu-libong mag-aaral noon at magpa sa hanggang ngayon. At siyempre lahat ng mga pagdiriwang na ito ay magaganap sa ikasampung anibersaryo na pagkakatatag ng Diyosesis ng Pasig. Hindi ko po maubos maisip na idineklara ng Santo Papa ang “Year of Faith” na naitaon sa pagdiriwang natin ng mga mahahalagang “jubilee celebration”.