Don Bosco Makati celebrated Rector’s Day last September 28, 2021. The celebration of the Rector’s Day is an annual celebration in every Don Bosco school which coincides with the birthday of the present rector of the community. This day is also called “Community Day” or the “Educative Pastoral Community Day”. This special event was highlighted with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist which was presided over by the Rector himself, Fr. Jose Favie V. Faldas, SDB and concelebrated by the other Salesian priests. The Holy Mass was held at the Savio Dome. The Lay Mission Partners who were working on site had the privilege to attend the Eucharistic celebration while those in their respective homes took part in the celebration online as it was live-streamed via Facebook.
In his homily, Fr. Favie brought to the fore how this tradition started and grew with time. He narrated that this tribute can be traced back to the past students of Don Bosco who came to visit him during the celebration of his “Name Day”. Subsequently, it’s no longer for Don Bosco himself but to the living successor of the Patron Saint at present, who happens to be the Rector Major. This is an occasion to express gratitude to the Rector Major for his service and sense of animation to the entire Salesian congregation worldwide. He added that if such tradition was observed worldwide, it also became a celebration of the local setting which is held by the different houses on the birthday of the rector of the community being the “father” of the community.
Fr. Favie then drew a connection of such a role to the Gospel reading on the Beatitudes. He emphasized that his role as a rector is to bring the community towards the fulfillment of the way to the Beatitudes, the real road to happiness. As an EPC, we are happy to see a Bosconian who becomes a good Christian and upright citizen, more so if it has not impacted solely the Bosconian himself but even the family.
Fr. Favie also reminded everyone that as we aspire to serve the Lord, one must prepare himself for an ordeal. Yet, our unity as a community or a family will make us even stronger in getting through the rough times. The Rector ended his homily by reminding the EPC that the celebration of the Rector’s Day is a celebration of our “Togetherness, of being a Family, and of our Synergy” as a community, for a rector is nothing without the community.
After the Mass, the EPC had a virtual program honoring and celebrating the birthday of Fr. Favie. Various items from the different departments of the EPC were presented to Fr. Favie, including messages from his family and his father. Fr. Favie then concluded the celebration with his message of gratitude exhorting the whole EPC to be one and to be rooted in Christ.