One of the advocacies of HEdCen is religious tolerance and respect. Albeit non-sectarian, the school realizes that majority of its students are Roman Catholics. Thus, among the regular religious activities it helps commemorate is the rite of passage of First Communion.

Last December, the school sponsored the First Communion of members of the Grade Three class, at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Antipolo. The celebration of the sacrament, officiated by incumbent parish priest Fr. Joel Victorino, with the choir of HEdCen Grade 4 students led by Sir Roi on guitar, captured the joy, solemnity and wonder befitting the occasion. Much to the surprise and pleasure of the parents, Teacher Emma and several faculty members attended the ceremony.

The communicants did us proud, proof of the hard work they put in during rehearsals under the guidance of the ever-patient Teacher Vivs. We marveled at the sense of importance our sons and daughters gave to every aspect they participated in the Mass, from the responses to the choreographed hand gestures of some songs, all the way to the reverence with which they knelt and received the Body of Christ for the first time.

From the church, the communicants, their parents and the other members of the HEdCen community proceeded to the school, where the communicants were welcomed with confetti as they entered the campus. Of course, to end the special morning, we had a munting salu-salo of pasta, dinuguan at puto, Baby Claravall’s velvet cake (which was gone in a matter of seconds), and a host (pun intended) of other dishes, plus cold drinks courtesy of Ruel and Ruby Terry, and we all went home well-nourished in body and spirit.

Thank you HedCen, for making our children’s First Communion Celebration truly memorable!

(Photos courtesy of Ms. Sarj Protacio, mom of Mico and Gio, and Mr. Derek Brugada, dad of Kaze. And my apologies for the somewhat belated nature of this post. Better late than never!)

Posted in: Props, A HEdCen Oldie's POV, HEdCen Special Events, Photo Gallery | Comments(0) | January 2008

The Keeper has the strangest hands, not in appearance, but in what they can do. Hers not only touch, hold and feel, but see, hear, smell and taste as well, and through them the Keeper experiences whatever sensory aspects a memory may conjure up. Each of these senses is heightened or dulled according to the exact state the memory owner originally felt.

As these moments of recall unfold themselves cupped in her palms, the Keeper has no choice, whether for better or for worse, but to undergo as only she can, what each of us went through. The Keeper accepts this duty willingly. Though she is powerless to alter our memories, whatever we long/care/fear to remember return to us only after they have lain in the warm caress of her omnisensorial hands.

Because of this, and as you may have already guessed, the Keeper is gifted (and burdened) with the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Hence, the Keeper of Memories is known too as The Mistress of Empathy.

(This post is a continuation of The Keeper of Memories made in November 2007.)

Posted in: Exit Stage Write | Comments(1) | January 2008