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| Dame Odette Jereza (left) poses with supportive USPian alumnus Cebu City mayor Hon. Michael Rama and mother of the Modern USPF, university president Dr. Alicia P. Cabatingan. |
At least three members of the USPF board of trustees will fly to Rome, Italy this October to witness the canonization of Beato Pedro Calungsod. They are Cebuana Trailblazers and trustees university president Dr. Alicia P. Cabatingan and vice-president for external relations Mrs. Lourdes D. Jereza with trustee and vice president for administration Mr. Oscar Jereza, Jr.
In a nutshell. Beato Pedro Calungsod was persecuted for his faith at the very young age of 18. He was the martyr Bisaya and missionary catechist assigned in c.1600 Guam whom Blessed Pope John Paul later beatified in March 2005. This 21st of October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI will canonize Beato Pedro Calungsod as the first Filipino-Visayan saint.
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| Proud husband USPF vice-president for administration Mr. Oscar Jereza, Jr. smiles for posterity with wife. |
USPF: home of Papal Awardee. USPian alumna Lourdes "Odette" De Dios Jereza is one of the nine women whom Archbishop Jose Palma conferred the distinguished Papal Award as Dame of the Order of St. Sylvester in May 2011 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Dame Odette is an active servant of the Catholic Church who practiced her faith in her 43 years in the academe as educator and administrator; and in the community as catechist, health educator and volunteer worker in the marginalized sectors of the society including ex-lepers, drug dependents, night entertainers, out of school youths, people with special needs, and people with disabilities. Her religious activism is evident in her affiliations with Focolare Movement, Carmelite Sisters, Cebu Archdiocesan Major Seminary Foundation, St. Therese of the Child Jesus Shine, Praise Ministry of the Bukas Loob sa Dios Covenant Community (BLD).
