Photo Courtesy to: La Naval de Manila and Photo by: Maverick Rhoy De Vera/ The LANCE
The 2nd day of the Novena Mass in honor of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, was presided over by the Bishop of Balanga, Bataan, Most Reverend Rufino Coronel Sescon Jr., D.D.—a bishop, Marian devotee, and Letranite.
Bishop Sescon began his homily by reminiscing about his time as a Letranite during the La Naval festivities, saying:
“I returned to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila, as her devoted son. For almost 10 years during my basic education, I joined the Letran community in celebrating the institutional novena Mass in her honor every Thursday before her feast. We would come here to pay homage to Our Lady, and on the Sunday, on the grand procession, we were joined by students from all the Dominican schools.”
“It was the year that a Letranite was canonized—St. Vicente Liem de la Paz. It brought us great joy that, during the grand procession, we were accompanying a fellow Letranite, now a canonized saint. A Letranite who is a Saint!” he added.
With joy and discernment, Bishop Sescon shared that it took him 27 years of waiting before he was finally able to celebrate Mass in the very parish where he had often come to pray—in sorrow, in anxiety, in joy, and in hope.
“I was a nobody to many, a nobody to anyone in fact. Even the Cardinal of Manila was looking for me at that time, as my name was being announced in Rome—I was here, in front of Our Lady,” Bishop Sescon recounted.
He was speaking about the day when the late Pope Francis announced his appointment as the Bishop of Balanga in Bataan—a day that found him not in a grand hall or among high-ranking clergy, but quietly praying before Our Lady in the Church that had long been his refuge.
On the day of the 2nd Novena the readings from the book of the gospel from John 15:9-12, states the scripture “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” Bishop Sescon also reflected on how he received the love of Jesus through the intercession and prayer of Mary. He stated that
“Every ‘Hail Mary,’ is like taking the hand of our Lady who whispers to us, ‘Come let me show you how my Son loves you. Come let me show you how to remain in that love’.”
In an interview with The LANCE, Bishop Sescon emphasized the role of praying the Rosary in times of anxiety. He shared:
“We were taught to love the Holy Rosary. It's not just a repetitive prayer, though it may sound boring to some, but there is already a lesson in the very discipline of the prayer. As you continue through its monotone rhythm, there is grace behind it. The Rosary teaches us patience. And isn’t patience a very important lesson in life?
So I hope and pray that even if, at times, we may not be as contemplative as the Rosary envisions us to be—even if we may not reach a high level of sophistication in prayer—the patience cultivated through this devotion may remain in the heart of every Letranite.”
He continued by drawing a connection between those formative experiences and the enduring call to live a life rooted in faith and service—just as Our Lady modeled through her obedience and courage. Reflecting on his experience as a Letranite during the La Naval festivities, he said:
“Let us cherish this, as I have cherished this tradition as a Letranite, cultivating our love for the Blessed Mother. And we do this as a community: students, faculty, and administration, united in devotion together with our heavenly intercessor, St. Vicente Liem de la Paz.”
Bishop Sescon, an alumnus of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila, was Ordained as the 5th bishop of the Diocese of Balanga last February 25, 2025.