COUNCIL INFORMATION
Our Lady of Manaoag Council 15343
On August 1, 2011, our Lady of Manaoag Council 15343 was Chartered at Senyor Santo Niño de Cebu Catholic Church, in San Antonio, Texas. Our creation had been a dream of Reverend Father Martin Parayno, OSB, who was our parish priest at that time. We are proud to say that we are the first Filipino/American Council of the Knights of Columbus in Texas. We currently have over 95 members serving the Santo Niño Parish.
Our Council is named after the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Manaoag, Pagasinan, Philippines. The statue of Our Lady of Manaoag is a 17th-century ivory image of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus enshrined at the high altar of the Basilica. It was brought to the Philippines from Spain in the early 17th century by the priest Juan de San Jacinto. Documents dating back to 1610 attest that a middle-aged farmer walking home heard a mysterious female voice. He looked around and saw on a cloud-veiled treetop an apparition of the Virgin Mary, holding a rosary in her right hand and the Child Jesus in her left arm, all amidst a heavenly glow. Mary told the farmer where she wanted her church to be built, and a chapel was built on the hilltop site of the apparition, forming the nucleus of the present town. Our Lady of the Rosary is depicted in other countries with similar attributes, with the accouterments and style of the vestments varying across cultures. The Manaoag image is distinct from other statues in its sculpture and regalia, particularly its crown.
Currently our Council programs include;
* Free Throw Championship for our youth
* Tootsie Roll Drive for the Archdiocese to help fund services for Deaf Ministry
* American Wheelchair Mission
* Habitat for Humanity
* Coats for Kids
* Keep Christ in Christmas program
* Respect for Life activities
* Support for seminarians
* Donating money and volunteering time to Special Olympics
* Assisting our Pastor and Santo Niño Parish with its needs by volunteering our time, talent and treasure
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Our Parish Council Receives Top International Award
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