The Protector Patron Saint of Passi, Founder of Heritage of St. William

To us Passinhons, February 10 is a much awaited day of the year, for it is the feast day of our Patron Saint William. Much have been told and written of the belief of how this Saint had protected and saved the people of Passi in the very early days in times of eminent danger and crises, but nothing is known of the birth of parentage of this saint, except that he seemed to have been a Frenchman. He is thought to have been a soldier in his youth and to have led a life of dissipation. So powerful and self-confident, he was very cruel to his neighbors and did great damages to them, so that he earned the fame of a monster. St. Bernard gradually guided him to the better side of life and by the grace of God was converted.

The first definite accounts of his early life was of him as a penitent making a pilgrimage to Rome. He spent eight years in performing this and other pilgrimages. Upon his return to Tuscany, Albania, he retired and lived in a remote place, a forest near Pisa doing plenty of penance. There, many came to ask for prayers so he was privileged to form a congregation. However, he found his disciples not amenable for reform and strict discipline so he determined to live in solitude the life he had unsuccessfully propose to others. He entered this solitude in September 1155 and had no lodging but a cave. During the first four months, he had no company but that of wild beasts and he ate only the herbs on which they fed. He was joined by a disciple named Albert who lived with him till his death, which happened thirteen months later. It was Albert who recorded the last events of his life.

St. William instructed his disciples in the ways of penance and perfection which he taught even more effectively by his own examples – an example, however so transcended that it was rather to be admired than imitated. He had the gift of prophecy and miracles. The Passinhons treasure the belief that at one time when the church caught fire and almost reduced the entire building to ashes, a strange figure clad in black robe poised himself against the door in the middle of the leaping flame. When the fire subsided the holy image of San Guillermo remained untouched including all things around him.

A short time before his death, a physical called Renaldo came to join, and he and Albert buried St. William’s body in the garden on February 10, 1157. The two monks continued to live according to the Saints’ rule and sometime after, when others came to swell their little community, they built a chapel over the founder’s grave and heritage to serve their own needs. This was the origin of the Hermits of Saint William who afterwards, spread over Italy, France, Flanders and Germany.

ST. WILLIAM PARISH

VISION – MISSION

VISION

Sa pagtuytoy sa Balaan nga Espiritu, kami nga mga tumuluo sa Parokya ni San Guillermo nagahandum sang Simbahan nga:

  • suno sa modelo sang Santisima Trinidad;
  • komunidad sang mga disipulo nga nasentro kay Kristo;
  • naebanghilisar kag naga ebanghilisar;
  • iya sang kubos nga nagapatigayon sang kabug-osan nga tawhanon nga kauswagan nga nasandig sa hustisya, paghidaet, paglaum, paghigugma, kamatuoran kag balance nga kinaiya.

MISSION

Sa amon pagpanglakaton sa pag-angot sang tanan kay Kristo, kami nagasaad sa:

  • pagpalapnag sang Maayong balita sang kaluwasan paagi sa nabag-o nga katekisis, buhi nga liturhiya, kag pagpabakod sa Kristiyanong Katilingban;
  • pagpauswag sang hilikuton para sa bug-os nga tawhanon nga pagtubo;
  • pagpaluntad sang katilingban sa diin may pagbuyluganay kag pagpa-ambit sang nanuhaytuhay nga bugay sa pag-alagad sa Dios kag sa isigkatawo. Paagi sa pagtuytoy kag inspirasyon ni San Guillermo nga amon Patron kag sa pag ampo ni Santa Maria, Iloy sang Simbahan, kabay nga bendisyonan sang Dios ining mga hilikuton para sa kahimayaan sang Iyang ngalan.

Pangamuyo O Dios nga gintugot mo kay San Guillermo nga imo manugbantala ang bugay sang pagsikway sang mga kabulahanan sining kalibutan, itugot man sa amon nga imo mga alagad, sa mga panabang kag pahanungdan sang amon nga santos, ang pagbatok sa tanan nga mga kaaway; tungod kay Kristo nga amon Ginoo. Amen.