In the footsteps of a saint
(with ‘sinful’ sidelights)
Without a pilgrim’s staff and a formal itinerary, five alumnae of the Assumption Convent (called “Old Girls,” as all alumnae are) meander around Lorraine and Paris in France to have a down-to-earth glimpse of the saint they had never met but knew by heart — St. Marie Eugenie Milleret, founder of the Religious of the Assumption. At the Assumption, we referred to St. Marie Eugenie as our “Mother Foundress.”
And the “fab five” kept a diary of their meanderings and published a book that ignites the soul as well the sole (to go, go, go and retrace their steps!).
Gloria Pilar Aguirre, Nanette Olivares, Frances Pascual, Concepcion Poblador and Maria Lourdes de Vera were and are indeed privileged — to have lived in the time their school’s founder Marie Eugenie Milleret of the Religious of the Assumption (canonized in 2007) and to have traced her footsteps and carriage rides in the places where she laughed, loved and resolved to help transform the world through education and “fidelity to duty.”
And in between Masses, reflections, and enlightening realizations, these five Old Girls also smelled the roses, stumbled on unforgettable restaurants on roads less travelled, found the original recipe for Quiche Lorraine, discovered the best places to have oysters and escargot, and reveled in museums. “Sinful,” so to speak, simple pleasures.
“We gleaned trucs, shopping tips and gastronomic trivia, favored market streets, artisanal grocers, and green spaces where one can enjoy France’s bounty en plein air.”
In the book, these pious pilgrims give tips on how to exit a restaurant with dignity after you’ve settled in and discovered that the prices on the menu are astronomical; or gain access to historic churches with winding queues. Spoiler: Simply tell the doorkeeper: “Je vais entendre la messe.” It was the truth for them, anyway. “A pilgrim’s staff and a formal itinerary we had none,” the fab five recall. “We visited the places where (St. Eugenie’s) journey took her — where she was born and baptized, raised and summered, studied and played; the different places in Paris where the congregation was conceived and was nurtured, the churches where she prayed for clarity and sought answers to the doubts in her heart.” And, first and last, they paid their respect at their school’s beloved foundress’ shrine in the chapel at Auteuil. “In tracing her footsteps, our eyes and soles randomly absorbed streets and quarters revealing a special history, unfolding subtle facets and contrasting portraits that may have figured in our saint’s journey.”
And through their meanderings, “(St. Marie Eugenie’s) spirit presides over our reflections on unexpected byways, and leads us to a place found only within ourselves.” *** Marie Eugenie was a tireless traveler herself. As recounted in the book, she went by coach and train to Rome, to Nice, to Sedan, to Rheims, to Poitiers and to Cannes to live and spread the Gospel. Members of her congregation have reached the shores of many countries, including the Philippines, and have established schools that have in turn yielded exceptional students and alumnae. Marie Eugenie passed away in March 1898, was beatified in 1974 and canonized in 2007.
In her shrine in Auteil is a portrait of her. The five Old Girls who traced her journey say, “Her loving gaze lingers, and with tenderness implores: ‘Dare to be holy’.”
*** The book was launched recently at the Assumption College (AC) in San Lorenzo Village in Makati. Since this year also marks the 75th year of bilateral ties between the Philippines and France, officials from the French Embassy in Manila and the Alliance Francaise were present.
Among those who spoke at the book launching were AC College president Dr. Ola Regala, Assumption Alumnae Association president Tina Casas Nakpil, French Embassy attaché for education Nabila Torch (representing French Ambassador Michele Boccoz), Alliance Francaise director Xavier Leroux and Elvira Araneta. Cristina Ansaldo Estrada did a reading of the book. The event was co-emceed by Tata Poblador and
* French cultural attaché Martin Macalintal. (Those interested in the book may text 0917-8120046.
A similar tour “8 Days with St. Marie Eugenie” is also being organized by popular request, and is due to depart in September with Fr. Robert Bueconsejo SJ as
spiritual director.)
Kids always get the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And many would say a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or an athlete. But over the years, children have gotten more creative that pursuits like becoming an app developer have made it to the list of their dream jobs.
As Google Play celebrates its 10th year, Google asked kids to work on their imagination as it posed the question, “What app do you want to develop when you grow up?”
Read on for their quirky and cute answers.
THE ADVOCATES
Eirik, a seven-year-old boy, said that he seeks to heal people in pain. “I will call it the Mage app or M-app for short. There will be a magician that will heal any kind of pain — even those that are not curable.” Isn’t that so pure?
Meanwhile, Yanna, 12, wishes to make animals “talk.”
“I’ll make one that translates anything that animals say,” she said. “I’ll call it Squak-ATalk. It’s like a Google Translate that can work for humans to animals and even animals to animals. Humans can understand what their pets will say, and animals can understand what their fellow animals would mean. Just imagine a dog and a duck having a conversation together! It would be so cool.”
If Squak-A-Talk could work in the future, the world would be a much better place — with humans and animals coexisting in harmony.
Kylie, eight, advocates for a community where kids enrolled in homeschool can make more friends.
“I would like to have a social app that helps me find learning information about homeschoolers, worldschoolers, and/or unschoolers like me,” she said. “It would be a much easier way to find like-minded peers.”
THE INNOVATORS
Imagination and wonder is how kids learn about the world, but it’s also through their creative thinking that they shape the innovations of tomorrow.
Six-year-old Franco dreams of developing an app that delivers food in real-time while people play.
“I’ll call it FoodBlox! There will be a ‘cookA ing’ button in there, and the app will bring to you whatever you’re making in the game in just seconds.” Truly a game-changer in the F&B industry years from now.
Another future innovator is Moses, 10, who shares his bright idea on gamifying computer security. Ever dreamed of protecting a computer from viruses without dealing with technical terms and jargons?
“I’ll make an anti-virus gaming app that gamifies the destruction of potential malware that could enter your computer,” said Moses. “It’s a fun way to take care of your gadgets. You can play a spaceship or a superhero as you shoot down emblems of viruses in the form of monsters. You can also get safety upgrades and unlockables depending on how well you play. When you win, you’ll be able to beat the viruses — in the game and for real!” With cyber issues getting more advanced each year, this is an idea that we’d love to see in real life soon.
Yunna, six, plans to create an app with safety in mind. She said that she wishes to make a disaster safety app that will tell people exactly where to go and what to do if ever there’s an earthquake, storm, or tornado. practical tool for survival, indeed.
THE PASSIONATE PLAYERS
If there are kids who want to create extensive apps, there are also those who want to make cute and colorful platforms. The six-year-old future builder, Xander, imagines to craft a life simulation app where kids can build cities, homes, and factories.
Five-year-old Amara is a fashionista who wants to make a Dress Up Doll app where children can learn about makeup and clothing.
Meanwhile, Rafa, eight, wants to help people “speedsolve” Rubik’s Cubes by creating an app where they can get rich information about cubing.
“I’d like to build an app for cubing tutorials that brings together all resources that you need about cubing. So that people can get all the information in one app and not keep searching or looking for them every single time,” he explained.
Online apps have been an excellent tool for kids’ journey to learning and discovery. And in the 10 years that it has been in the market, Google Play has been a reliable partner for parents in equipping their children with open-ended education.
Google Play’s Kids tab culminates all apps with the “Teacher approved” seal, so finding entertaining, engaging, and ageappropriate apps for kids can be done within a single page. Parents can also review — in one glance — how the app can be beneficial for their child as it includes information on what they can learn in the app.
With all the developments the whole world has seen in ten years, it won’t come as a surprise if we see these app ideas from kids come to life on the Google Play platform — in the next ten years or so!