THE St. John’s Institute (SJI) community in Bacolod City will hold a 40-day collective prayer starting Wednesday, May 17.
Cesar Villanueva, president of the Board of Trustees, said there will be a mass at the Queen of Peace Parish Church at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
He said students and teachers of SJI, also known as Hua Ming, are invited to join the 40-day prayer vigil.
The alumni were also urged to join the prayer vigil for intercession for the upcoming closure of the church on May 31.
“As a prayerful community, SJI will not abandon their faith and will continue to exhaust all efforts for their school and their church,” he said.
The ongoing controversy about the ownership of the property on which the church stands led to the separation of the Diocese of Bacolod and the church.
After a series of negotiations to resolve the rift, the Diocese and Hua Ming have agreed to pursue a peaceful disengagement of relationship that will end on May 31.
Bishop Patricio Buzon then declared that the school will be stripped of its Catholic status after the departure of the church. (MPE)