Home 
CEBU CITY, Philippines - The young people of today need direction and parish priests play an important role in encouraging the youth to join activities of their local churches, said Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
The prelate said he was not familiar with the case of 21-year-old Rachelle Mae Palang, whom the military alleged was slain while fighting on the side of rebels in Negros Oriental, but whose family and friends claimed was on a medical mission there.
Either way, Vidal said today's youth in general need guidance.
“They should continue working for the poor, if that is their intention,” the prelate told reporters after leading the farewell Mass for the Our Lady of the Rosary of Lindogon, Simala, Sibonga, at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
“For whatever purpose they want to work, certainly we cannot stop them from helping others. But they must make sure that whatever they do will also help the peace and order in the community,” he added.
He said young leaders nowadays are not inclined to offer their time and effort for their parishes. Vidal urged parish priests to reach out to the youth.
“If they are not invited by the parish priest, then they will not enter the parish,” he said.
In his homily, the cardinal said he hoped that peace and social justice would prevail in today's society.
“I hope that the grapes in each of our vineyards is sweet and not sour. (I hope) we attain justice and not killings. (I hope) we attain joy and not tears of sorrow,” he said. “I hope that, as the chosen people, we would produce sweet fruits and be able to give back to God what is due Him at the right time.”
Meanwhile, tributes to Palang have reached the video-sharing web site YouTube.
A video entitled “Rachelle Mae Palang: A tribute” was uploaded by user “emskiwubit,” who described the almost nine-minute video “a tribute to a good daughter, sister, student and a friend to everyone.”
The video is made up of a series of still pictures showing various scenes from Palang's life. Gary Valenciano's rendition of “Warrior is a Child” accompanies the video.
According to the site, the video file was uploaded on September 24.
Palang is shown in many moods - fooling around with friends, smiling, and making faces. One photo showed Rachelle sharing a tender moment with a newborn infant.
The ashes of Palang, a former College Editors' Guild of the Philippines vice president for the Visayas, were buried last Saturday in Nangka Cemetery in the town of Consolacion, northern Cebu.
She was reportedly killed on September 18 in a 45-minute encounter between the 79th Infantry Battalion and the New People's Army (NPA) in Negros Oriental.
In a statement released by the NPA's Pulang Mt. Talinis Command and signed by Dom Pantaleon, the rebel said Rachelle, whom they called “Ka Hannah,” was a “reserved member” and was not issued any weapon.
Her family has rejected claims that she was a communist rebel.
Rachelle's father described her as another kind of NPA - “Nurse Po Ako.” (I am a nurse.) He said his daughter was a nursing board passer and was vocal to friends and family about her desire to pursue a medical course.
