Yellow Balloons "Freed" at Vegas mass for Cory
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A dedicated Filipino memorial mass was held at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Las Vegas at 2
PM on Sunday January 24, 2010 (the 25th in the Philippines), celebrating the 77th birthday anniversary of the
late President Cory C. Aquino, who was born on January 25, 1933.
As a symbolic gesture of the appreciation of the Filipinos of the year of the birth of Asia's icon of democracy,
33 yellow balloons were released following the Mass by the participants, led by Fr. Henry Salditos, and the
members of the Core Group of the US Pinoys for Noy-Mar , who sponsored the event.
The entire Homily was dedicated to Cory, whose virtues and significant role in the history of the Philippines
were extolled by Fr. Henry, and by Dr. Philip S. Chua, lead Convenor of the US Pinoys for Noy-Mar.
On the cover of time magazine, called the "Saint of Democracy," Cory led the historical People Power
bloodless revolution in 1986 and toppled the dictator president Ferdinand Marcos, returning freedom and
democracy to the Filipinos.
This event in Manila had inspired and liberated countless millions of oppressed people from Seoul to
Johannesburg, Poland, Warsaw to Moscow, culminating in the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and the end of
the cold war. This was one of the proudest moments in the history of the Philippines and globally recognized
as a distinctive contribution of the Filipinos to the struggle for freedom and democracy around the world.
The 200 seating capacity of the church was almost filled. Following the group picture taking after the balloon
ceremony, a reception followed at the church's assembly hall, serving custom decorated cakes and coffee,
honoring Cory.
President Cory's historical struggle will be highlighted more extensively at the People Power Festival, a
remembrance celebration, a "revival" of the 1986 fight for freedom, scheduled for 2-5 PM Sunday, February
28, 2010 at the Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium in downtown Las Vegas.
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