Int'l ref's son works with poor

International boxing referee Kenny Bayless’ son Kenny Jr. is coming to Manila on Monday with six companions on a mission to spread the Gospel, experience the local culture and work with the poor.

Bayless Sr. e-mailed the other day wondering if a meeting with Manny Pacquiao could be arranged for the visiting group.

Bayless Sr. has worked three Pacquiao fights so far – the rematches with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez and the recent second round knockout over Ricky Hatton.

Bayless Jr. said he’s looking forward to meeting Pacquiao but isn’t holding his breath for a confirmation of an appointment.

“I imagine that Manny is a very, very busy man,” said Bayless Jr. “I know that I’d love to meet him as well as would the rest of our crew. We are all going to be very busy this summer but whatever you are able to attempt to orchestrate, we thank you far, far in advance.”

Bayless Jr. and his companions are on an extensive Asian tour with stops in Taiwan, China and Mongolia, among others.

“All our energies will be directed to working with the poor as well as others with a Gospel influence and learning the culture in as many ways possible,” he said.

During the team’s first week in Manila, the missionaries will be coordinating closely with the Manila Garbage Dump Ministries in Smokey Mountain. Then, they head to Surigao for more Christian work.

Bayless Jr. and his group will have spent 2 1/2 months travelling when they wind up their Philippine visit. They plan to debrief in a small, remote island and review their experiences before moving on to other countries.

Aside from his job as a referee, Bayless Sr. is involved in promoting and marketing a product called Juice Plus with his wife Lynora, a nutritionist.

According to Lynora, Juice Plus is a nutritional supplement based on juicing but goes one step further, quickly removing the water from the freshly-squeezed juice, leaving behind concentrated fruit and vegetable powders which are then encapsulated.

“The premise of Juice Plus is quite simple,” continued Lynora. “Every country urges its citizens to eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables in their diets to slow down aging and reduce the risk of disease. However, most world citizens don’t come anywhere close to even the minimum recommendation to achieve this protection.”

Lynora said Juice Plus is designed “to bridge the gap between what we should eat and what we actually eat – it provides the body with nutrients of 17 of the most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables on the planet and allows people to be consistent at an affordable price of $41.75 a month in the US.”

Bayless Sr. endorses Juice Plus and is an advocate of the power of nutrition. “Since retiring from teaching (after 29 years), he often helps me in my business,” said Lynora. “Having survived (prostate) cancer with only surgery (no chemo or radiation), he has learned first hand the healing power of food.”

Juice Plus is marketed in several countries around the world but isn’t available in the Philippines.

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There’s a beautiful, newly built chapel in barangay Butong, Taal, and it’s become a haven for Catholics, rich and poor, old and young.

St. Peter’s chapel was constructed in a record 5 1/2 months through the efforts of healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez and the Mary Mother of the Poor Foundation. It was inaugurated with a Mass concelebrated by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, Bishop Salvador Quizon, Fr. Suarez and some 20 priests during the town fiesta last Monday.

Foundation executive director Greg Monteclaro supervised the construction from start to finish and attended to every detail, down to the last screw. Five days before the inauguration, he brought out the granite tiles from a customs warehouse to Butong. The tiles were donated by Filipino Catholics in Italy and took 45 days to reach here by cargo ship. In all, the project cost about P15 million.

The chapel covers a ground floor area of 263 square meters, can sit 300 comfortably and has a balcony for a choir. At the inauguration, 700 were squeezed in and at least 700 more prayed outside. It is equipped with a closed-circuit TV system and 15 air-conditioning units. The statues of Jesus on a crucifix, St. Peter and Mother Mary were executed by Reden Ballesteros.

A sight to behold is the Mother Mary statue, the first to be unveiled resembling what will rise in Montemaria - the site of the Foundation’s landmark project in Batangas. The Blessed Mother is depicted with hands reaching out, palms facing down to show love and care for the faithful. The inspiration for the statue came from the Church of the Blessed Mary Virgin of the Poor in Bannuex, Belgium.  

Fr. Suarez will celebrate Mass in the chapel every Friday. Masses will also be held on Saturdays and Sundays.

“It’s the work of God,” said Fr. Suarez, a Butong native. “This chapel wouldn’t have been built without Divine Intervention. The funding for the chapel came from all over. With God on our side, anything is possible and nobody will be against you.”