CBCP Monitor
C1
K]hl]eZ]j ), % */$ *()- Ngd& )1 Fg& )1
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ
4-in-1 event caps CFC Bohol’s 23rd anniversary celebration
A New Call To Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks
Couples for Christ Bohol celebrated 23 years of God’s abundance with the theme ‘LOVE MORE, SERVE NOW’ on the weekend of August 15-16 at the BIT International College Dao campus, Tagbilaran City. The event highlights were three major activities on Day 1—the culmination of the 33-day Consecration to Mary (on the feast day of the Our Lady of the Assumption), the second assembly for the Young Couples Program, and the launch of the CFC Seniors Program. Day 2 saw the staging of the annual ANCOP Global Walk. After a vibrant opening worship at 1:30 in the afternoon by Derie Deligero, the launching of the CFC Seniors Program and session 2 of the Young Couples Program were simultaneously held. Boy Granados of Metro Manila Sector South B introduced the CFC Seniors Program to more than 100 senior CFC leaders and members. Joel Dayao, CFC Aklan provincial area head, facilitated the YCFC Session on Family Visioning to
The CFC International Council with Fr. Ramon Mascolino of the Galilee Center in Tagaytay during the discernment weekend
CFC’s theme for 2016 is crys- of discipleship: a. Essential discipleship – the period tal clear: Rejoice. Pray. Give from youth to the early stages of marriage Thanks. and vocation searching; the period of longThe theme is anchored on Philippians 4:4-7 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The theme was arrived at after a particularly intense spiritual reflection and prayer during what the International Council called the Discernment Weekend of August 28 and 29. In the words of some of the IC who have gone through similar discernment weekends before, arriving at this new theme, which will drive the directions for the community in 2016, was relatively smooth and the presence of the Holy Spirit was keenly felt during the entire exercise. The retreat, held at the Abagatan ti Manila in Alfonso, Cavite, began at 2 PM on Friday, August 28, with a recollection given by CFC Spiritual Adviser Msgr. Allen Aganon. The recollection was anchored on Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary), particularly the verse: “There is need only of one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Msgr. Allen spoke of the three stages of prayer (the dark night of the senses, the proficiency period, and the darkness of the spirit) and connected it to the three stages
ing for friends, love, own home b. Mature discipleship – having found Jesus, the struggle to maintain the relationship c. Radical discipleship – the struggle to keep death away; the dark night of the spirit when nothing is meaningful except faith, hope, charity; the struggle to give our life to others He also spoke of the faults of a mature adult, actually the seven capital (or deadly) sins – pride, jealousy or envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust and gluttony. He ended by saying that the challenge of mature discipleship is to be the source of grace even at times when we feel we are not useful. The discernment process was originally supposed to start immediately after the recollection but after the Holy Mass, Msgr. Aganon exposed the Blessed Sacrament and urged the IC to go into an all-night prayer vigil. The IC welcomed the suggestion and scheduled couple prayers for an hour each until the 7 AM Mass the following morning which was celebrated by Fr. Ramon Mascolino of the Galilee Center in Tagaytay. What followed after the Mass was more prayers, proclamation of visions, healing messages and quiet meditation. It was an intense time of bonding in the Spirit and of openness to what God had to say. In the end, at exactly 4:47 PM of Saturday, August 29, the IC brothers and their
MM Central A Holds Senior Couples Retreat
The spiffy CFC springboard that's bringing young couples back
YOUNG CFC, C2
spiritually enriching time. And they will always be grateful that they chose to attend Central A’s Senior Couples Retreat at the Layforce, Guadalupe, Makati. This was only the second of SENIORS RETREAT, C2
BOHOL, C3
wives, united in love and in the Spirit, agreed that the message from the Lord was clear – it was a clarion call for the community to “Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.” One innovation this year was the announcement via social media of the new theme. Unlike in previous years when the Chairman would make the announcement via a memo, the process this year took on a technological twist. By 5:15 PM or just a few minutes after the theme was arrived at, Chairman Joe Tale spoke to the community via Facebook to announce it. It is a clear indication of the times that within minutes, the FB page already had thousands of Likes, Shares and Comments. The new theme does not seem to require any explanation, it is so clear-cut. The Lord is asking all of us to be joyful always because He has already bought our salvation with His blood. He is asking all of us to continually count our blessings, to always look only at the positive, think good of others and contribute to making the world a better place. He is also asking us to pray more intensely than before because of the many challenges and attacks we, as individuals, as couples, as families, face at this time. And He is asking us to always give thanks for everything – for our triumphs, joys, blessings, and even for our trials, difficulties and defeats. This is not a new admonition, because this is exactly how we, as Christians, should live our lives. But it is a very timely reminder that we can face all the difficulties of our lives and our times if we commit to indeed Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks. (CFC Global Comm)
“THAT'S one thing I've been looking for, a community...” Marc Einsyl Delacruz, a former CFC – Youth for Christ member who worked in Al Hassa, Hufuf, some 324 kilometers from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, had been dabbling in Islam for months largely because of the influence of his Muslim office mates and to a certain extent due to the fact that there are no Filipinos within a hundred kilometer radius of his area. He saw something in the close-knit community of his Muslim friends, the bond of those who regularly studied the Al Qur'an, and how Muslims his age seemed to look forward to being in their mosques every Friday. What he didn't know was that something better was waiting for him back home in the Philippines – meeting the woman he would
August 29 and 30, 2015 will always be a most memorable weekend for 25 Mission Core senior couples from Metro Manila Central A. They will always remember that weekend as a wonderful, romantic and
30 young couples. Immediately thereafter, around 5,000 members of CFC Bohol and the family ministries gathered at the venue’s open field for the praise parade, honoring Our Lady of the Assumption. Vic Abarquez, Bohol provincial area head and his wife, Tetet, and the members of the Area Governance Team (Amit and Menchu Yu, provincial area director; Dionisio Neil and Marissa Balite, ANCOP head; Efren and Dolly Apalisok, Pastoral Formation Office; Derie and Doods Deligero, Family Ministries; and Nito and Aida Flores, Mission Support) led the praise parade. The parade culminated with the Prayer of Consecration led by Neil Balite, with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist immediately following. The Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD, JCD, Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, concelebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with Fr. Martin Lupiba, Diocesan Family and Life Commission head; Fr. Lito Geangan,
The Young CFC Program has become a creative way of bringing former single members back into community life as marriaed couples. Photos by Antz Zabala and Mark Eusebio)
Love More, Bohol!, clockwise from top: a concelebration of love on CFC Bohol's 23rd year; the colorful praise parade; a powerful praisefest to end the night; The Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD, JCD, Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.
C2
September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19
Teaching Night
Michael Ariola
Strengthen the Core, Expand the Reach
Caleb the Warrior “Run, Dad, run!” I saw my son, Caleb, lift up his light saber as he shouted. With all my might, I tried to run but, unfortunately, both age and my son had caught up with me. I felt hard plastic hit me right in the middle of my face and fought hard to keep the tears at bay, but the stinging got the better of me. When Caleb saw my face, he looked at me quizzically, both guilt and confusion on his face: “But warriors don’t cry, Dad.” “No, son. My eyeballs are just sweaty,” I defended. Caleb is four years old. But whenever he swings that light saber, I swear it’s as if he were a thirtyyear old carpenter. My son likes pretending he’s a warrior and everything and everyone in front of him his warrior opponents. And like any warrior, Caleb expects them to be quick to swing their battle swords, imaginary or not. I enjoy it sometimes, especially when that imaginary shield works or when my imaginary gun gives me an advantage in what is supposed to be a sword fight. I always brag about how wise he seems for his age. But there are moments which remind me that he’s still very young, innocent, and curious. Once, he asked my wife and me where his name came from. Where indeed? It’s actually taken from the Old Testament. Oh, you guessed as much? You must’ve read the Bible pretty closely because there are not a lot of chapters and verses mentioning him. However, from those few bits that did feature the name Caleb, you will know that he was special in the journey of God’s people, the Israelites. To explain how special Caleb of the Bible is to Caleb of the Ariola dynasty, I had to summon all my storytelling prowess (if you could believe I have any). Here’s the gist of what I told my son: Caleb, son of Jephunneh, was a spy who descended from the tribe of Judah, the same tribe mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew. (Explaining all of this literally
CBCP Monitor
took me two hours. At this point, I was growing in excitement although my son actually fell asleep around the time I was explaining what a genealogy is. I wonder why he did. But I woke him up because big action was just around the corner for Caleb the spy.) According to the book of Numbers, the Lord commanded Moses to summon the princes of the twelve tribes to spy on Canaan,
the land the Lord had promised for His people. After about forty days of doing so, they all went back and reported to Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel. Ten of these spies gave the same report, that indeed the Promised Land was flowing with milk and honey, but that its inhabitants were scary giants. Their city walls were huge and fortified. (At the sound of giants and walls, my son’s eyes lit up, probably sensing that there was going to be a battle between the spies and the giants). However, the fight did not happen, at least not yet. The Israelites felt scared, no, defeated even, before they could even fight. But in the middle of the anxious reports from the spies, the young warrior Caleb spoke among the people and said, “We must march in immediately and take it; we are certainly able to conquer it”. He was ridiculed for his bravery and conduct. But what they failed to realize was that, unlike the many who compared their enemies to themselves, Caleb compared his soon-to-be problems to God. He was so certain, bold, brave, and confident—not because he was a good warrior—but simply because he knew whose power was behind him: the power of God. The people prevailed over Moses, Aaron, and Joshua, even threatening to stone them if they listened to this foolish, young warrior Caleb. In remorse, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces asking God’s forgiveness, Joshua and
Caleb tore their clothes and wailed for the Lord’s mercy. In anger for their disobedience, the Lord wanted all of them dead, but Moses pleaded for their lives. Eventually, God’s love for His people prevailed, and as punishment for their disobedience to claim right there and then His promise, he made them wander in the desert for forty years—a year for every day that the spies were on lookout over Canaan. My son Caleb kept urging me to continue the story but I told him that to cram forty years in a few hours would mean breaking his bedtime, so I forced myself to be strong amid his shouts of “Then?…”, and “What’s…”. Whenever I hear or say my s o n’s n a m e , I am reminded to have enough courage to claim what the Lord has promised. It’s no secret that we have a tendency to falter in the face of our seemingly gigantic, worldly problems—comparing their sheer size to our individual “little” selves. Indeed, on our own, the darkness of this world would probably swallow us up in minutes. And therein lays our fault: when we think we are alone, when we forget that it is God who goes with us and lights up dark paths, when we forget that it is also God who can forge new paths for us to reach Him. Because that is what God wants: for us to reach Him and experience the incomparable joy one feels when united with Him. When we are tempted to raise our white flags in retreat, to stay in the dark where we have already grown comfortable, let us remember Caleb, whose voice is strong and clear among the din: “With God, we can!” Where is God leading you today? What is He asking you to conquer? If it is from the Lord, I dare you to follow—lest we prefer to wander in the lifeless desert for forty years. Every day, let us choose to listen to and obey God’s commands, fully trusting in the Jesus, the Way that God has given us so we can come back to Him.
CFC Family Ministries: Helping build the future of families
He can count on to bring His salvation to many more.” While the Lord is asking CFC to level up and do more than before, “the Lord is equipping us, empowering us, providing us with more opportunities to serve.” Joe Tale cited these opportunities such as the various meetings in the Vatican last year; the Diocesan recognitions of CFC in the United States, where CFC is readying to serve 1,400 parishes; the role of CFC in the CBCP Commissions on the Lay Apostolate, on Missions, on Migrants, on Family and Life and the CFC role in the Office of the Military Ordinariate. Joe Tale first exhorted the CFC leaders to “Strengthen the Core”.
CFC Chairman Joe Tale speaking before the Metro Manila Mission Core at the Teaching Night
“Strengthen the Core, Expand Your Reach.” This is how to prepare for CFC’s 35th Anniversary next year, according to CFC Chairman Joe Tale, who was the speaker during the monthly Mission Core Teaching Night held on September 15, 2015, at Christ the King Parish, Greenmeadows, Quezon City. Sharing his reflections, Joe Tale noted three current realities: the “intensified attacks on marriage and the family,” the “intensified attacks on the dignity of the human being” through widespread poverty and violence, and the “unbridled destruction of the environment.” Faced with these “signs of the times”, Joe Tale invited the Mission Core to respond the way Nehemiah did. After hearing that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates burned with fire, Nehemiah “sat down and wept.” He “mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven”, (Nehemiah 1:4) and then started to act to rebuild the walls. Jesus also wept. In Luke 19:41, as Jesus drew near Jerusalem, “he saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” “It is alright to weep,” explained Joe Tale, “for as long as such weeping triggers you to action." “We, in CFC have done much,” said Joe Tale, but as we see with a keener sense of sight what is happening, we understand better why the Lord also brought us back this year to Isaiah 49:6, telling us that what we have done is too little. “For as long as we are not yet light to the nations, there is still more to do.” It is in this light that Joe Tale directed the Mission Core to better understand why the Lord has asked us to ‘Love More’ this year and why the Lord has led us to ‘Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.’ as our theme for 2016. “The Lord is bringing us to what is truly essential for our salvation and forming us to be the men and women
This “core” is “our selves,” who must continue to strive in personal holiness, grow in the fruit of the Spirit and have a deeper formation. For this, CFC shall further strengthen the CFC Pastoral Formation Office and collaborate with entities like the Lighthouse Catholic Media. The ‘core’ also refers to CFC’s Mission Core, who must live up to the name “CFC Mission Core.” He exhorted all to ask and reflect: “Am I still called to be Mission Core?” The “core” also means CFC’s “central call”, which is Marriage and Family. Joe Tale reminded the leaders to protect the home front. “The home front must be strong and able to resist the wiles of the evil one.” He asked every CFC couple to continue to deepen their love for one another and to ensure that “every child of CFC feels the love of his parents.” He also directed the CFC leaders to “celebrate marriage” and announced the plan of CFC to honor, in February 2016, couples who have been married for at least 40 years, as well as young couples who stand committed to protect and promote marriage and family life. Joe Tale asked the leaders to avail of and undergo the CFC Family Enrichment Program and mark the Feast of the Holy Family celebrated every Sunday after Christmas, through Family Honoring. Joe Tale then exhorted the CFC leaders to “Expand Your Reach”. Explaining that “we do not exist for ourselves,” Joe Tale pressed the leaders to pursue new evangelization opportunities head-on, with new ways, new methodologies, new target areas – like the Migrants sector, the schools, and the mission areas now of CFC’s Order of St. Michael. He urged CFC to “tell the world of His Love” by making a beachhead in media, and doing evangelization projects that could go viral in the social media. Finally, he reminded CFC of its prophetic role and the need to exercise it. He mentioned the resurgence of the role of the CFC Social Development Programs and CFC’s latest involvement in the Pilipino Movement for Transformational Leadership. He likewise asked CFC leaders to study Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. All these, Joe Tale explained, is “like training, making sure that we are ready-- by preparing spiritually and through deeper formation-- to serve the moment the opportunity comes.” He ended by quoting L.B. Cowman: “Wake up believers from your lowly condition. Throw away your laziness, sluggishness, coldness or whatever is interfering with your pure love of Christ. Make Him the Source, the Center, and the One who encompasses every delight of your soul. Refuse to be satisfied any longer by your meager accomplishments. Aspire to a higher, a nobler and a fuller life.” (Arnel Santos)
YOUNG CFC, C1
marry and a return to the community life of his youth. Eins would meet financial adviser/CFC – Singles for Christ leader Janice Señorin and in no time, they would be attending the first Young Couples for Christ (YCFC) in November 2014, just weeks after their engagement. 'Culture shock'
Admittedly, getting introduced to the YCFCs' was nothing short of a “culture shock” for the 34-year-old. “It was a shock. Kasi I was from Saudi. It's been a long time since I've gone to church or any religious activity. Except Islam. It was provident that Janice got me back into circulation again,” he said in an interview with Ablaze Communications. The program, which organized its 4th assembly last August 30 at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City, has become a springboard for many young couples – bringing them back from isolation into mainstream Couples for Christ, another alternative to the straight up Christian Life Programs (CLPs) the community continues to offer. In the assemblies, such as the August 30 program, which was focused on the theme 10 To Do's after 'I Do', the young couples listen to topics like planning your family mission and vision. For many of the young couples, it was like opening themselves up to an entire avenue of shared growth. Eins married his first and only
girlfriend on January 8, 2015, joining mainstream CFC through a CLP in May of the same year. According to Janice, the YCFC program continues to complement the formation they receive from CFC. “We apply somehow what we learn bit by bit [from the YCFC program]. 'Di lang lahat pero we are guided. We go beyond normal conversations of couples. We plan what kind of family we want [like] the mission and vision of the family,” she explained. Dreaming for the family again
For other young husbands and wives, joining the YCFC program is a case of falling in love with the community for the second time – like Dollfuss and Me-ann Paredes, both in their mid-30s, who were active YFC members in Metro Manila when they first met. “After getting married, Me-ann and I felt there were so many adjustments to be made. Our activities shifted, our concerns changed, our focus moved from one issue to another. And while we never faltered on our basic Christian duties - going to Mass, receiving the sacraments, praying everyday - we soon realized that community life had slipped quietly away,” shared the HR Manager. After five years of marriage, a chance encounter with YCs' program coordinator Rommel Ancheta and his wife, Layle, at a children's party in 2014 led them back to community.
Rommel, who was in the same household as Dollfuss during his YFC days, invited the Paredeses to the 1st YCFC Assembly in November 2014 in St. Paul's Pasig which featured a topic on “Family Visioning.” Mix of spirituality, practicality
“Me-ann and I decided to try it out. It turned out to be a great decision. The session was very interesting and the learning was truly immense. The session... was truly captivating and Me-ann and I started to 'talk about our dreams' again,” shared Dollfuss. He liked how the event, even if it included hundreds of participants, was able to inject interactive dynamism through worksheets, hand-outs, and couple sessions. According to Dollfuss, who is a father to Mariea, 5, and Matteo, 3, the right mix of “practicality, psychology, and spirituality” in the sessions is exactly what gets them. “Of course, the latter - spirituality - was the biggest factor. It brought back the awareness and consciousness of Christ's presence in our relationship. We are now excited for the upcoming sessions planned out by CFC for young couples!” he added. More and more couples are discovering the good news of the Young Couples' Program -- a sampling of the power of community for the modern family. (Nirva'ana Ella Delacruz)
SENIORS RETREAT, C1
CFC Family Ministries Director Jimmy Ilagan (center, standing) flanked by the International Coordinators, Ministry Core Teams of the various Family Ministries
“The future of humanity passes by way of family.” (Familiaris Consortio, November 1981) Quoting John Paul II from his apostolic exhortation on the role of the Christian family in the modern world, Familaris Consortio, Family Ministries Director Jimmy Ilagan reiterated the call for a more unified family evangelization and mission among the Family Ministries of Couples for Christ. In a meeting with the Family Ministries’ international coordinators, core members and area coordinators last August 20 at the CFC Global Mission Center, Ilagan urged the group to be “guided by principles of unity, uniformity, interdependence and accountability” as the ministries strive to live out the vision and mission of the community.
Ministries, imbued with the spirit of unity, to transcend national, racial and cultural differences, and unite their efforts if their work is to come to fruition.
One army
Network of families
CFC’s presence in all provinces of the Philippines and in 130 countries internationally is but proof of the faithfulness of the Lord in blessing the community’s participation in the evangelistic work of Jesus through the Church. Ilagan reminded the Family
Distinct and distinguishable
Despite the wide expanse of membership, Ilagan explained that the Family Ministries are to be distinct in their identity, nature and character so as to make them distinguishable to any member in any part of the world. And this can be done by ensuring the “uniformity in the most important elements” of the life and mission of the family ministries. These elements include the use of the same identity-bearing elements (name, logo, vision and mission statement), structure, formation and spirituality. Ilagan further explained that to reinforce oneness of mission, CFC including its Family Ministries is organized as one global network of families interdependent on one another. In the Family Ministries, FAMILY MINISTRIES, C3
such retreats for senior couples, the first one being held last May 16-17 at the St. Paul Center for Renewal in Alfonso, Cavite. Central A graduates of that initial retreat, excited to share what they experience, organized an “echo” in close coordination with the proponents of the program, for their Sector’s own Mission Core members. Though limited in room accommodations, the team, led by Raffy and Maggie Chavez, was even able to accommodate participants from Central B, with some participants on a “live out” arrangement. One of the many encouraging realizations in the
retreat, which reflects similar experiences in the initial one, is the confirmation that senior CFC Mission Core couples are still raring to continue going on missions and serving the Lord through the community until their “last breath”. This was reflected in a final exercise they did – they each drew how they foresee the remaining years of their lives to be. The team who saw to the needs of the participants were inspired too by the spirit and commitment of the senior CFC couples who were very punctual and participative in all the activities of the retreat. (Lito Abano)
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ Alma M. Alvarez Associate Editor
Zenaida A. Gimenez Editor-in-Chief
Michael C. Ariola IC Oversight
Deomar P. Oliveria Layout Artist
Evangeline C. Mecedilla Circulation Staff
The Ugnayan News Supplement is published by the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc., with editorial offices at 156 20th Avenue, 1109 Cubao, Quezon City. Editorial trunk line: (+63 2) 709-4868 local 23 Direct line : (+63 2) 709-4856 www.couplesforchristglobal.org cfcglobalcommunications@gmail.com
facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission
@CFChrist
CBCP Monitor
C3
K]hl]eZ]j ), % */$ *()- Ngd& )1 Fg& )1
New Appointments CFC Family Ministries Director Jimmy Ilagan recently announced two new appointments in the Family Ministries. Edythe Avendano has been appointed Handmaids of the Lord International Coordinator, effective January 1, 2016. She will be replacing Didi Galsim, who has served in HOLD for many years, and who continues to inspire sisters and brothers everywhere with her commitment and dedication to the spiritual welfare of the Handmaids of the Lord. Edythe, together with her husband Fil, started serving in HOLD in 1994. Her present responsibilities include being the HOLD Metro Manila Missions Coordinator, member of the HOLD International
Core and of the HOLD PFO Core, and Country Coordinator for HOLD in Japan—all these on top of her and husband Fil's CFC responsibilities. On the other hand, Adrian Enaje has been chosen as the new International Coordinator for Kids for Christ, effective October 1, 2015, vice Nic Escalona. Adrian and his wife Erika Marie, have been in community for many years, with Adrian joining Youth for Christ in 1993 and moving on to serve as fulltime pastoral worker at the Global Mission Center since 2004. Both he and Erika served as long-term missionaries to Africa. Adrian's most recent assignment is as the Pastoral Formation Office (PFO) Coordinator for Singles for Christ.
ANCOP Team Visits the Visayas Meanwhile, Escalona has been appointed by CFC Chairman Joe Tale as Head of the Evangelization and Missions Planning Office (EMPO). He replaces Michael (Shok) Ariola who has moved on to his new duties as member of the International Council and Direcrtor for Communications. He oversees Global Comm, Ablaze, Ministries Comm Groups, including CFC Special Events. The International Council asks the global CFC family to pray for these newlyappointed leaders, for wisdom from the Lord, strength in mind and body, and protection for them and their families as they venture into new mission fields. (CFC Global Comm)
ANCOP CSP thrives in India Digal. He accompanied us on our visit to the center, particularly the orphanage operated by the diocese. It was a one-hour and 30-minute trip by car. From the main highway, we turned onto a narrow mud road bordered by agricultural fields. The hostel cum orphanage turned out to be an old and small structure. It looked very solid but needed a good paint job. Several tiny hands opened the main rickety gate to the hostel. The little children whose smiles were as bright as the morning sunshine were a welcome sight. Their joy at having visitors was palpable. With them was Fr. Xavier Tirkey who introduced himself to us and said, “these are my children.” Once we were settled, the kids performed a traditional welcome song. Then Fr. Tirkey told us how the hostel cum orphanage came into existence since his arrival 12 months ago. “I was transferred to this village to start up a parish and provide the sacraments to the Catholic tribal families in this rural area,” the priest said. Fr. Tirkey shared that while doing his pastoral rounds he noticed the little children, many of them no more than four to six years old, doing menial jobs like tending cattle or just aimlessly wandering around. No one was looking after them, many looked hungry with barely any clothes on, while others were just helplessly looking about or sitting on the side of the muddy roads trying to survive. He was moved with compassion and decided to do something for these children. “For the first few months I questioned why God brought me to this remote area. I am a priest and could be far more useful and effective serving an established parish rather than roaming in this semi-arid, jungle-like surroundings, searching for potential Catholic tribal families who would like to come together to start a parish,” shared Fr. Tirkey. “After witnessing the plight of the children, I came to understand my mission.” Fr. Tirkey went into action—he searched for the children’s families. He discovered that some families were so poor and could not afford to look after their children. Other children of single parents had no CSP in India, from top: Fr. Xavier Tirkey and Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal with the kids; one to take care of them at all while their father or mother was trying to bring food to the table. Liz Almeida with the Dhanmandal children Sometime in November 2012, Archbishop John Barwa of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar invited CFC ANCOP Canada to come to his archdiocese. He wanted to get the support of the lay group in helping the poor of his archdiocese in Odishia, India. A mission team from Toronto was dispatched composed of Jun and Malou Clarito and myself. Being of Indian descent, my ability to speak the Indian language would be helpful when we immerse in the communities. In India, we organized people for values formation and teaching under the Christian Life Program (CLP). The venue of the first CLP was St. Vincent’s Pro Cathedral of the archdiocese. While there, Malou presented ANCOP to Fr. Santosh Digal (the archbishop’s secretary) and Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal (the archdiocese’s treasurer) and she provided pertinent documents for the archbishop to review when he returned from his out-of-town trip. When the archbishop learned about ANCOP, he was eager to have the ANCOP programs, particularly the Child Sponsorship Program, initiated in his archdiocese. He signed the contract of agreement with ANCOP for the start of the CSP in the archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. Three months later we received a list of nearly 168 children to be sponsored for education; 150 more were added in succeeding years. Indeed, ANCOP has transformed into a true act of charity, putting faith and love into action in this country. My wife Liz and I have had the opportunity to visit and observe the positive impact of the CSP in the lives of the children who have benefited from the ANCOP scholarship. ANCOP expanded
Twenty kilometers away from Odishia, another mission area beckoned to us. Dhanmandal is a remote sleepy small town in the state of Orissa. The nearest major railway station to Dhanmandal is in the city of Cuttack which is 20 kilometers away. The nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar, 60 kilometers away. This mission area in Orissa is under the care of Fr. Mrutunjaya
A typical home in Dhanmandal
Fr. Tirkey obtained permission for children with parents or guardians to take them to the house where he was staying. He assured the parents that he would take care of the children, feed them, and give them an education. Those without guardians were also put under his wing. The parents or guardians were free to come and visit the kids and see for themselves how they were being cared for. Fr. Tirkey’s ministry for the children met several challenges including being suspected for his motives. The priest persevered, and now several of his kids are already enrolled in formal education at a nearby government-run school. The children are doing well in school. They are intelligent, love reading, writing, and Math. More so, they picked up well the values exemplified by Fr. Tirkey. They grew to be responsible doing the chores assigned to them with joy. The children’s life- changing experience did not fail to inspire the neighbors. People started to be supportive of the ministry and have offered to help the priest in looking after the children, whose number grew to 27 in a short span of time. What was very inspiring was that these school children are from families that had never stepped inside a classroom. One parent who saw her son reading at Mass in English burst into tears. “Now my son will have a future,” she said. When Liz and I last visited the hostel, the kids were so happy to see us. Fr. Tirkey proudly showed us the children’s annual exam results in school. Amazingly, the kids have an average mark of over ninety percent, with a couple of kids at seventy-five percent. The struggling kids were confident and were determined to do better. The children’s knowledge and skills, including their creative abilities, are further broadened through various trainings and workshops organized at the hostel. Fr. Tirkey’s kids are ANCOP’s CSP scholars. Their stories are truly inspiring and confirmation that through ANCOP, the children’s lives can be transformed. Through education and a loving, caring environment, the children can look forward to a bright future. (Francis Almeida, CFC ANCOP Toronto/India)
ANCOP visits Visayas, clockwise from top: the Cawayanan Community chapel; future home partners;leaders of CFC with ANCOP Coordinators from Manila; houses almost ready for their occupants.
Ric dela Rosa, Coordinator for ANCOP Shelter, and Julius Comia of ANCOP Livelihood and Health visited the CFC Ancop Cawayanan Community in Cawayanan, Bontoc, Southern Leyte to make sure that everything is in order before the formal turnover to the home partners. Cawayanan is only one of the
team's week-long leg of community site visits in the region. The ANCOP team, together with the local CFC and ANCOP leaders, do regular visits to the communities, prior, during and post-construction and reports the progress not only to the national headquarters, but also to the donor countries which help ANCOP.
CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation is now CFC ANCOP Global Foundation The new legal name of ANCOP, as approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is CFC ANCOP GLOBAL FOUNDATION, INC. All areas where ANCOP has been organized are enjoined to use this name in all future documents and communications, rather than the former CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation Inc.. Alongside this development, ANCOP will now be the official name/ label of CFC’s mission with the poor, replacing BCOP (or Building the Church of the Poor). Under the umbrella of ANCOP will remain the ANCOP Programs and Social Development Programs or SDP. FAMILY MINISTRIES, C2
particularly, there has to be sharing of resources (direction, manpower, mission tools, etc.), that would enable each ministry to further the mission and grow in their way of life. Accountable to God and each other
According to Ilagan, CFC continues to be “an evangelistic and missionary community”, and thus there is the call for CFC and its ministries to be accountable for their life and service to God through those whom they serve. In line with this, the Family Ministries were reminded that they are accountable to the CFC International Council for “the conduct of their life and work, while preserving always the rights of the local Ordinary.” (7.24 of the Vatican Statutes) Guided by these principles, the Family Ministries Director exhorted the Family Ministries to continue to be aligned with CFC strategies and to aim for personal transformation, evan-
gelization and faith in action. The meeting concluded with a strong note of encouragement to the leaders of the Family Ministries. Jimmy Ilagan, quoting John Paul II’s Familiaris Consortio, urged those present to use their respective ministries to plant the seed of faith and hope despite an uncertain future, preserve and protect the dignity of humanity amid the widespread dehumanization, and to intensify family evangelization and formation of families for the Lord in spite of the constant attacks against it. According to Ilagan, this is the first of a series of meetings of the Family Ministries International Core, which aim to be an avenue for the leaders of KFC, YFC, SFC, HOLD and SOLD to strengthen relationship and establish unity with one another and to move towards greater growth of the community in its life and mission. (Glynis Dangel, YFC PFO Head)
Co-ops for Christ Southern Leyte Conducts Strat Planning
BOHOL, C1
Diocesan economus; Fr. Joel Ruyeras, Diocesan Properties head; Fr. Lito Clemen, Fr. Ariston Limocon, Fr. Jose Sumampong Jr.; Fr. Robert Supremo; and Fr. Manuel Maligmat. During the fellowship dinner, the community handed over Certificate of Awards to public school educators for their invaluable service and continuous support to the Cornerstone Program of CFC ANCOP in Bohol. The list of awardees included Dr. Wilfreda Bongalos, PhD, CESO, Schools Division Superintendent of the Division of Bohol; school principals Ma. Antoniette Y. Abarquez, Nicomedes A. Acorda, Martina B. Aguilar, Marcela R. Bautista, Leonida P. Casingcasing, Agustina S. Deligero, Juanito O. Flores, Carlito A. Fuentes, Jr., Ambrosio N. Fuerzas, Emmanuel C. Trasporte, Ma. Rosanna Villaber, and Ma. Fernando I. Yap; and school Cornerstone Coordinators Vidala A. Apalisok, Julita E. Auxilio, Felomino B. Ayuban, Brenda S. Calamba, Ma. Araceli C. Escol, Leah Lora Citadel T. Guatno, Maribeth C.
Handayan, Julie T. Maestrado, and Alicia H. Omosura. Joel Dayao delivered his inspirational message to the assembly, urging every member to serve now as a manifestation of loving more. Day 1 ended with a praisefest led by Nito Flores. Practically at dawn the following day, CFC Bohol held the ANCOP Global Walk from BIT International College Dao campus to BIT International College main campus. Around 3,000 walkers participated in the fund-raising walkathon. One of the highlights of the Walk was the granting of awards to some participants. One inspiring award, the Oldest Walker, was given to Pacio Anuta, a CFC chapter head from Inabanga, Bohol who, at the age of 79 years, managed to complete the 5-km walk with ease. The praisefest, led by YFC Bohol mission volunteer Marc Immanuel Dionne Balite, was a fitting cap to the entire weekend activity. (Neil Balite, CFC Bohol)
CFC ANCOP NJ Leaders Invited to UN Prayer Service Each year, on the occasion of the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Archdiocese of New York and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See traditionally sponsor a prayer service for the United Nations Diplomatic Community and personnel, together with religious and ecumenical leaders in the New York area. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Head of Mission, through his attache Anna Fatta, invited CFC ANCOP New Jersey leaders Roger Santos and Manny Caballero to join the service this year. The prayer service was held on Monday, September 14, 2015, at 6:15 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family, 315 East 47th Street in Manhattan, a block from the United Nations. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Archbishop-emeritus of Roger Santos, Archbishop Auza, and Manny Caballero
Washington, DC and a New York native, delivered the meditation. The prayer service is an occasion to entrust to God petitions and efforts for world peace and the advancement of the human family. This year’s service was a time to thank God for what was accomplished during the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly. It was also a time to ask for His help for the success of the 70th Session of the General Assembly as the United Nations continues very important work on sustainable development, the protection of the environment, the defense of human dignity and innocent populations, and many other important issues. This year, attendees also prayed for the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the United Nations later in September. (Manny Caballero)
CoFC Southern Leyte directors, managers, officers and staff putting their heads together, from top: CoFC Southern Leyte ready to take on the challenges for 2016; Chairman Nanding Duenas moderating the proceedings; formulating strategies.
Co-ops for Christ Southern Leyte Multi Purpose Cooperative held their strategic planning during the weekend of August 20 to 23, 2015 at the Knights of Columbus Building, Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte. Twenty-seven delegates, composed of the members of the Board of Directors,
officers, management and staff of the Cooperative attended the planning, aimed at mapping out directions for growth in 2016. The planning session was facilitated by Mely Verano, a member of the Education Committee and a trainor of the CFC Cooperatives Federation.
C4
September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19
GOD’S MASTERPIECE
Singles for Christ Canada together in defending God's masterpiece, the family, through their own families and for the families that will be entrusted to them in the future.
“bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” - 1 Corinthians 13:7 The Singles for Christ (SFC), a ministry of Couples for Christ in Winnipeg, hosted this year’s True North Conference (TNC) last August 14 to 16 at the University Centre, University of Manitoba. The event gathered 250 single men and women from the different provinces/territories of Canada, all hungry for God’s message and longing to experience Christ through this three-day conference. The International Coordinator of SFC, Noli Manuel, attended the conference. This year’s conference is anchored on 1 Corinthians 13:7, which speaks about the
kind of love that the Apostle Paul was trying to teach the people of Corinth. The conference focused on the truth that the love of family is a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Among the wonderful things God has created, the family is truly God’s masterpiece as it allows one to experience true and unconditional love, which is the same kind of love that God has for us. The participants at the conference agreed that young adults of today are too focused on themselves. Too much emphasis is given to their wants, and needs as individuals, and on their accomplishments. This results in a distorted view of the “self” as privileged or
entitled. The message of the conference to the SFCs, through the talks and testimonies, was to go back to the basic teaching of the Church: to love their family beyond measure and to find their way back to their first love, their families. All persons need to love God’s masterpiece, the family, despite imperfections, before one can truly answer one’s vocation, which is to give love, a love that can conquer all. The conference was a renewed call for everyone, to love one’s family more, a reminder that the family is the primary source of hope, strength, stability and foundation. (Arwin Chua, CFC- SFC West Chapter Couple Coordinator)
CBCP Monitor
CFC In Kannamaly Rise To The Occasion When man works with God, miracles happen. This was the powerful message the team got that victorious weekend of August 28 to 30, 2015 in Kannamaly when three programs ran simultaneously despite having limited resources. Eighteen couples participated in the Marriage Enrichment II (MER II) which was conducted from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening. Christian Life Program sessions were held at the same time, with 14 couples taking part. The team had to stagger a few of the MER sessions to adjust to the CLP sessions which ran the entire weekend. The CLP graduates were formed into two households, and they held their first household prayer meeting a week later. They are now being assisted by the more senior CFC. The Youth Camp, on the other hand, was facilitated by Youth for Christ fulltime missionaries Roseberry Dulla and Benedict Landicho, who were indeed picked by God and sent to Kochi to give their heart and soul to the Camp. The evening sessions went past 9:00 PM but the participants had no difficulty in staying on. Twentythree youth finished the weekend activity. As the participants are high school and college students, they are very conversant in English, making interaction between facilitators and participants quite easy. It was heartwarming to note that the MER II participants have agreed to form
the next CLP team in October in Fort Kochi in Fr. Peter's Parish. On the other hand, two of the YFC Camp participants have already made up their minds to go on full time mission after their graduation next year. And while God blessed the team’s efforts abundantly, the contribution of those who served made God’s love more tangible. For one, Fr. Josy was fully immersed in CFC community and went all out to ensure that the preparations as well as the arrangements of the venue, food administrative and spiritual support were well taken care of. Benson, Suma and Greatan gave their time and talent as speakers. The senior CFC members of Kannamaly gave talks and made all the arrangements for food, transport and accommodation for Benedict and Roseberry. CFC Kuwait provided financial assistance. As of this writing, the conduct of another CLP has been finalized in Fort Kochi from 9th to 11th October. Fr. Raphy, Parish Priest of St. Joseph's Church, Palluruthy, which is about 3 kilometers from Edakochi, wants a CLP as soon as possible. The team is trying to work out the logistics and the composition of the service team for this. There may be two more CLPs expected before the end of the year. Truly, God is really working miracles and those who serve must rise to the occasion. (Hector Poppen, CFC India Country Head)
CFC-South Africa Women Enjoy National Conference
Left: CFC HOLD of South Africa in immaculate white show off the colors of love onstage. Right: Ladies in fancy hats shout "Hats off to love!
CFC HOLD conducted the Women’s National Conference last August 21 to 23, 2015 at FET College, Pietermaritzburg (PMB), Kwa Zulu Natal Province in South Africa. The event was hosted by the PMB-CFC community. More than 200 participants coming from PMB, Estcourt, Geluksdal, Kimberley, Durban, Umtata, Matatiele, Ixopo, Kokstad and Richards Bay attended the conference. Among the attendees were a good number of foreign delegates from Namibia and Lesotho. The Namibian delegates, some of them already in their senior years, inspired the delegates because they travelled two days just to get to the conference. HOLD missionaries from Manila and the UAE set the tone and inspired the women present with their delivery of the talks. There were a total of five talks, all of them anchored on the CFC theme for 2015 – “Love More”. Talk 1 (Do You Love Me?) was given by Sammy Napier of CFC Kokstad; Talk 2 (Will You Love Me More?) by Connie Balda of Al Ain, UAE; Talk 3 (What Would Jesus Do?) by Myrna Olaso of Sharjah, UAE; Talk 4 (I Will Follow You) by Aida Legaspi of Sharjah, UAE and Talk 5 (The Colors of Love) by Dory Sarmiento of Manila who is also the HOLD Southern Africa Coordinator. Powerful testimonies were delivered by Antoinette Thurston of Matatiele, Anne Malgas of Kimberley, Marlene Cilliers of Florida, Ethney Grey of Kimberley, Maud Adams, Pat Ahrens, Sharone Fleshman, Estelle Bastew, Chantel Nel, Mary Chetty, Palesa, Claressa Brown and Roxanne Kippen. The speakers reminded each participant of the call to love more by being and living a Christ-centered life and encour-
aged and empowered the participants to face their unique challenges through prayers, obedience and total surrender to God. The sharers powerfully testified from personal experiences on how the Lord manifested His love and compassion, enabling them to respond to their calling. The speakers and sharers proclaimed powerful messages of the call to love in various ways. They exhorted that our acceptance and appreciation of our call truly paint the colors of love, for life is made up of thrill and boredom, defeats and victories, darkness and light, sorrows and happiness. As is traditional in every CFC conference, the Holy Mass was the focal point of each day of the conference. Celebrants during the Masses held were Fr. Chris Richmond OMI (CFC National Spiritual Director), Fr. Sanil Michael SCJ (St Francis of Assisi Parish Priest, PMB), and Fr. Adam Maslowski SCJ (Vocations Director, Diocese of De Aar). Fellowship activities allowed the participants to share and get to know one another deeply. The entertainment for Friday evening was “Hats Off to Love”, a competition of hats with modeling/dancing from different areas. The conference ended with a Praisefest and awarding ceremonies for the “Hats Off to Love” competition, which was won by HOLD from Estcourt, Namibia with the “Best Hats Award” given to Kimberley. Roxanne Kippen, in her closing remarks, honored the brothers from PMB other CFC brothers from other areas who served the sisters for the duration of the conference. Truly it was a wonderful, inspiring, blessed and colorful weekend! (Miggie Martinez, FTW, SA)
CFC India has been very blessed with abundant harvest for the past years after the presence of the community was restored in this beautiful country.
"The Lord has added to their numbers…" (Acts 2:47)
To Be Young And In Love With Jesus
The new Youth for Christ members passionately in love with Love Himself!
Young people today are looking for meaning in their life and for models and guides who will help them understand the meaning. If they do not find anyone who can guide them in their search, they may easily settle for a shallow life and take refuge in a world of their own. Today, the lifestyle of young people is more and more determined by the group phenomenon. This is due to various sociological reasons, among them: the decreasing role of the family, the means of mass communication, the greater degree of freedom enjoyed by the young people. Daily, there arise new questions, new challenges, doubts, expectations and dreams. In the midst of all these, the youth should be guided correctly in their search for meaning of life. Youth for Christ Kannamaly is blessed to be part of CFC India history as YFC Kannamaly is the first YFC group initiated in India. For me personally, I felt it was really a rise from the abyss. It was our dear parish priest, Fr. Josy, who made it possible to bring together all the ‘shattered’ youth to the camp. He was likewise successful in bringing together our parents through Couples for Christ. CFC laid the founda-
tion for us, making the task of inviting us easier. I take this opportunity to personally thank and honor him for taking up this revolutionary activity. Uncle Hector Poppen was another person who went through great lengths, not to mention a 12-hour trip to organize a youth camp at our place. His dedication resulted in our transformation. Our dear Bene chetan (big brother) and Lucky chichi (big sister) flew to our village from Manila, Philippines to tell us about God’s love and inspire us to love more. Through their witnessing, it was easy for us young people to be influenced by goodness and to find answers to our youthful angsts, to revel in the truth that God is always present in every moment of our lives. It was truly a special experience. Bene chetan and Lucky chichi imbibed in us the four F's of YFC. We learned to praise our Lord Jesus Christ with fun. We got into a friendly relationship with Him. We started experiencing freedom from all our inhibitions. Finally they led us to develop that hardcore faith in our hearts. They made us feel that God loves us as if there was no one but us to love. Through interactional games, they helped us to
know each other. The group discussions and sharings added flavor to our friendship. I experienced my Lord when I prayed with my friends. I didn’t know much about prayer but when I saw my friend praying, the enthusiasm and energy for praying just burst from my heart. Bene chetan and Lucky chichi, through their inspirational sessions, made us know more about prayers, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the blessed Trinity. I realized profoundly that Jesus was pierced for my transgression (Isaiah 53:5). During our Confession on the second day, we experienced Jesus redeeming our souls. And through the one-on-one session, we were able to openly share all our problems and thus enjoy real freedom. On the third day of our camp, we were asked to write letters to our parents, and our parents wrote also to us. They left us together with our parents for some time, sitting together and read our letters to each other. It was a breathtaking moment, with lots of tears shed. It was awesome! Now that I am a Youth for Christ, I shall strive to uphold our vision: "Young people being and bringing Christ wherever they are." (Fiona Cicil Francis)
The latest harvest from South America, from top: abundance for Peru CFC Parejas Para Cristo: the more senior members ready to serve the new members; mission team led by Glen Santayana of CFC Florida; reinforcement from a brother, Justo Estrada.
The USA Mission team and the local CFC Parejas Para Cristo (PPC) Rioja reported a harvest of 79 individuals in the recent Programa de Vida Cristiana (PVC) or Christian Life Program (CLP) at the Parroquia Santo Toribio de Mongrovejo. With the support of Fr. Rober and the CFC PPC brethren in the area, 15 couples, 39 HOLD (Ciervas), 8 SOLD (Ciervos), and two singles (Solteras) were welcomed
into the CFC PPC family. Aside from Rioja, the new household groups have members from two new towns—Valle de la Conquista and Yuracyacu. Two more separate missions—one in Naranjos and in Soritor—kept the team busy, getting help from Justo Estrada who flew in from Florida. (Glen Santayana, CFC PPC South America Regional Head)