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The News Supplement of Couples for Christ
CFC at 34:
On Being Shepherds One of the major activities of the CFC anniversary week was the Governance Team (GT) Summit, held to clarify and define the roles and responsibilities of governance teams in the Philippines and abroad, whether as individuals, as a household and as governing bodies. The summit was held on the morning of the last day of the week-long anniversary celebrations, Sunday, June 20 at the MOA SMX venue. As is usual with CFC conferences, the morning begun with the celebration of the Holy Mass, officiated by Fr. Gerard Timoner, Head of the Dominican Province in the Philippines. His homily, taken from the Bible passage that speaks of Jesus being awoken from his sleep and stilling the storm that had caused so much fear in his disciples, was particularly apt as he spoke of how we should not be afraid as we do our work and how we should be at peace because God and our brethren are with us. He said: “When we know we are in it (the mission) together, our fears are assuaged by the people who we know are with us. When we know God is with us, then we know He will never ever abandon us and that is enough.” The hall was filled as leaders from all over listened to ANCOP President Jimmy Ilagan’s exhortation on how leaders can best govern their flock. Chairman Joe Tale then spoke and offered the participants the best way to lead – to be shepherds of the flock, to be true witnesses of love and care. The open forum that followed was lively as the leaders spoke about their concerns in being shepherds and how they can be more effective in their mission.
I Choose to Love More
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By the CFC Docu Team
ening of relationships. The week started with the Liveloud Concert on Friday, June 12 at the Ynares Stadium in Pasig. It was a celebration of youth, featuring band music, testimonies, and exuberant worship.
It was a full week of activities, fellowship, symposia, recreation, introspection. Despite its busyness, however, the 34th anniversary celebration of Couples for Christ was a perfect synThen it was time for sports as the ergy of teaching and deep- CFC Bowling Tournament kicked off
on Sunday, June 14 at the Commonwealth Lanes in Ever Gotesco Mall. Two days after that, the avid golfers in CFC gathered at the Ayala Southlinks Golf Club in Southvale Drive, Almanza Dos, Las Pinas City, for the CFC Golf Classic Tournament. The golfers had fun as they not only showed off their golfing skills, but had fellowship after, capped by a raffle. CFC leaders, many of them coming from all the Philippine provinces and
CFC Elects New International Council
even from abroad, settled down for the more serious task of listening to enriching talks, testimonies and spiritual direction beginning on Wednesday, June 17 for the ANCOP Global Summit. It was a full day aptly begun with the Holy Mass officiated by CFC’s Spiritual Adviser Msgr. Allen Aganon. The talks were riveting: Mission with the Poor (An Encounter with Jesus) given by CFC Chairman Joe Tale; All Aboard in ANCFC@34, C5
ANCOP is CFC’s Mission to the Poor Last June 17, 2015,the ANCOP Global Summit, the first of the congresses for the 34th anniversary celebration of Couples for Christ, opened with a Eucharistic celebration, with Msgr. Allen Aganon presiding, and members of the clergy from both the provinces and foreign countries concelebrating. Four hundred leaders from the Philippine and International Missions came to the MOA SMX to
participate in the summit. Part I of the Summit set the tone for the day’s activities. CFC Executive Director George Campos, in his introduction, walked back through the time when the Lord planted the desire in Couples for Christ to bring the Gospel to the poor. Campos enumerated events which took CFC from ANGKOP (a word in Pilipino ANCOP SUMMIT / C2
The CFC community has a new set of leaders – nine men called by the Lord to be the community’s pastors and shepherds for the next two years. The new International Council members, also called the Board of Trustees of Couples of Christ, were chosen by the Elders Assembly from a list of 27 nominees last June 19, 2015. They are: Joe Tale, Joe Yamamoto, George
The CFC Mission Symposium:
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Enriching what Personal Holiness, Building the Church of the Home, and Building the Church of the Poor means for Couples For Christ This was the tagline of the first ever Mission Symposium of Couples for Christ, statements meant to define and clarify what these elements of our mission mean for us as individuals and as a community. The symposium, held on June 18, 2015 at the SMX Mall of Asia, featured concise and substantial 20-minute talks by three speakers – Jun Uriarte, Chairman of the Couples for Christ Institute, Rouquel Ponte, Head of CFC’s Church Integration
Office, and Arnel Santos, Head of CFC’s Pastoral Formation Office. Organized by the Couples for Christ Institute* (CFC-I), the goal of the symposium was to present three (3) papers that will define the three mission elements of CFC: Holiness, Home, and Poor. Thus, the topics were on Personal Holiness, delivered by Jun Uriarte, Church of the Home, by Rouquel Ponte and Church of the Poor, by Arnel Santos. One of the highlights of the working document on MISSION SUMMIT, C2
CFC Lay-Clergy Congress Encouraging Vocations Among Today’s Young This year’s Lay-Clergy Congress is a tad different from the past congresses. Why? Because this year’s Congress brought together CFC leaders and men of the cloth to be not just partners in pastoral care, but partners in preparing the young to embrace the religious vocation. To date, there are more than a hundred individuals, from either Youth for Christ or Singles for Christ, who have either entered the priesthood or became nuns. A good number are still in the seminary. And some of them came to the congress to testify how being part of the community has opened them to the religious life. LAY-CLERGY, C3
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Homily of Msgr. Allen Aganon ANCOP Global Summit Today, our readings providentially are pointing to our conference on answering the cry of the poor. The First Reading is about Paul’s fund-raising. He was not only preaching the Gospel of Jesus, he was trying to live what Jesus was telling us. We should not close our minds regarding the needs of the people. Jerusalem was in great need at that time, so Paul patterned his teachings to allow people to be generous, to encourage them to help other brothers in the faith. There were others who did not want to share their bounty with the community. And so Paul was telling them that our generosity, the principle of being generous, comes from God.
I think that is the first thing we should understand about ANCOP. We are doing this primarily because God is being generous to us. Whatever we have—material blessings, essentials, talents, time—everything comes from God. He gives to us generously. That is why God is a prodigal God. He gives to us lavishly, without counting the cost. He is ever gracious to us. That was what Paul was telling the people when he was asking them to help, not just because people need it, but because he wanted them to be like Christ. And so answering the cry of the poor, my dear brothers and sisters, is really a grace that emanates from the love of God. That is why our theme “Love More” means to really
see beyond our needs. Despite having needs ourselves, we still have to look to others, to go another mile, as what Jesus said in scripture. Because that is who God is. Loving more is to be more identified with our Lord. That is why we in ANCOP should try to be like Christ. The Gospel, on the other hand, is telling us what temptations we could face. When we are working with the poor and giving much of ourselves, there are times when we lose sight where these things come from. Our temptation when we do good works is to tell the people we help that everything is from us, forgetting that these provisions come from God. The evil forces will not rest until
they veer us away from our source, and the one who gives direction in life. While we are doing the work of God, the evil one will tell us, “This is not from God, it’s from you!” As we do these good works, we should look to God, and the people will look through us and see God instead of us— that’s how things are supposed to be. When we cut ourselves from the source, people will no longer see God, they will see us. And we will no longer see God, but we will only see ourselves. Then, the motivations change. We still do the work, we still help people, but no longer because of God. HOMILY, C5
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Personal Holiness was a proposal of seven elements that characterize a member’s quest for personal holiness: a life of prayer; frequent partaking of sacraments; listening and reflecting on Scriptures; proclaiming the Word of God; actively serving others; supporting the family in faithful love; and observing the primacy of grace. Jun Uriarte, Chairman of the CFC Institute, shared during this talk that “The vocation to holiness . . . is the perfection of charity (St. Pope John Paul II).” In the paper on Church of the Home, the message of being true witnesses was accentuated. Rouquel Ponte, with decades of CFC leadership experience behind him, affirmed the community in its identity as Family Evangelizers and stressed that “the Church of the Home remains the one place where children and young people can receive an authentic catechesis (Familiaris Consortio).“ Ponte added that “In their daily life, at work, in school, in leisure, whenever and wherever, with hearts burning with zeal for Christ, every member of the family evangelizes. In their personal witness and when asked about the reason for their joy, their words proclaim Jesus and the Gospel of salvation.” The document on the Church of the
Poor underscored the Beatitudes: “Being the Church of the poor means that she will speak the language of the Beatitudes to all people, to all groups or professions, to all ideologies, to all political and economic systems (John Paul II).” Arnel Santos emphasized that “’Destitution…is not the same as poverty: destitution is poverty without faith, without support, without hope (Pope Francis)” and that “Building the Church of the Poor means a church which ‘shows special love, a love of preference for the poor (PCP II).’” After the plenary session, opened by CFC Executive Director George Campos and the presentation of the three working documents, the participants were divided into three break-out workshop groups facilitated by Kirby Llaban, Bernie Cuevas, and Leah Custodio of the CFC-I. Four (4) reactors were assigned to each of the workshop topics (12 in all). The panel of reactors, deeply rooted CFC leaders from Metro Manila, the Philippine provinces, and the international areas, shared their personal insights to enrich the working documents. For the workshop on Personal Holiness, the reactors were Art Valdellon, Senen Reyes, Hermie Vargas and Nina Ponte.
Joy Katigbak, Neil Balite, Vic Alvarez and Nic Escalona shared their thoughts with the group on Building the Church of the Home while Rod Bustos, Eric de los Reyes, Indette Gaspillo, and Joe Yamamoto were the reactors for Building the Church of the Poor. After the breakout sessions, the workshop participants engaged in lively discussion through an open forum. Many articulated helpful ideas in the light of their own backgrounds to enhance the papers. The outputs of the Mission Symposium will eventually result in the publication of
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three books on the mentioned topics that will guide the community into a deeper understanding of the Lord’s mission for CFC. In the closing session, CFC Chairman Joe Tale challenged the CFC-I to “laymanize” and globalize the documents in order to serve the general membership and nonFilipino communities. He also said that while others may become impatient with the process of defining our own mission when there is much work to be done, it is important to take time to introspect on the nature and principles of what we are
doing. In the same way, he said that we shouldn’t be paralyzed in doing our mission – to continue moving forward – as we develop the self-understanding of CFC’s mission elements. These three documents, in the spirit of Instrumentum Laboris or a Working Document, will undergo a communitywide review and feedback through the CFC leaders. (Kirby S. Llaban) *The CFC Institute (CFC-I) is a subsidiary of Couples for Christ with a vision of becoming “The leading Institution on dynamic Catholic learning, forming the heart and educating the mind at the service of CFC, Church, and Society.”
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that means “apt” or “appropriate”, referring to the work as appropriate to CFC’s mission) to ANCOP (A Network of the Church of the Poor) to ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor). He emphasized that the lessons learned from the past must remind the community that evangelization and work with the poor must not compete but rather, complement one another. “It is important that we find important the connection between the past and the present. Today, we need to see a clearer view of what it means when we say that we “bring God’s transforming love to the poor”,” says Campos. He emphasized, “If not, how can we fully give life to our twin mission of building the Church of the Home and building the Church of the Poor?” Exhorting the body with the words of Pope Francis to the bishops during the recent Synod, Campos reiterated that CFC’s posture must be to listen, gaze upon His face, and to act. Campos challenged CFC to not only respond to the call of the times, but more so to respond to the call of the Lord. Joe Tale, CFC Chairman, gave the next talk entitled “Mission with the Poor: an Encounter with Jesus”. Tale explained, “When we reach out to those in need, we are doing so as an overflow of our love for God, an overflow of God’s blessings that we would like the rest of the world to experience.” He added, “This is not just a “work” but a mission.” Tale further expounded that if one takes away the poor from the Gospel, then he takes away the Gospel. The poor, he said, is at the center of the story of Jesus. (Mark 14:6-9 – You will always have the poor with you.) “Our mission with the poor must always begin with an encounter with
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Jesus,” Tale stated, adding how the Lord articulated His own mission, as mentioned in the book of Isaiah. He then challenged the plenary: How can we respond concretely and embrace this mission with the poor? He offered this answer: “We start with simplifying our lives. To live simply, so that others may simply live,” Tale emphasized. “Let us give our best to them, not the scraps or excesses.” For the third session, ANCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto enjoined all to go “All Aboard ANCOP!” He encouraged the CFC leaders to first and foremost understand and respond to the social teachings of the Church. “The Church does not require of us to be masters, but to appreciate and reflect on these teachings,” he added. He exhorted the delegates to exhibit these attributes in order to achieve victory in the mission of ANCOP: • Unity • Subsidiarity, as being covered by the CFC statutes, mission and vision • Empowerment, which is not synonymous to autonomy, but rather taking the mission as part of a global work • Interdependence • Accountability, or making sure that the administrative, operations and financial aspects of ANCOP are complied, citing Romans 14 which states that all are accountable not only to community, but more so with God. • Excellence, or CFC working to be pure and blameless in the eyes of Christ. “We will be measured by how much we love Christ; we cannot love Christ without loving the poor,” Yamamoto stressed. After a brief explanation by Kate Deiparine on the ANCOP Management System, Bong Garrucho, ANCOP Canada Training and
Development Director, explained the strategic planning process, which was designed to lead to a shift of perspective from ANCOP being a fund mechanism to becoming a genuine response of Christian love. During lunch, the plenary broke into their respective groups in order to flesh out the five phases of the planning framework. After four hours, the plenary convened and the summary of the output for each phase was presented. After a brief open forum, the body agreed that at the end of six months, the draft of the output must be finalized and presented to the body. ANCOP President Jimmy Ilagan, in his final words, reiterated that work in ANCOP is a work in progress. Ilagan quoted Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, “God’s word teaches that our brothers and sisters are the prolongation of the incarnation for each of us: “As you did it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). The way we treat others has a transcendent dimension: “The measure you give will be the measure you get” (Mt 7:2). ~EG 179 He likewise mentioned, “From the heart of the Gospel we see the profound connection between evangelization and human advancement, which must necessarily find expression and develop in every work of evangelization. Accepting the first proclamation, which invites us to receive God’s love and to love him in return with the very love which is his gift, brings forth in our lives and actions a primary and fundamental response: to desire, seek and protect the good of others.” ~EG 178 These two citations reinforced his final statement that the success of ANCOP cannot be attributed to ANCOP alone. It is truly a mission of CFC. (Alma Alvarez)
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The CFC Family: Seedbed for Vocations
My parents became members of Couples for Christ in the early 1990’s, and I followed suit in Youth for Christ 1994. I am most honored to be here to share my thoughts on the topic. I realized that I am in a situation where I am able to share my vocation story, as well as to influence families, on how we can make our families truly a seedbed for vocations. In whatever vocation we are called, we are always called to holiness. And we owe 90% of whatever decision or path we take to our parents. We are always told that the family is the first school, the family is the first Church, the family is the first society that we are born into. Our first impression of this school, this Church, this society influences us greatly. What our parents model to us becomes a pattern of our lives as well. For the parents here, your actions, manners, words become your children’s actions, manners and words. I once saw a video of a cute little boy sitting on his mother’s lap. The boy was in his early stages of forming words and making sense out of these words. Somewhere in the middle of the video, the boy used the “F” word, and his mom just laughed at him. Surely, the boy didn’t know what that word meant, but I am sure too, that he heard it from either of his parents. And that is how powerful the influence of families is. As I share my family experience, I must say my family is not perfect. Please do not think that because there is a priest in the family, that my family is holy. We still argue, minsan nagkakaninisan. I also realize that what I am about to share is not something new to many of you, and some of you may already possess these
values. But hopefully my experiences will help everyone understand how we can adopt these values in our families. How do we make our families a seedbed of vocations, more specifically a seedbed for the priestly and religious life? First is to foster a life of common prayer. When my parents joined CFC in the early 90’s, I was about 8 or 9 years old. My family is not religious. We go to Mass every Sunday, but that was it. We didn’t belong to any community in the Church. We just went there to fulfill our obligation. One funny story is that when we go to Church and arrive at any part of the Mass, we just finish that Mass and like in a movie house, we wait for the next Mass and leave at the exact part we came in. That was the kind of understanding of the Eucharist we had as a family. But when my parents joined CFC, we began to have a common prayer time. This was something I truly appreciated. First, we would pray the Rosary in front of our little altar. And since we were not really religious, the first few months were just really funny and awkward. Of course, we would encourage our father to lead, but he didn’t know the mysteries by heart. My father worked as a banker then, and sometimes he would be so tired that he would jumble the responses while we prayed. This would bring us to fits of laughter, that the 15 minutes for praying the Rosary sometimes became 30. Sometimes we would laugh so hard that we would be made to take a break to go to our respective bedrooms and asked to come back composed. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to finish praying. But that common prayer time became very important to me, especially when I became a member of Youth for Christ. It was important because when I signed my Covenant Card, the first thing I took to heart was the promise to pray for at least 15 minutes daily. That common prayer time developed in me a personal prayer time. As a priest, you cannot not have a prayer life! Our homilies will sound like canned homilies, containing things that you learn from the School of Theology, which perhaps only one person in congregation would be able to understand.
It would be difficult for me to guide people, to know God, to understand God and His will if I had no prayer life. That common prayer time in the family nurtured my prayer life just as your common prayer time will nurture your children’s prayer life. The second point would be communication, the ability to talk to one another. Today, in the age of technology and connectivity, it seems it is easier to communicate. People anywhere in the world can be a friend. But this is where the irony lies. The technology that is supposed to bring us closer together is the technology that separates us. Given the chance, people would rather look down at their gadgets than look up to talk to people around them. And so the challenge for families today is to communicate, to be genuinely interested in the life of their children. When a child goes into his room and closes the door, the challenge is for parents to reach out to them, because truth is, they also want to reach out to you. But even if they do not manifest that gesture of reaching out, at least let them know that you are there. At first it was difficult for me to tell my parents, when I was 23 years old, that I wanted to continue my discernment at the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus, as that meant I had to leave Cagayan de Oro to go to Novaliches. They were reluctant to let me go at first, but because we were open to one another, it became easy for me to lay down my options. I told them that I believed this was where the Lord was calling me. I even kidded, “Actually, this was your fault.
unfolding at the altar always made me excited and filled with awe. We were also part of the choir, the steering committees, involved with decorating the Church, etc. The religious experience one derives from all these have deepened my faith, and my understanding of the sacraments brought me to an appreciation of them. Serving in Church also gave me an opportunity to know a priest up close. I also saw the priest not only as presider of the Eucharist, but also as counselor, listener, pastor—someone who is truly concerned for his flock. I was blessed to know such a priest, whom I met early in my life. I saw him again a few months after my ordination, and somehow he was reluctant in accepting my thanks. Had I not met this priest, and had he not made an impression on me, had I not been active in Church, I would not have entertained the vocation of priesthood. My college degree is nowhere near Philosophy. My background is on Management of Information Systems. I was already teaching for three years in a local high school when I started discerning. But the seed of that discernment had been planted in me early on in my life, as I became immersed in the life of my parish. The fifth and last point is commitment. My parents weren’t married in Church until I was 12 years old. They were already in their second year in CFC, and their household heads thought that they had to do something about their lack of Church recognition. And so we organized our parents’ wedding. The wedding was 12 years overdue, so my siblings
and I were fortunate to have had front row seats as they took their vows. When life became difficult and uncomfortable, they stuck it out. Although both threatened to leave the other, nobody left. It was not an option. Life as a priest is also a lifetime commitment. It is not an option. My parents have shown me how it is to be truly committed to something they believe in, even if the future looked bleak. As a 13-month-old priest, this is my experience—a daily ‘Yes’ to the Lord. Discernment does not start when we are invited to try out the religious life. Discernment starts at home. It is not induced, nor forced. But you can pray over it. You can dream about it. As Pope Francis addressed families last January, “To dream how will your daughter or son be, it is not possible to have a family without such dreams. When you lose this capacity to dream, then you lose the capacity to love, and this energy to love is lost. I recommend that at night, when you examine your consciences, ask yourselves, ‘Today, did I dream about my sons and daughters? It is so important to dream, and to dream in the family, please don’t lose this ability to dream in this way.” When we dream for our families, we also begin to fashion our homes into seedbeds of vocations. (Fr. Neo Saicon, SJ Assistant Director, Jesuit Retreat House, Malaybalay, Bukidnon)
Young seminarians from the SVD religious congregation, all former members of the Youth for Christ and Singles for Christ, introduce themselves to the audience.
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In his talk titled “Families of Faith and Vocations,” Church Integration Office Head Rouquel Ponte highlighted four elements that promote the home as a cradle of vocation and the consecrated life, as illustrated by this section from Familiaris Consortio: “The family that is open to transcendent values, that serves its brothers and sisters with joy, that fulfills its duties with generous fidelity, and is aware of its daily sharing in the mystery of the glorious Cross of Christ, becomes the primary and most excellent seedbed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of God.” Testimonies from YFS and SFC members who have embraced the call to priesthood gave life to Ponte’s discourse. The first one, Noel Custodio, a seminarian from Australia, shared how his family helped him discover his vocation.
You always brought me to mission trips, and always encouraged me to serve.” Show your children the value of hidden service. In any CFC gathering, my family and I always found ourselves in the service team. Whether it was cooking meals for thousands, serving sandwiches, or any way we can serve, we would always find ourselves in that scenario. And I’ve always observed my parents, how joyful they always were in doing whatever task they were doing. I never heard them complain, even if I knew they would rather listen to the talks than be in the service team. They taught me that serving the Lord doesn’t always have to put one in the limelight. And that is what I came to realize now that I am a priest, and a retreat master. As a new priest, I recognize that yes, we are at the forefront most of the time, but most of what I do is hidden from the public eye. I think my parents took to heart what the Lord said in the Gospel of Matthew, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret. And your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Immersing your children in the service of the local Church and the observance of the sacraments—this is the fourth point. Even if my parents were members of Couples for Christ, we never forgot that we were also members of the local Church, thus we were active in the life of the parish. Even when I became a leader in YFC, I was still an altar server, a sacristan. And there, my love for the Eucharist started. To be up close as the mystery was
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The second, Fr. Ruper, who is a regular Mass celebrant at the CFC Global Mission Center in Manila, also came from Youth for Christ. He brought with him several of his seminarians, all from YFC and SFC themselves, to thank the Lord for planting the seed of vocations in their hearts. The main speaker, Fr. Neo Saicon, SJ, was also a YFC leader when the desire to discern for priesthood came. (See his story on page 3.) As a response, Isaac Santos of CFC, father of Fr. Abner Santos, a former SFC member, likewise testified how he and his wife supported their son’s call to become a priest. It is truly a blessing that Catholic families, including those in CFC, are being blessed to be co-formators of young men and women who consider the religious vocation. (A.M. Alvarez)
Campos, Jimmy Ilagan, Rouquel Ponte, Lito Tayag, Michael (Shok) Ariola, Manny Garcia and Bong Arjonillo. Of the nine, Ariola and Arjonillo are first-termers. Elections of the IC since 2011 have followed the amendments introduced in the same year, wherein only three (3) members are elected every year, to serve for a term of three (3) years. According to the amended by-laws, the terms are staggered such as each year, three are elected and three end their terms. However, to address concerns raised regarding the frequency of elections and to harmonize the by-laws, the Elders Assembly, by overwhelming vote, elected to amend the by-laws again during a general meeting held on May 17, 2015. In addition to provisions related to the functions of the of-
ficers, the elections this year called for the election of all the nine IC members, all to serve for a term of two years. All would be eligible to be nominated for election in 2017. Those who will be elected in 2017 and who would thus have served two full terms by 2019 will not be eligible for nomination. They will have to go on service break of two years. This year, the elections adhered to a fully spiritual and reflective approach. Beginning with Mass at 10 AM on election day at the chapel of the Lay Force compound in Guadalupe, Makati City, the Elders Assembly members went into quiet mode as the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. The rosary was said and soft hymns were sung throughout the day, further deepening the spiritual mood of the exercise. After lunch, Fr. Benedict La-
garde of the Missionaries of Jesus exhorted the EA members to choose wisely and to actively listen to the leading of the Spirit. He stressed that all 27 nominees, because they had been chosen after much reflection and discernment, are eminently qualified, but the big question is who among them are being called by the Lord at this particular time. He spoke of the need to have the wisdom of the experienced leaders as well as the exuberance and novel ideas of the young in the mix. The mix Fr. Lagarde spoke of was evident in the final results. There was much rejoicing as each name was read, as each and every member of the EA realized that indeed, God had worked His grace among the assembly and truly, the men who had been chosen were those He has called.
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A Night to Remember The members of the Governance Teams of Metro Manila, the Philippine Missions and the International Missions let their hair down, so to speak, in an evening of dining and dancing at the MOA SMX last June 18, 2015. Everyone enjoyed the meal and each other’s company, as well as the great music courtesy of the West of Bethany Band. A special number from the brethren from China was one of the evening’s highlights.
Past and Present Missionaries Honored The CFC Missionaries Night, held on Tuesday, June 16, honored fulltime missionaries who have served, or are currently serving in Philippine and foreign mission areas. They were honored for giving their selfless ‘Yes’ to the call to mission work. The evening started with music, followed by the opening worship led by CFC Chairman Joe Tale. A series of personal mission testimonies from some of those who have gone near and far to spread the Good News followed. Missionaries who have moved on to new mission areas outside of fulltime pastoral work were likewise given tokens of recognition for their contribution to the evangelization work of Couples for Christ. It was an evening of fellowship, where the young and not-so-young broke bread, prayed for one another, and exchanged experiences which make missionary life colorful.
CFC USA Holds DCM Workshop in NorCal
Caption: Fr. Brian Soliven expounds on poverty of the West. (Photo by Feddie A. Espiritu)
The Copacabana Hall of the Clarion Hotel in Concord, California was jam-packed as missionaries from CFC USA came to listen to Fr. Brian Soliven, keynote speaker for the recent Discipleship Mission in the Church Conference. In his discourse, Fr. Soliven spoke about the poverty of the West and New Evangelization, reminding the participants about St. John Paul the II’s pronouncement in 1990: “I sense that the moment has come to commit all the Church’s energy to a New Evangelization. No believer in Christ, no institu-
tions of the Church can avoid the supreme duty to proclaim Christ to all people.” Fr. Soliven issued the challenge of evangelization to the participants, a challenge that he called particularly difficult amid what he described as the “poverty of the West,” referring to poverty in Christian devotion brought about by the West’s preoccupation with achieving affluence and power. He said, “What the Church has been seeing especially in the West that includes West Europe, United States and Canada, is a decline in Christian identity.” Painting a grim scenario, Fr. So-
liven cited a study that showed that Americans who identify themselves as Christians dropped from 80 % to 70 % in the last seven years. The study found that rather than transferring to other religions, these “Christians” have morphed into the so-called ‘non-affiliateds’ or those who do not want to be associated with any particular group but to create their own spirituality or religion. “What we are seeing now is entirely new in Christian history: Christian nations are becoming deChristianized,” stated Fr. Soliven. He added, “This is what the Church sees as the New Evangelization that is not much about proclaiming the Gospel to non-Christian people, but going to Christian nations for witnessing and bringing the love of Jesus Christ to their people.” The Honolulu-born but California-raised priest of Filipino parentage warned that as globalization and the powerful cultural values of the West spread, “We have to be mindful of cultural colonization” as Pope Francis would say. A first generation Filipino who spent his formative years in Elk Grove, California, Fr. Soliven cautioned that children are not immune from losing their faith when they come and grow in the United States unless their parents fight for their children’s souls. “The American culture is alluring
for any immigrant, even those with strong Catholic background. Thus with each passing generation, the faith is waning,” opined Fr. Soliven. Fr. Soliven pursued undergraduate studies at University of California in Davis, but answered the call of priesthood when he entered the seminary for the Diocese of Sacramento in 2004. He was ordained in 2011 after two years in Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon. What probably struck deep into the sublime consciousness of the conferees was a prognosis Fr. Soliven shared from his appreciation of a jolting declaration of Reverend Daniel Robert Jenky, the eighth Bishop of Peoria, Illinois. The bishop is quoted as saying that “The age of Cultural Catholicism is over.” Just like Bishop Jenky, Fr. Soliven believes that “We need Catholics of conviction. Those who made a decision for Christ and His Church have to live up to that decision.” But Fr. Soliven warned that this is indeed a difficult task in a Western world that is now steeped in secularism and materialism. The day-long conference reverberated with the challenge of Fr. Soliven to the missionaries: As Christians, they have to go around the globe espousing a culture that supports Catholicism. CFC USA National Council Director for Church Relations Office and ANCOP Executive Director Roger Santos responded by citing that CFC’s
response revolves around the following: a) taking a giant step in evangelization effort; and b) entering into a new stage of missionary dynamism. He suggested a three-dialogue approach to the New Evangelization: inter-religious, inculturation and, socio-economic involvement or dialogue with the poor. Santos reported that CFC is proceeding vigorously toward diocesan collaboration and providing both fulltime and volunteer-missionaries with adequate and appropriate preparation and training. He reported that out of the 192 dioceses in the USA, CFC is already recognized in 46 Dioceses as of 2014. He said the challenge lies in increasing CFC’s current presence in 67 dioceses and 325 parishes. CFC USA still has a long way to go, considering there are 17,483 parishes throughout the United States. The CFC USA National Director for Evangelization and Missions Rod Bustos likewise enumerated the steps to strengthening CFC Missions, namely: Establishment, Enrichment and Empowerment. Bustos defined that the strategy to energize missions is to strengthen Regional Missions Centers and develop mission areas into mission centers. The afternoon session started off with a role-playing workshop to brief the participants on the best practices in interacting with bishops
and priests. CFC SoCal Leader Ricky Coronel facilitated the workshop. The participants were divided into eleven groups of 11 members each. After brainstorming, random reports and dramatization were presented during the plenary period. The group leaders were Raffy Estrera, Ding De Guzman, Don Fernandez, Nestor Mercado, Nonong Marquez, Boy De Loyola, Neme Cayabyab, Rod Yumul, Mel Cruz, Dan Francisco and Vince West. The conference was capped by CFC USA National Director Eric Villanueva exhorting on ‘The Call to Mission’. His wife Pat, on the other hand, shared about ‘The HEART of One Being Sent’, with the acronym HEART standing for Heedful, Enthusiastic, Available, Ready and Trust in God—all qualities of a missionary. In conclusion, Villanueva reminded, “We are on a mission from God because CFC has families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth.” He added, “If you are a Christ follower, you are a missionary. Whether it’s next door or across the globe, it is our mission to share the love of Jesus! (Feddie A. Espiritu, CFC APC SOLD)
CBCP Monitor
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June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13
CFC India Love More National Conference Held
Pastoral Formation Programs Conducted Across Cfc India Several pastoral formation programs were conducted in five states of India in April and May 2015. Hector Poppen, CFC India head, and his wife Garnet, together with Mon Santiago, CFC India country coordinator and his wife Tita traversed the entire length of country, starting from the south and going through to the central, east and north territories of the country.
Kannamaly, Kochi, Kerala
The Second National Conference of CFC India was successfully held at St. Joseph’s High School, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in East India last May 2-3. The weekend, anchored on the theme Love More, was hosted by CFC Bhubaneswar and supported by His Grace Archbishop John Barwa, SVD of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. A total of 58 participants from the states where CFC has been established since 2012, plus three from the Philippines, attended. Attending the conference together with Archbishop Barwa were four other priests: Fr. Sugayaraj SVD from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh; Fr. Joseph Raj from Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu and Frs. George Anthony and Francis Cheerang of Kohima, Nagaland. There were also 24 volunteers from the family of CFC members and parishioners that looked after the logistical arrangements, choir, and cultural program. Hector Poppen, CFC India head, led the opening worship on Day 1, and welcomed the participants. Poppen pointed out how much the Lord had tremendously blessed the mission in India, especially in Odisha wherein the members grew from just 44 members in 2012 to 1,226 in December 2014. He attributed this to the strong support from
Archbishop John and the clergy in the state, the sacrifice of Francis Almeida who resigned from his good paying job in Canada to serve one year full time in the state, and also the commitment of the local leaders in Bhubaneswar to establish CFC in other areas in the Odisha and even up to another state in Chattisgarh. Archbishop John welcomed the conference delegates, exclaiming that he considered it a great privilege to host the conference in Bhubaneswar, the “Temple” city and in Odisha, the land of martyrs of our faith. He exhorted everyone to continue what has already been started by CFC in their areas and to share CFC with more families. The video messages of Joe Tale, CFC Chairman and International Missions Director; George Campos, CFC Executive Director and Jimmy Ilagan, Continent Overseer for West, South and Central Asia were aired. The three CFC International Council members praised God and thanked the CFC India leaders and brethren for their steadfast commitment to the vision and mission of CFC. They likewise congratulated them for having brought CFC to six states from just two states in 2013. They extended their warm regards to all the delegates and their families and exhorted them to continue with
the same zeal and dedication in 2015 and beyond. Conference speakers were Mon Santiago, Erick Abad, SFC Regional Coordinator for South Asia, and Hector Poppen. One highlight of the activity was the interactive meeting with the clergy facilitated by Poppen. Fr. Paul Raj of Palayamkottai, Fr. Sagayaraj of Hyderabad, Fr. George Anthony and Fr. Francis Cheerang of Kohima. Peter TD of Hyderabad and Michael of Palayamkottai shared their experiences with, and expectations of CFC in their respective areas and recommended that full time pastoral workers be sent to India to ensure that the CFC life and culture be imbibed by its members. The conference ended with a Holy Mass officiated by Archbishop John and Frs. Sagayaraj, George, Francis, Paul and the assistant parish of St. Vincent parish, Bhubaneswar. In his homily, Archbishop John said that CFC is not just a movement, but a divine plan of God in the world today for families which will continue for eternity. He reminded everyone of the Gospel message saying that in order to bear much fruit, Christians should be always connected to Christ, remain in His love, the true vine, because without Him, nothing can be achieved.
Eighteen couples belonging to CFC Kannamaly, which was established in April 2014 by a team from CFC India, completed the MER 1 program conducted on April 18-19 at the St. Anthony’s parish church. Hector gave all the 7 talks and conducted the healing session, all in Malayalam. The couples actively listened to the talks and participated well in the couple dialogue, and made the plans for “building our homes for God". Fr. Josey Kandanattuthara, the parish priest, expressed his elation that all the couples who completed the CLP last year also attended this year’s weekend retreat. He
officiated in the renewal of marriage vows during the Holy Mass. All the couples, reinvigorated and renewed in their love by the weekend activity, voiced their excitement at the scheduled MER II next year. Talarkulam, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu
Over 20 couples attended the Covenant Orientation on April 22nd conducted by Hector Poppen, who was assisted by Michael Rovalanche and Fr. Paul Raj, CFC Spiritual Adviser in the area. CFC was established in the area in July 2014 by a team from CFC India and CFC Singapore.
CFC ANCOP Scholars Excel this SY 2014-15
Agustin, Primrose
Soria, Fredielyn
School year 2014-15 was a banner year for the Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) of CFC ANCOP, as the CSP produced one (1) magna cum laude, five (5) cum Laude and seven (7) elementary/high school valedictorians and salutatorians. A large number of the scholars were also included in the college Dean’s List, were among the top ten in their class and/or cited for academic and non-academic performance. Leading the pack of outstanding graduates is Ruby Kailing, who completed her BS Education degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the Visayas State University, a premier state-funded school in the Visayas. Ruby’s parents only managed to reach grade school and currently earn their living as farmers, but this did not deter them from providing good education for their seven children. After graduating from high school, Ruby was out of school for four years, enrolling in college only in 2010, when she received funds from the “Give Love” activity of CFC ANCOP. The Leyte ANCOP Global Walk (AGW) provided annual funding for Ruby until she completed college in 2015. As Ruby now shares, “I never lost hope despite the eight long years I had to wait to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. I trusted that the Lord would provide for my needs and He
Beso, Jovie
Kailing, Rubie
did, through ANCOP.” Jovie Beso of ANCOP Metro Manila South A, a scholar funded by ANCOP USA since 2011, obtained her BS Computer Science degree from the Cavite State University. She was hired by a large multinational bank immediately after she completed her on-the-job training (OJT) with the same company. Frieldyn Soria is one of the students supported by a partnership between CFC ANCOP and Caritas Manila, with funding support from ANCOP USA. She completed her BS Biology for Teachers at the Philippine Normal University. Like the other scholars, Frieldlyn never lost hope that she would go to school even though her parents are separated and her mother earns a meager salary as a housemaid. ANCOP Canada has been supporting the education of Diane Obillos since 2008 until her graduation at the Systems Technology Institute where she obtained a degree in Information Technology. Dianne was an academic scholar for the four years she was in college, with the support she received from the CSP used mainly for transportation, food and schoolrelated expenses. Another recipient of the proceeds of AGW Leyte, Jessa Ruales, completed her BS
Obillos, Diane
Ruales, Jessa
Economics at the Visayas State University while Primrose Agustin sustained her education as an accountancy student at the Antique State University with support from the provincial AGW funds. Jovie, Friedlyn, Dianne, Jessa and Primrose are all Cum Laude graduates, a testimony to their zeal, dedication and commitment to excel despite the obstacles in obtaining tertiary education. The ANCOP scholars in elementary and high school levels also excelled. Grace Olar (Southern Leyte), Ruby Saludes (Ilocos Sur), Josie Tirao (Camarines Sur) and Angela Marie Lucero (Surigao del Norte) all completed high school as valedictorians. Anilov Martin from MM Central A graduated as valedictorian in elementary level, while John Patrick Delima (Camarines Sur) and Diane Bacurin (Camarines Norte) were cited as elementary salutatorians. For the past five (5) years since 2010, the CSP has been providing educational support to a total of 6,939 poor and marginalized students, among them members of indigenous people, healed Hansenite families, street children, abandoned orphans, sons and daughters of farmers, fisherfolk, urban poor and calamity victims. (Efren Tompong)
Hyderabad, Andhra Padesh
The Covenant Orientation for CFC members was held at St John's Church (SJC), Ramachandrapuram, in the afternoon of Saturday, 25 April 2015 and on Sunday, 26 April, after the Mass. Thirty-two parishioners (couples, singles, youth) including the four couples who took the CFC covenant in Oct 2014, attended the Covenant Orientation Weekend. CFC Hyderabad was established in October 2014. Ramon Santiago and his wife Tita conducted the program with assistance from Rev. Fr. P. Sagayaraj, parish priest, and a CFC sister. Talks 1, 2 and 4 of the CO were delivered by Mon, and Talk 3 by Hector Poppen who came, along with his wife Garnet, on Sunday morning. Fr. Sagayaraj and Veronika did simultaneous translation of the talks into Telugu, the local language, as there was a good number of Telugu speaking participants. Singing of hymns, praise, worship, and thanksgiving and limited experience sharing formed part of the CO. On the evening of 27 April, Mon, Tita, Hector and Garnet, along with Fr Sagayaraj and Peter T.D., CFC Hyderabad leader, and nine CFC members gathered at the residence of Richard Burgos, in Icrisat, 5 kilometers from St. John parish, for the CLP Training program that was conducted by Mon (Talks 1 and 3) and Hector (Talk 2). Thereafter, the Lord's Day Celebration was explained, demonstrated and led by Hector and Garnet, assisted by Tita. All those present participated in the thanksgiving prayers, breaking of bread, and sharing of wine. Mon and Hector then laid their hands on Richard Burgos and conducted the dedication ceremony that admitted him into Servants of the Lord (SOLD). The gathering
wished Richard Godspeed as he was going back to the Philippines after three years in Icrisat. Bhubaneswar, Odisha
On April 29th, a household meeting was held with the leaders of CFC Bhubaneswar at the grounds of St. Vincent de Paul Pro Cathedral. The 12 local leaders and members shared how the Holy Spirit has used them in spreading the mission of CFC in other parishes of the diocese and other dioceses. CFC Bhubaneswar was established in November 2012 by a team from CFC Canada. The following evening, Mon gave a talk on Pastoral Leadership, and Hector on Financial Stewardship to 14 members at the parish hall. Nabor, CFC head in Bhubaneswar, did the translation in Oriya, the local language of the state.
Nagaland
On May 5th Mon and Tita, with Hector and Garnet and Fr. Thomas Toretkiu, secretary to Bishop James Thoppil, travelled more than six hours on 295 kilometers of mostly winding, rough and dusty roads to Lumami to meet around a dozen SFC members in Nagaland University, Lumami campus. The SFC was established here in November 2014. A household meeting was conducted with four members of CFC Kohima at one of the chapels of the Mary Help of Christians Parish, the Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese. Members shared the challenges they face in sustaining the members that joined the CLP in August 2014 but at the same time were very optimistic about the potential growth of CFC in Nagaland, being the only Christian state in India.
HOMILY, C2
The Gospel is very clear—we should always go back to the source, to always be connected to the One who is the source of everything that we have. We should always have these attitudes, my dear brothers and sisters, when we answer the cry of the poor. First, humility. We have been called by God to participate in this holy work. We are not worthy, but God called us. That is what Paul always tells the community in Corinth—it is a chance for us, when someone poor is calling out for help, to participate in self-giving love. Because giving is natural, and will make us more human, more spiritual. Secondly, when we participate in the self-giving love of God, we must always pray the prayer of gratitude. When we always thank God, whether for victories of failures, because it is a realization that everything we do is because of His grace, then whatever we do becomes holy. And so, as we talk about and do our work with the poor, let us not lose our footing, to where we are rooted. If we do, this becomes our work, not God’s work anymore. Let us always remember that this is a call from God, the God who said, “I hear the cry of the poor, and I will answer them.”
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June 22 - July 5, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 13
The International MC Gathering – A Homecoming
Liveloud 2015: Tearing Down Walls “God is here. He is searching for us. He wants to meet us but, because we have built walls around and within us, it is hard for us to receive that precious gift. The good news is He wants to tear down the walls between us and in us.” This was how Noli Manuel, International Coordinator of Singles for Christ, exhorted the 11,000 young people who came to the World Trade Center in Manila last June 12, 2015 for Liveloud, an extraordinary Catholic worship experience.
Members of the International Mission Core from Metro Manila, the Philippine Missions and International Missions were welcomed by colorful balloons and photo walls in a homecoming-themed assembly last June 17, 2015 at the MOA SMX. To complete the homecoming effect, the CFC leaders were asked to come in colors representing the decade when they joined the community. Those from the 1981 to 1990 era came in blue, while those from 1991 to 2000 wore green. The graduates of 2001 to 2010 came in yellow, while those who joined CFC from 2011 to the present were asked to wear red. Everybody had fun posing and taking photos with their households and “batch mates” on the walls
bearing their color and decade. CFC Chairman Joe Tale presided over the prayer assembly. After the moving worship and words of inspiration, the MC posthumously honored two men, both CFC leaders and movers in their own rights—the late Joey Arguelles and Bob Serrano. They were accorded the Apostolic Zeal Award to honor their contributions to the mission of Couples for Christ. Joey Arguelles was one of the pioneers of Couples for Christ, who, with his wife Tessie, joined the community in the late 80’s. In his more than three decades of serving the Lord through CFC, he had raised many leaders and left a lasting legacy of faith, devotion to Our Mother Mary,
CBCP Monitor
The two-hour worship concert has been compared to Hillsong of Australia. Liveloud, like Hillsong, tore down that night walls of despair, hatred, pride, and anger to allow the healing power of God break through, via the Mass celebrated by Fr. Ruper, the moving songs of victory and praise and the powerful testimonies. One touching moment was when everyone was asked to approach and hug the person whom God used to help them tear down the walls in their lives. Indeed, singing was twice praying at Liveloud.
service and love for brethren. Bob Serrano, on the other hand, was a spirited leader, a creative musician and a loving father not only to his children, but to all who he took under his wing. He was the genius behind the 29 AD Musicionaries, as well as two of the most celebrated musical plays born in CFC—Selpie and Teen Saint Pedro, the Musical. The medals were given to their widows, Tessie and Aileen, respectively. The evening may have been a mixture of joy and sorrow, but one thing is sure—the reminiscing of memories will always bring CFC members back to the very reason why each one responded to the call of the Lord to serve in CFC.
CFC@34, C1
COP given by BCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto and Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility delivered by CFC Institute Chairman Jun Uriarte. The workshop that followed was facilitated by Bong Garrucho who came all the way from Canada for this purpose. In the evening of the same day, all the leaders gathered at the SMX Function Room 5 for the International Mission Core Gathering. The leaders had fun as the night, themed as “Homecoming” welcomed members from the different decades in the history of CFC. Those who joined CFC in the decade of 1981, when CFC started, to 1990 came to the gathering in blue while those who joined in 1991 to 2000 wore green. Members who trace their roots in CFC to the decade covering 2001 to 2010 were in
yellow. The more recent joiners, from 2011 to the present, were resplendent in their red outfits. Although the leaders were up till late in the night, this did not deter them from attending the Mission Symposium held at the SMX MOA the following morning or the LayClergy Congress held at the same venue in the afternoon. The highlight of the day was the celebration of the Eucharist by Bishop Elenito Galido. The day was far from over. That same night, everyone remained at the venue for the Fellowship Night, a dress-up occasion and time for simply enjoying each other’s company. Friday, June 19, was an important day for the CFC community. On this day, the members of the Elders Assembly, a 274-strong group of leaders – the International Council,
the Board of Elders, the Regional Coordinators of the various continents, Philippine Mission leaders including Regional Heads and Provincial Area Heads, Metro Manila Sector Heads, heads of Family Ministries and some social development programs, as well as their wives - trooped to the chapel of the Lay Formation Center of San Carlos Seminary in Guadalupe, Makati, for the election of the International Council or the Board of Trustees. (see related story on page 1) Saturday, June 20, dawned bright and sunny, auguring well for the grand anniversary celebration slated that day at the Rizal Park. As early as 8 AM, CFC members and their families began gathering at the park, colorful in their CFC t-shirts. This year, the venue was moved from the
Quirino Grandstand to the park right in front of it. A gigantic stage was set up at the center of the park, with four huge monitors set up to ensure that everyone would get a good view of the proceedings at the stage. Food tents were set up all over the park, adding to the festive atmosphere. Tents were also set up for all the provinces and countries represented, in anticipation of the expected rains that had been earlier been announced. The stage was the venue for continuous entertainment, from dances presented by Kids for Christ, Youth for Christ, Singles for Christ and Handmaids of the Lord, to songs by the 29 AD Musicionaries. The much awaited parade of floats began at 3 PM and ended at almost 5 PM, a long line of people
walking and showing solidarity with their respective countries, areas, sectors and provinces. The end of the parade signaled the start of the culminating activity of the day – the celebration of the Holy Eucharist officiated by Bishop Romulo de la Cruz and three other bishops. Prior to the Mass, CFC Chairman Joe Tale delivered his anniversary message, congratulating CFC for reaching 34 and exhorting them to continue, with greater vigor, with the mission. George Campos, Executive Director, honored those who go on mission, especially to difficult areas and exhorted everyone to contribute to the community effort. By the time the Mass started, the rain threatened to fall, with strong
gusty winds blowing away the bishops’ caps, leading Bishop de la Cruz to joke that he was in the exact same situation as Pope Francis whose cap blew off amid the strong winds that came as he was saying Mass at the Tacloban, Leyte airport. But the rains did not fall, much to the delight of the huge crowd. As dusk fell, after the Mass, the crowd was led to full celebratory mode by the Kids Praisefest led by Ablaze President Rommel Ancheta. Fireworks lit up the sky after the praisefest, a fitting and colorful ending to a tiring but truly enjoyable day. Photos courtesy of John Paolo Bautista, Inigo Buenaventura, Jason de Leon, Art del Rio, Jamie Laguio, Jaen Manegdeg, Micah Melecio, Macky Pasco, John Johriel Rosarda, Caloy Rubio, Ahyan Talisic, Joey Tomas, Deo Oliveria, Jerry Tanigue, Ruel Tenerife, Jay Umali, Carol Wong,