Outreach in Adams held

The Catechetical and Mission Office conducted an outreach in Adams, Ilocos Norte in celebration of the Mission Month, October 29.

Located on top of a mountain, Adams remains one of the economically challenged towns of Ilocos Norte. This town and Barangays Balaoi, Caunayan, Pancian and Pasaleng of Pagudpud make up the recently established quasi-parish of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, whose church is in Pancian. Rev. Antonio Calautit, SVD administers the parish.

The office, in collaboration with the parishes' catechetical coordinators, began planning for the outreach as early as July. That same month Bishop Sergio Utleg and the clergy approved the plan as a course of action for the whole diocese.

Catechesis on the Church's missionary life was given in schools and in parish churches from August to October. Donations in cash and in kind were submitted to the parish offices and ultimately to the Catechetical and Mission Office as part of the people's response.

A Eucharistic celebration presided over by the bishop, with Rev. Nolasco Pascua, Jr., Catechetical and Mission Director, and Rev. Calautit concelebrating, at the St. Isidore Chapel formally opened the day's mission.

In his homily, Bishop Utleg said the outreach is a way to show God’s love for the least of our brethren.

He also said Adams is a perfect place to conduct such activities because of its distance and the presence of indigenous people. He admitted, “When they said that the outreach will be in Adams, I approved it because it would not only be in celebration of the Mission Month but also of the indigenous peoples who are honored during the Mission Month."

Bishop Utleg is the Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

A catechetical instruction for the children followed the mass. Meanwhile, more than 300 adults and children availed of the medical and dental clinic offered by the San Lorenzo Ruiz Medical-Dental Charity Clinic of the Social Action Commission, at the Adams Central Elementary School hall.

The office prepared lunch for all. A gift-giving ended the outreach.

Laoag attends regional assembly on mission

Sr. Evangeline Pabalate, MCST and Ms. Marybel Melchor-Pajela of the Commission on Mission represented the diocese in the Regional Assembly for Luzon of Diocesan Mission Directors and Collaborators held in Kamay ni Jesus Healing Center in Lucban, Quezon, July 14-17.

With the theme, “That all may be one,” the assembly aimed to orient the participants on the regional situation and the relevance of the Pontifical Mission Societies and to propose on-going formation program and regional direction on mission.

The assembly was opened by a welcome address by Msgr. Leandro Castro, PC, Vicar General of Lucena Diocese, and the presentation of the delegates in the evening of the first day. The second day was spent on reporting on the four Pontifical Mission Societies. The third day was dedicated for the reporting of the different ecclesiastical territories on their mission programs and activities.

Fr. Edgar Javier, SVD talked on "Re-visioning our Mission in Contemporary Times: Asian Perspective on Mission and Spirituality" on the fourth day.

The assembly of Luzon mission workers was closed with the celebration of the Holy Mass presided over by Most Rev. Emilio Marquez, DD, Bishop of Lucena.

Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, DD, Bishop of Daet and National Director of PMS-Philippines, strongly requested the transmission of the proceedings of the assembly to the collaborators in mission in the dioceses down to the parishes.

Parish reps to attend meeting on mission

It is for this purpose that the office of the Diocesan Commission on Mission requests the attendance of two catechists per parish to a meeting on August 1 at 8 o’clock in the morning (about two hours)at the Janssen Hall. Since this day will be the second catechetical coordinators’ meeting, the parish coordinator will be one of the two catechist-representatives.

It is also asked that a representative from the diocesan schools, e.g. Values/Religion Teacher/Coordinator, attend the meeting.

Mission Commission to launch mission awareness and involvement program

The Commission on Mission drew up its plan for the celebration of the Mission Month in October in its first coordinators' meeting, July 4.

Presided over by Fr. Nolasco "Tom" Pascua, Jr., the newly-appointed commission director, assisted by Sr. Evangeline Pabalate, MCST, the meeting was called to put in order its program of activities for a meaningful celebration of the month of mission.

The Commission has set itself to (1) make the people, especially school children, aware of the missionary life of the Church, (2) develop the virtue of generosity in them, (3) stir up the missionary spirit in them hopefully culminating in involvement, and (4) visit chosen apostolate area/areas as beneficiaries of the “missionary” gifts of the people.

To realize these, (a) a catechesis on mission in both the parish and the classroom settings shall be given. A lesson guide for this purpose shall be made available for use of the catechists. (b) A “mission desk” shall be put up in a strategic place outside the parish churches where voluntary contributions for the Pondo para iti Misyon, in the fashion of the ‘widow’s mite’, may be made by parishioners, including the school children. (c) Business establishments shall be requested to sponsor “mission cans,” which the catechists will prepare, into which their clients may meaningfully ‘waste’ their scraps. Students and pupils of the diocesan schools shall also be encouraged to prepare and sponsor mission cans as a class or individually. (d) The PPC and PFC of the parishes shall be humbly asked to help catechists look for donors as well as to contribute in cash for the Pondo or in kind. (e) Catechists shall also do their share of sacrifice for the Pondo.

This plan presupposed the approval and generous support of the Priests' Assembly, especially the parish priests and school directors. The assembly gave its nod during its monthly meeting, July 15.

The Commission will select the beneficiary/beneficiaries in the next coordinators’ meeting on August 1. Whether to hold the outreach on the parochial, vicarial or diocesan level, or a combination of two, will finally be decided.