The 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) will be held in Cebu on January 24-31, 2016, with the theme “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.”
The Eucharistic Congress is held as a periodic wake-up call for us to take time out from our busy daily routine to be reminded and to reflect on the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life,” in the hope of obtaining a deeper understanding of the Eucharistic Celebration, renewing our spirit and becoming more Christ-like in our dealings with others.
Cebu was chosen as the Congress site because of its significance to the Christianization of the Philippines which will soon reach 500 years in 2021.
The attendees to IEC 2016 will have daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a series of catechetical discussions focusing on the different dimensions of the Eucharist, daily confession, a Eucharistic procession, cultural presentations, etc.
TAMISIER & EYMARD:
Mlle. Emilie-Marie Tamisier (the first person to propose the organization of an official eucharistic congress) was born in Tours, France, on November 1, 1834. From age 13 until she was 16 years old, she was a pupil of the Religious of the Sacred Heart at Marmoutier. She met Eymard at her brother-in-law’s residence when she came for a visit. Eymard, who was then in the process of founding a Society of Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, immediately asked her brother-in-law to allow her to join his ministry.
Thereafter, Marie entered the Society of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Her love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament grew as she listened more and more to the preaching of Fr. Eymard and attended masses he celebrated. Fr. Eymard once told her, “You belong to the blessed Sacrament in life and in death. One is rich with such a treasure!”
Marie stayed with the Society for only two years. A visit home to look after her dying mother became a permanent stay as she realized that she had no vocation.
SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL ON EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS:
“The Eucharistic Congress is first and foremost a great community act
of faith in the presence and in the action of Jesus in the Eucharist, Who remains with us sacramentally to travel with us along our ways, so that with His power, we can cope with our problems, our toil, our suffering.
The Eucharistic Congress should demonstrate particularly and highlight the fact that the People of God here on earth lives by the Eucharist, that it draws from It its strength for everyday toils and for the struggles in all spheres of its existence.”
POLA PREPARATION FOR THE 51ST INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS:
Preparations for the IEC are now in full swing. The different communities can do their share through the following:
- Catechesis on the Eucharist
- Please get the catechetical materials from your respective dioceses
- The materials for Eucharistic catechism prepared by Fr. Mike Garcia, Executive Secretary of the CBCP’s Permanent Committee on International Eucharistic Congresses (PCIEC), will be forwarded to all religious ASAP.
First talk: Colossians 1:24-29 (the biblical text where the theme of the IEC 2016 is taken)
Second talk: “CHRIST IN YOU, OUR HOPE OF GLORY” (Col. 1:24-29)
The Eucharist: source and goal of the Church’s mission
Third talk: EUKARISTIYA – Pangako ng Darating na Kaluwalhatian
Patikim ng Makalangit na Bangkete
Kaganapan ng Kaharian ng Diyos
Sakramento ng Pag-asa (with Power Point Presentation)
- Initiate or join Gatherings to Reflect on the Eucharist and the Poor.
- Pastors are encouraged to support the fundraising scheme of the CBCP-PCIEC for the IEC 2016, “Piso Para sa Misa ng Mundo” (drop boxes have already been distributed).
- Announcement: Those who want to attend the IEC 2016 in Cebu must register personally. Please do it online. The earlier the booking, the better. You are also responsible for your own accommodations.
TONNY AKENA – PERPETUALIST:
Bro. Tonny Akena, SSS, was born on May 25, 1977, to peasant parents (Okello Yakobo and Akello Lucy Anna) in a small village in Aduku Parish, Lira Diocese, Uganda, East Africa. He was the third of six children (three boys and three girls). He joined the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Uganda in 2003 as Postulant. Then, in 2004 he came to the Philippines to have his two years Novitiate in San Jose del Monte City. He made his First Profession of Religious Vows on March 25, 2006. Then back in Uganda, he obtained a Diploma in Social Work and Social Administration at Kampala University in 2008. He studied Philosophy from Philosophy Centre Jinja (PCJ), Jinja, Uganda, in 2011-2014. Presently, Bro. Tonny is a first year theology student at Maryhill School of Theology in New Manila, Quezon City.
Bro. Tonny has this to say about his vocation: “Faced with the reality of poverty at a very early age, I didn’t imagine I would be where I am now (Blessed Sacrament Congregation), but to God be the glory! Here I am and will soon make my perpetual profession (25/3/2015). God’s ways are too different from human ways as Isiah the prophet said. I know my limitation but with trust in God I will never be always limited by my limitation.”
RURAL EXPOSURE – 2ND YEAR NOVICES:
Second-year novices Bros. Tedley, Eddienel and Victor Clemence are currently doing two weeks of rural exposure at the Quasi-Parish of San Vicente Ferrer, Taguig City. They are housed in three different families under the parish. This will complete their series of exposures – community, hospital and rural. These exposures are necessary to see more clearly whether they are really being called by God to become religious.
CONGRATULATIONS – NEW M.A.ers IN PASTORAL MINISTRY:
Fr. Choy Ramos and Fr. Michael (Mikey) Timbol worked hard to fulfill in one year the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry at Maryhill School of Theology (MST). They joined the MST POIMEN Batch (Good Shepherd Batch) 2014-2015 and marched in their togas at the Commencement Exercises today, March 12, 2015, at Christ the King Shrine, Quezon City. The graduation rites was preceded by a Eucharistic celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Loreto Vermundo Miranda, CICM, MST President. Congratulations bros!
TAKBOKASYON – A FUN RUN FOR VOCATION:
Fr. Choy R. is spearheading a fun run for vocation. It will be held this coming April 25, 2015, at the Marikina City Sports Complex, Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City. The proceeds will go toward the education of our seminarians. Let us offer prayers for its success. And for those of you who can come and run, your participation will be much appreciated. Everyone is being requested to pray for its success.
LIFE IN THE EUCHARIST SEMINAR (LITES):
Davao LITES Team: Fr. Alvin Lao, MSC, the parish priest of San Antonio de Tolentino Parish in Mainit, Surigao del Norte, wanted his parishioners to actively participate in the Eucharist and they can only do that if they have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Eucharist. Thus he invited the Davao LITES team of the Assumption Parish to conduct a seminar. He also thought that LITES was a good way to prepare his parishioners for the forthcoming International Eucharistic Congress in January 2016.
LITES, which was held last February 20-22, was attended by 270 participants made up of the parish catechists, liturgical ministers and BEC Leaders.
Sta. Cruz Team in De La Salle University (DLSU): LITES was held at the Charles Huang Conference Center, a DLSU facility in Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas, last February 21-22, 2015. The seminar was made possible through the effort of Rev. Fr. Dante Funelas, SSS, who wanted to introduce LITES as a spiritual formation for the DLSU System, including St. Benilde College and the Angelo King Institute.
The team in charge of Spiritual Formations at DLSU wanted to first hold LITES for a select group, thus there were only 16 participants with representations from the academe and office staff of De la Salle University (Taft Avenue) who are also members of Signum Fidei Fraternity, lay associates of the De La Salle Brothers in their mission for Christian education of young people.
Sta. Cruz LITES Team in San Vicente Ferrer Quasi-Parish, Taguig: LITES was held last March 7 and 8, 2015, at the San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Taguig (under the diocese of Pasig) through the kindness of Fr. Arnel Martinez, who was installed parish priest on March 10.
There were 77 persons who registered and 54 who graduated. They are mostly parish leaders and volunteers. LITES helped the participants to appreciate all the more the beauty and meaning of the Eucharistic celebration.
Sta. Cruz LITES Team to conduct Seder: There will be a Eucharistic formation on the Passover Meal on March 28, 2015, the eve of Palm Sunday, from 5:00 in the afternoon until about 9:00 in the evening. This formation is timely as it is also in preparation for the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday.
REVIVAL OF THE ADORERS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT (TACLOBAN):
We thank God for the revival of the Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament in the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament who were also victims of Typhoon Yolanda. The adoration even strengthened due to the fervor shown by the SSS community. After the 5:45 a.m. mass, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed until 5:00 p.m. Each day there is a layperson in charge to facilitate the rotation of adorers every hour. They also have formation every week so that they will all the more appreciate what they are doing.
FOCUS IS ON BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES (MAPANDAN):
The focus of the parish as deliberated by the leaders is the small communities, or propagation and building up of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs). The direction is from the periphery to the center. This is the direction taken by Jesus himself who started his ministry from Galilee (periphery) to Jerusalem (center). The different barangay chapels will be visited and animated in order to attune them to the general direction of the parish, which is “Help Building and Enhancing Basic Ecclesial Communities.”
IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS (TAGUIG):
People have been noticing and expressing their satisfaction over the many improvements that have been going on. But most importantly, they are very thankful for the opportunity that they are being involved in these attempts at improving their church and community – so-called lay empowerment.
To better serve the parish, which has seen an increase of churchgoers in recent months, it was decided to celebrate one additional mass every weekday and one mass at 10 a.m. every Sunday with Baptism. In addition, canopies are being constructed at the front and side of the church for the protection and comfort of churchgoers. The deep well was also revived just in time for the planting of flowering plants for the beautification of the church facade.
Amidst these improvements, the parish is confronted with a sensitive issue regarding the encroachment of a number of residents on the grounds of Sto. Niňo, one of the chapels under the parish. This needs immediate attention before the situation gets out of hand and more and more chapel space is encroached upon.
PRESBYTERY RENOVATION (STA. CRUZ):
With the needed budget secured, the community of Sta. Cruz started the renovation of the exterior of the presbytery last March 2. This involves repainting and some brick installation just to give accent to the building structure.
BOOKLET – A HOLY HOUR FOR THE YEAR OF THE POOR:
A Holy Hour for the Year of the Poor English Booklets are now available. The subsidized price is P5.00 each but copies are limited. Fr. Roel is waiting to receive your orders.
We are grateful to Fr. Poli Ty for providing the text of this Holy Hour Booklet. He submitted the text just before he left for Hawaii.
Sta. Cruz Parish printed many copies to be distributed to the different parishes of the Archdiocese of Manila for their preparation for the Solemn Celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
MISSION STATEMENT – REKINDLING THE PASSION:
There is no short cut in our attempts to rekindle our passion for Eucharistic Mission. But we have to face the reality that something is holding us back from making inroads into this vital aspect of our life. Who knows? Maybe we have been overwhelmed by certain negative waves within and around us.
From reading Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter for the Year of Consecrated Life, I would like to highlight something and share some reflections that I think we should pursue if we truly want to rekindle our Passion for Eucharistic Mission.
This first is just to continue what we have been doing since the beginning, which is talking about our dreams for the congregation: What are our suggestions or proposals for achieving these dreams? What were helpful in the past that we can use in present situations and how are we going to confront the hindrances? But we need a welcoming atmosphere in order to have a free exchange of ideas. Simply put, we need to have a passion for kind words or words that promote life, even though at times the words (especially truth) may hurt.
Then I would like to highlight the first of the three aims of the Year of Consecrated Life: to look to the past with gratitude. We are admonished to tell stories that are giving praise to God and giving thanks to Him for all his gifts. Are we practicing this in conversation with each other or with other people? Do we use words that reflect the loving kindness of God for us?
Finally, I would like to say something about gossip and slander. The opposite of kind words is gossip (even a “whisper of something”) and slander; the former springs from idle communication, while the latter is intentional communication. Gossip and slander can destroy people, friendships, fellowship; and they have no place in our Eucharistic life. The ego has much to do with gossip and slander. There may be times when our ego propels us to want attention, to speak ill of someone, to want to retaliate, etc., so we have to keep close watch of it.
PLEASE PRAY:
- For the speedy recovery of Dory dela Cruz and Jane Alvarez, laundrywomen at EFC and POLA respectively.
Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS