Congratulations!!!
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament – Province of Our Lady of the Assumption, Philippines through a Provincial Chapter held last October 22-27, 2018 has chosen its servant leaders who will guide and animate the Province for the next four years (2019-2022). Their humble affirmation and acceptance to the mandates entrusted to them truly manifest the Gift of Self that our Holy Founder, St Peter Julian Eymardhad exemplified“Through the gift, – the sacrifice of no personal concern, one gives what one has, what one does, what one is, one gives “SELF.” In short, (one gives) regard, affection, and all pleasure. As one’s personality no longer exists for oneself, there is no longer for that person the means or the reason to receive. No more am I in self or for self, or (tending) towards self. No home is mine, nor self-interest, nor any social name.”Let our warmth felicitations for the new Provincial Superior and the Council be accompanied with prayers, that our Lord in the Eucharist will guide and inspire them in leading the Province towards the realization of the vision and mission set forth for the next four years.
At the culmination of the Chapter during the Mass, the Father Provincial appointed Rev. Fr. Rudsend Paragas, SSS as the Vicar Provincial. Moreover, the above-elected members of the council immediately convened and have been deputized to the different commissions namely: Fr. Rudsend Paragas, SSS is the consultor for Lifestyle, Fr. Reynaldo Capili, SSS for Formation, Fr. Apolinario Ty for Mission and Inter-Provincial Collaboration, Fr. Victor Diolata, SSS for Apostolate, and Fr. Alde O. Bureros, SSS for Finance.
Chapter’s MEMORY AND DISCERNMENT
We began this first day (22 Oct 2019) of the Chapter with the Morning Prayer and the Eucharist. There were two very important messages coming from the Provincial Superior and the General Superior. Both of them spoke of the current crisis the Church is undergoing – lack of vocations, diminishment in church-goers, financial difficulties, etc. But one glaring and disturbing reality we have to face is that of clerical sexual abuse. This appears to be the biggest challenge we have to confront. The Superior General offered the cultivation of our unity with the Petrine office, our gift of self and encouragement of lay participation as counters to the current challenges.
Listening to the reports from most of our communities, we cannot help but realize that indeed we are like gold purified by fire (1 Pet 1:7). Yet through all these, we remain full of hope because this Gift of Self: Born of the Eucharist (the theme of POLA 8th Provincial Chapter), is the treasure we have in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Cor 4:7)
Indeed, our frailties and weaknesses, as individuals and as communities, bring about discomfort. Before the Eucharist, we experience that eschatological tension that St. John Paul II (whose feast day we celebrate today, 22 October) wrote in Ecclesia de Eucaristia: “Many problems darken the horizon of our time…And what should we say of the thousand inconsistencies of a “globalized world where the weakest, the most powerless and the poorest appear to have so little! (EdE 20b) Rather than dampen our spirits, this increases rather than lessens, our sense of responsibility for the world today.”(EdE 20a)
Our community reports are not simply words or statistics, they are succinct expressions of the blood, sweat, and tears; of the daily endeavors, struggles and commitment of our religious to become what we receive and celebrate daily – the Body of Christ.[ Fr. Bong Luistro, Capitular , 8th Provincial Chapter, and Member of the Memory & Discernment Group]
“Gift of Self, Born of the Eucharist”
The recently concluded 8th Provincial Chapter of SSS Province of Our Lady of the Assumption (Philippine-Uganda-Hawaii) remarks another milestone in the life of the Province and of every Sacramentino. Undaunted by the spirit of gratitude and optimism, the capitulars have successfully endured the week-long conferences which enthused and encouraged to carefully deliberate, discern, and decide the prevailing issues and concerns in the life of the Province. The opening message of the Provincial, Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS, radiates a sense of positivity which has been maintained throughout the Chapter proceedings, he beautifully said, “We affirm our giftedness, our dreams of all kinds of possibility and of being in touch with our core mission, but equally recognizing our being taken, sinful, and flawed. Thus, at this graced moment of our life as a Province, may our eyes be fixed intently on Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord.” Seizing the day, the warm and welcoming ambiance ignites the Eucharistic fire from within that makes every day a yielding moment to celebrate at the Banquet of the Lord.
The Chapter embodies an affable accent of Father Eymard’s “Gift of Self.”Fr. Vergel Dalangin, SSS, in his talk on “Gift of Self,” confidently said, “Looking our past and peering through our future, we cannot help but smile with hopefulness on the direction that we, as a Province, has taken. We have given ourselves and we are asked to give more and continually ourselves. After all, we are Sacramentinos; “Gift of Self” is our distinctive trait.” It was on March 21, 1863, when Father Eymard took the form of the vow of personality which became the primordial paradigm of his mission and spirituality through his “Gift of Self.” Indeed, the entire chapter proceedings have accentuated by that“Gift of Self” in confronting the concrete realities and confronting the current challenges that every Sacramentino is called to live out with joy and fidelity such precious treasured we have inherited from Father Eymard.
The humble presence of Fr. Eugenio Barbosa Martins, SSS, Superior General, and Fr. Philip Benzy Romician, SSS, General Treasurer, offers an assiduous assurance that the flow of discussions and deliberations is on point based on the framework provided by Father General in his message. He highlights the significance of the Chapter as an important event in the Province and concomitant to this event is the 150th Death Anniversary of our Holy Founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard. Gleaning from the very life of Father Eymard, with his “Passover and Resurrection” experiences, Father General clearly identifies those challenges that the Congregation is facing at present time. He pointed out the lack of vocations, lack of clarity among many of our religious about our charismatic identity, the difficulty to bear witness of community life, the emotional, psychological and affective imbalance, the lack of sharing and justice in using goods and the formation contrary to the Gospel. He also affirmed the growth of the Congregation’s presence in Asia and Africa, perseverance and witness of joy, the service of welcoming the poor and refugees, the rich experience of sharing the charism and mission, and fostering the cultural dimension of our charism.
The Chapter concluded fruitfully with the Eucharistic celebration presided by Most Reverend Sofronio Bancud, SSS, D.D., Bishop of Cabanatuan. The newly elected Provincial and his Council concelebrated in the Mass. The representatives of Eymardian Family were also present in that momentous occasion. Indeed, the entire Province is very much grateful to our Eucharistic Lord for the success of this significant episode through the “Gift of Self” of every Sacramentino. May His Eucharistic Kingdom Come! [Br. Throy M. Fuentebella, SSS, Student Delegate, 8th Provincial Chapter]