New Members of the Aggregation

With Father Provincial and Frs. Melchor, Jonelito and Renoir are the Tacloban first batch of Aggregates from the Blessed Sacrament Parish: Abella, Faustina M.; Abello, Editha E.; Angeles, Severina B.; Anino, Antidio B.; Barredo, Helen S.; Basog, Ma. Elena B.; Bayane, Zenaida T.; Cabrellas, Clara O.; Cadano, Jocelyn B.; Cadayong, Apolonia L.; Cajeda, Zenaida C.; Calma, Amalia T.; Catayong, Narcisa J.; Cuartela, Agustin P.; Docena, Preciosisima A.; Epil, Susan O.; Gomez, Emerita T.; Lacaba, Gina C.; Luciano, Nelia O.; Malbueso, Virginia E.; Oquina, Honorata A.; Pagayanan, Presentacion C.; Pasco, Ma. Lina C.; Raagas, Maria Carmen D.; Ramos, Fe M.; Rote, Virginia DC.; Santizo, Gilda S.; Soriano, Virgilia A.; Teves, Leonarda H.; Villero, Josephine Y.; and Yadao, Erlinda S.

The First Batch of Aggregates in Tacloban – Blessed Sacrament Parish:

August 6, 2017, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, marked the graduation of the newly received members of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Tacloban. After attending the nine-month formation that began in November last year, 31 candidates took their Oath of Promise in the Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr. Provincial (Director of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament) together with the concelebrating priests: Fr. Melchor Castañeda, SSS; Fr. Renoir Oliver, Jr., SSS; and Fr. Jonelito Sison, SSS (Assistant Director of ABS).

At the Rite of Graduation, certificates were handed to them by Fr. Melchor and the medals were conferred by Fr. Provincial. The graduation was concluded by a simple agape at the Eymard Hall.

The day after taking their Oath of Promise, the members of the Aggregation went back to their ministries and their respective religious groups imbued with much zeal and enthusiasm to perform the works expected of them. They were proud to wear the cross that remind them of their being part of the Eymardian Family.

 

The First Batch of Aggregates in the Province:

Although they were not many, the first batch of Aggregates of the Province of Our Lady of the Assumption (POLA) came from the community of Cagayan de Oro during the time of Fr. Arnel Martinez, SSS as the Local Community Superior. There were 10 active members of the Life in the Eucharist Seminar (LITES) Team of the Parish of Sacred Heart (a.k.a. Santuario Eucaristico) who were given the seminar based on Project of Life for around six months. Their Oath of Promise was received by Fr. Provincial in 2015.

 

The Early Beginnings of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament:

 

Foreseeing the importance of lay people in the propagation of the important work of the Congregation, Fr. Eymard, came up with the idea of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament (or Association of the Blessed Sacrament). It was first realized in the second community of the Congregation, which was in Marseille, France, under the headship of Fr. Raymond De Cuers as the Local Community Superior.

The Aggregation became an official movement on November 17, 1859 with the blessing of Bishop de Mazenod, who signed up on the same day and became its first member. The Aggregation’s popularity spread even outside France and within a few years there were already thousands of members.The 1862 Handbook of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament lists the following works of the Aggregation in their order of importance:

1. To teach Christian Doctrine to uneducated children and to adults who have not made their First Communion;
2. To be dedicated to the work of Holy Viaticum which consists in preparing persons for the reception of the last sacraments;
3. To be actively involved in caring for the sanctuary, for the cleanliness and neatness of the linens and sacred ornaments, for the proper decoration of the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved; for the care of the sanctuary lamp in poor churches, as well as the candles for exposition.

Sadly, the third work soon took precedence over the first two works. This could be attributed to influence wrought upon by Fr. Raymond de Cuers, who was in charge of the community in Marseille, and what was actually happening in Marseille. But surely this was not what Fr. Eymard would have wanted. He thought of the Aggregation not mainly for clean linens and more decorative altars but primarily to foster a close and meaningful partnership with lay people in the Congregation’s work.

 

The Aggregation in the Eucharistic Family of Fr. Eymard:

We recognize in the Eymardian Family a composite of four branches – the Male branch of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, the Female branch known as the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, the secular branch called Servitium Christi and the lay Aggregates or Associates. This Family is the fruit of the Eucharistic experience of Fr. Eymard that breathes and shapes Eucharistic communities where at the center of vocation is the “gift of self” in the dimensions of fraternity, prayer and mission.

In the recent 35th General Chapter of the Congregation, the need to integrate the four branches through formation and mission was sought. Particularly, the desire to organize specific plans for the formation of the Aggregation was an urgent concern.

POLA and the Aggregation and Other Eucharistic Associations:

The Province of Our Lady of the Assumption will continue to aggressively promote the formation of would-be members of the Aggregation according to the Project of Life while equally giving attention to the ongoing formation of the many other Eucharistic Associations like the Men’s Eucharistic League, Women’s Eucharistic League, People’s Eucharistic League, Eucharistic Fraternity, etc.

The Tacloban community and the Blessed Sacrament Parish will immediately start recruiting the second batch who will undergo the formation to become full-fledged members of the Aggregation. Meanwhile, the 45 participants in Davao who are about to take their third module this August are expected to finish in January 2018. Likewise, the 38 participants in Zabarte (Servants’ Convent) who are also about to take their third module this August are expected to finish and have their oath taking in February 2018. Moreover, the participants from San Leonardo community (Parish of Saint John Mary Vianney Parish) are also continuing with their formation on the Project of Life.

THE SACRAMENTINO TACLOBAN COMMUNITY & THE PARISH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

The Blessed Sacrament Parish just celebrated its parish fiesta this August 2, the Feast Day of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, the Apostle of the Eucharist. Bishop John Du, D.D., who presided at the concelebrated mass, was very pleased with the well-organized Liturgy they had shared and commended the simple parish especially for its generosity to those in need.

On the other hand, the SSS community is well appreciated by the people especially when the members are seen together during community prayers, when they support each other in bringing to completion the projects and responsibilities before them and when they come together to join the parishioners in their formal and informal gatherings. More importantly, the members are happy with their ministries and enjoy each other’s company, which enable them to cope when times are tough.