CTK Hosts Fiesta Eve Fellowship Dinner
Right after the 6 pm Saturday mass on November 25, Christ the King Parish held the Fiesta Night fellowship and thanksgiving dinner for all Parish Pastoral Council members, Eucharistic ministers, lectors-commentators, greeter collectors, parish staff, village coordinators, and other involved parishioners.
CTK parish priest Fr. Bong Tupino formally opened the Fiesta Eve thanksgiving dinner by thanking everyone for coming and doing the grace before meal. Nearly 300 people came, with the biggest contingent coming from the Libis community, with some 100 in attendance. Leila Banico, Worship Ministry head, was overall organizer for the event and she had arranged two buffet tables, with four separate queue lines that made getting food nearly painless.
The highlight of every parish fiesta dinner is the recognition of retiring parish servers. As some readers will recall, the Diocese of Cubao implemented a mandatory retirement age of 75 for all lay liturgical ministers – EMHC, lectors & commentators, greeters & collectors – similar to priests who have to retire at 75. Worship Ministry head Peter and Leila Banico, who led the presentation and awarding ceremony, did emphasize that retirement is not the end of their service to our parish as they can continue to be members of mandated organizations, renewal groups, or the newly-formed Sunrise Ministry, the ministry for Seniors. Fr. Bong then blessed the statues of Christ the King that were going to be given away to the honorees.
Honored and awarded were:
• Lector-Commentators Linda Famador, Diana Gozum, and Armine Tagaysay. Fr. Bong and LeCom Coordinator Mel Novales led the awarding.
• Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Mars Quesada. Fr. Bong and EMHC Asst . Coordinator Manny de Leon led the awarding.
• Greeter-Collector Remedios Cabanban. Fr. Bong and GreCol coordinator Jeanette Cagurangan led the awarding.
There were two song numbers to regale the evening’s fiesta crowd. First out was EMHC Oggie Benipayo, also a part-time professional singer who sang ‘Ikaw’. Oggie is part of ‘Himig Heswita and Friends’ in addition to singing during Cardinal Tagle’s Sunday morning’s ‘Word Exposed’ on ANC. The second song number was a husband and wife duet by LeCom Carlo and Cherry Subido. Cherry is also the lead vocalist of an acoustic band managed by Carlo.
In addition, there were two dance numbers. First was by the ladies (and one gentleman) of BEC Libis. This was followed, as a final fiesta number, by the parish staff who did their own rendition of the ‘Baby Shark’ Challenge.
Worship Ministry’s Peter Banico did double duty that evening as music provider. A line dance began as soon as the formal dinner program ended.
