Guide for the Observance of the Year of the Parish as Communion of Communities
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has designated 2017 as the year of the Parish as Communion of Communities. According to the CBCP Committee on Basic Ecclesial Communities, “This is a year when we more deeply discern not only the structures of governance of our dioceses and parishes but also of the quality of faith life in the parish, the fellowship, belongingness, and participation by its members. In a special way we shall probe into our efforts of making the parish a communion of communities, a communion of Basic Ecclesial Communities and of covenanted faith-communities and ecclesial movements. We shall discern and implement measures on how communities of consecrated life may be more integrated into the life and mission of the parish. In brief, our focus will be the building of a parish that is truly a faith community immersed in the lives of its people.”
So the priority for this year is forming and revitalizing of Basic Ecclesial Communities in every parish as agents of communion, participation and mission with the active participation of other faith communities, lay organizations, movements and associations (LOMAs).
Following the template set by the CBCP for the nine years leading to 2021 – the 5th Centenary for the Evangelization of the Philippines, the observance of the Year of the Parish as Communion of Communities (henceforth “YPCC”) has three components: (a) Formation, (b) Celebration (c) Legacy.
The CBCP’s BEC Committee offers some concrete ideas and suggestions how this can be observed in the parishes:
Formation, which includes orientation, training, evangelizing and education in faith, suggest expansion or revitalization of existing BECs through the evangelization and formation seminars. It is incumbent on the diocesan BEC commissions and formation teams to come up with formation material, based on existing materials with the CBCP’s BEC Committee. The committee members have also made themselves available to give talks and clergy recollection and retreats. The diocese teams should also seek assistance from various groups and institutions such as Bukal ng Tipan, CFC-FFL,CFC-Global, Institute for Pastoral Development, Catholic Charismatic Extension Services, Socio- Pastoral Institute and other Covenanted Communities. And who are the objects and agents of formation?
– Clergy. The growth of the Parish as Communion of Communities-BECs is the primary responsibility of the clergy. The formation of genuine Chr istian communities-BECs is an integral part of the priest’s pastoral ministry – a ministry of pastoral leadership and communion. The priests have to be challenged to flock with the “smell of the sheep” and filled with missionary dynamism.
– Lay Pastoral Workers & Leaders. The clergy, in turn, needs the collaboration of lay pastoral workers, lay leaders & religious who will make up the parish formation teams. The parish priest depends on Parish Pastoral Council to form the BECs. The PPCs therefore need be formed and undergo formation and training to equip them.
– Leaders and Members of LOMAs. There are many existing lay organizations, movements and associations in the parish that are by nature transparochial. They have their own charisms and have much to contribute to the renewal and revitalization of the parish and the BECs. They need to be reoriented and awakened to their responsibility to be actively involved in the parish and their respective neighborhood communities and BECs.
– BEC Leaders. The initial and ongoing formation of BECs depends on the quality of their leaders. They must undergo formation, work as teams to be more effective.
– Local Communities and BECs. The ultimate object and agent of formation are the local communities or BECs that make up the parish as communion of communities. They are to be evangelized and organized and in turn become agents of evangelization and expansion in their own barangay and local communities, reaching out to those who are marginalized and in the peripheries.
What Are the Suggested Forma1on Programs and Activities
At the diocesan level, suggestions include clergy recollection, workshop or retreat; orientation and training of parish formation teams; and BEC Orientation of LOMAs’ leaders.
At the parish level, the clear imperative is to recruit and train Parish Formation Teams , BEC leader s ( inc luding familiarization of BEC evangelizationforma tion modules); BEC orientation seminars for LOMAs members; and possibly Christian leadership seminar.
At the BEC and village chapel level, suggested are – community evangelization seminar ; fami ly evangelization sessions (Visita Familia); men’s evangelization program; Basic Bible Seminar; Basic Liturgy Seminar; Social Action Orientation Seminar; and Seminar on Spirituality of Stewardship.
As for the “Celebration” component:
At the Diocesan level, suggestions include a formal launch of YPCC as well as assembly of BECs from all parishes.
At the parish level, perhaps a BEC-style Parish fiesta, consisting of potluck with table-fellowship and program by BEC zones or cluster, preceded by Novena sponsored by BEC zones. Another suggestion for the parish is a Trinity Sunday (June 11, 2017) parish-wide assembly and YPCC celebration. It can be c e lebrated on Saturday which culminates with an anticipated Mass or on Sunday which begins with a Mass. The program could include: talks and sharing of experiences; agape or table fellowships; cultural presentations, etc.
Legacy as the third component involves introducing sustainable programs and activities that will continue beyond 2017. Aside from visioning and goal-sefng plus the necessary budgeting and financial controls, the parishes are encouraged to:
– subdivide the communities in to neighborhood and family groupings, regularly assembling and gathering of these family groups;
– assemble family groups into zones that make up a BEC;
– conduct regular meetings of BEC leaders at the parish level;
– reconfigure the PPC to embed the BEC zones into the org chart;
– schedule agape meals after every BEC mass (Misa to Lamesa);
– organize regular parish BEC-style fiestas;
– set up continuing parish evangelization and catechetical program for children, youth, adult, and men-only;
– set up of a higher-level parish education committee (EdCom) that will oversee & implement parish evangelization, formation & catechetical programs;
– schedule regular weekly Bible Service or Liturgy of the Word for BEC chapels;
– distribute commentaries for Sunday readings;
– introduce BEC-sponsored masses in the parish church;
– set up & activate a parish social action commission;
– initiate poverty alleviation programs that address livelihood, job placement, coop, micro-finance concerns; participate in drug rehabilitation;
– monitor human rights violations;
– get involved in environmental (reforestation, anti-mining, etc.) and disaster preparedness & management; and
– launch joint programs for good governance.
What matters most is to transform the parish into a center of missionary outreach where every individual member and every BEC imbibes a missionary spirit and dynamism and go to the peripheries, to the marginalized and alienated.
