Stewardship Committee Sponsors Spirituality of Stewardship Talk re BECs
‘Using Stewardship as Building Blocks for BEC’ was the topic of the Stewardship Talk by Joey Clemente of the Socio-Pastoral Institute last March 11 at the Parish Pastoral Council meeting, as part of the continuing orientation for CTK’s PPC on matters related to BECs and the theme of ‘Parish as Communion of Communities’.
Joey Clemente began his talk by talking through the definition of BECs, which echoed Fr. Amado Picardal’s definition which in itself echoed the PCP definition – small gatherings of Christians ministered to regularly by local lay leaders. Members know each other by name, feel that they belong and are responsible for each other, and share spiritual and material concerns aside from the Word of God and the Eucharist.
He discussed the vision of the ‘Renewed Church’ in the Philippines, which is, a church of the poor. This vision is being driven effectively by the movement to foster Basic Ecclesial Communities, or BECS.
Clemente took pains to differentiate between spirituality, that is, what we feel inside us, vs. religiosity, or what we show and do. To him, and to SPI, the ‘Spirituality of Stewardship’ is about being grateful for the blessings received, feeling responsible for fellow brethren, and being generous with our time, talents, and treasure. He quoted Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato and newly-ordained cardinal, who said, ‘the spirituality of discipleship and stewardship is the engine or soul of the BEC’.
Clemente then spent a bit more time talking about the ‘Church of the Poor’ and how we could individually and collectively push forward the vision of the new church of Christ. He emphasized that the various stewardship programs should include the active and creative participation of the poor if we are to move closer to the realization of PCP II’s vision of the Philippine Church as a “community of disciples, a Church of the Poor.”
About our Speaker
Jose Luis Clemente is the Executive Director of the Socio-Pastoral Institute, or SPI. Founded in 1980 by a small group of priests and religious who shared a common vision of social justice and transformation, SPI is a faith-based NGO in the Philippines that works with Catholic communities and local churches, NGOs, and multi- faith groups to promote total human development through a socio-pastoral formation program that includes spirituality, community organizing, and social change.
SPI’s board members have included Brother Armin Luistro, former DEPED secretary, Bishop Broderick Pabillo DD, Sr. Maluz Mijarez OSA, and Fr. Amado Picardal, a BES stalwart who we featured in the last issue of the CTK Herald. In the past, Clemente worked as a director, producer, and cameraman with Alternative Horizons and Asia Visions, non-mainstream alternative media organizations that document and advance people’s initiatives for political reform and good governance.
Towards this vision, SPI today promotes the Spirituality of Stewardship and the building of disaster-resilient communities to local churches, various NGOs and renewal movements, and other faith groups. Hence, much of its socio-pastoral work and community-building focus is with poor communities in the southern Philippines , e . g . , Zamboanga, Cotabato, etc. The various health campaigns, adult education, feeding programs, women’s programs, interfaith work, etc. are framed as elements of the stewardship mission.
SPI regularly works with the poorest local Catholic parishes and dioceses to help them become stewardship churches, which is oXen a challenge since most Catholics in far-flung sites hold fast to a faith muddled by pagan folklore, historical superstitions, and magic-supernatural.
