Lifting Our Praise for 40 Years: There is Room for All
The Apostleship of Prayer (AP) was the first liturgical group when the parish was in its infant stage. In the succeeding years, the worship group and other pastoral ministries grew as the parish became a “home” for different people who attended mass in the “embracing church”
On Sept 5, 1982, Msgr Antonio Tobias commissioned the 1st batch of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC). Lectors and Commentators (LeCom) were then randomly invited to read before mass.
When Msgr. Jaime Mora was installed on Feb 15, 1983, Johnny Reyes from White Plains became the first Worship Coordinator. The Altar Servers, then, were called the Knights of the Altar, led by Louie Laudico, Romel Cortez and Fr. Jojo Peque as Spiritual Director.
Eventually as the community continued to grow, more servant leaders stepped up to minister to the needs of the parishioners including Mila San Juan (Worship), Armine Tagaysay (LeCom), Joe Aranas (EMHC) and Benjie Mirasol (Music).
Bishop Honesto Ongtioco DD became the first bishop of the newly-formed Cubao Diocese in August 2003. He also took the helm as CTK’s parish priest when Msgr. Mora retired in 2004.
Msgr. Dan Sta. Maria took over from Bishop Ongtioco.
Under Msgr Dan, new Coordinators were appointed: Mila Bangco, Worship; Ed Bartolata, EMHC; Elvie Balmeo, Greeters and Collectors (GreCols); Mario & Joji Milan, LeCom. Peter & Leila Banico took-over for LeCom in late 2011 when Milans migrated to the US.
Re-appointed were Louie Laudico to lead the, nowcalled, Ministry of Altar Servers and Benjie Mirasol for Music.
Fr. Bong Tupino came in 2012 as the 6th parish priest. Henry Tañedo was appointed to lead the EMHC, with the rest of the previous group retained.
In an EMHC Outreach Project on “World Day of the Sick” to give communion to the Sick in Quirino Hospital in Proj 4 organized by Justice Alex Quiroz, the EMHC realized that Communion to the Sick is an integral part of their service. Led by Robert Locsin and Louie Reyes, Communion to our Sick parishioners living within the territory started in 2014. Since then, Outreach at Quirino has been an annual event and the EMHC Communion to the Sick group has grown to 39 EMHCs. The anointing of the sick with our CTK Clergy every 6 months is also part of their service.
New servant leaders in liturgical and pastoral ministries continue to emerge. A good number of them do not reside within the ecclesiastical boundaries of CTK. But residence has never been a hindrance for the pastoral ministries to grow. Coordinators in key ministries are a happy mix of residents and nonresidents, in seeming emphasis on the universality of its patron, Christ the King. In the words of Chino Quizon of the newly-formed Young Catholic Professionals, people from all over, “feel at home in CTK”, a truly embracing community.
