Parishes Gather for First Diocesan BEC Gathering: UsaD Pa
The first annual Diocesan BEC Day Gathering, entitled BEC Ugnayan sa Diyosesang Pamayanan, or UsaD Pa, last May 18 gathered over 200 BEC leaders and another 200 youth leaders from 24 different parishes of the Cubao diocese at the Siena Hall of Siena College of Quezon City on Del Monte Avenue. Its first year’s theme, given that 2019 is the Philippine Catholic Year of the Youth, was KABATAAN: Kaagapay sa pagpapatatag ng mga Pamayanan.
The full-day program began opening remarks and orientation by Fr. Larry Garces, the Diocesan BEC Priest Minister. This was followed by the three-hour ‘talk show’, with Ms. Ilsa Reyes as Main Speaker, followed by %ive reactors who each in turn gave their ‘reactions’, namely: Fr. Rey Paglinawan, Ms. Anabel Gargante, Ms. Candy Pangilinan, Ms. Lian Rosal, and Bro. Edward Cometa. All the panelists agreed that the youth was the source of future leaders of the Church. What the elders lack in energy and joy, the youth %ills; what the youth lack in patience, experience, and wisdom, hopefully the elders %ill. A second point made was that the youth need our presence, our acceptance, our sensitivity, our approval, and our trust. Finally, there was general agreement that the measure of a true leader is if he is able to grow future leaders.
This took all of the morning followed by lunch, with each diocese providing food for their own attendees.
The afternoon was spent on discussion groups, with the ten adults and the ten youth requested per parish facilitated separately, multiplied by the 47 parishes. This took about an hour, followed by the crafting of the Diocesan statement, during another hour, as the main output of the gathering.
The Diocesan BEC Statement said:
We, the delegates of the Basic Ecclesial Communities – Ugnayan sa mga Diyosesanong Pamayanan (BEC- UsaD Pa), together with the Youth of the Diocese of Cubao, Family and Life Ministry, Vocations Ministry, Ministry of Liturgical Affairs, and with the special par6cipa6on of the Social Communica6ons Ministry, while guided by our Pastors, as a result of what transpired today here at the Siena Hall, Siena College of QC, on this Saturday, the 18th of May,2019, would like to address the following statement to the Bishop of Cubao and to our respec6veParish Priest:
We are gifted. We will strive to listen. We are capable of listening. When we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, in any form that He may use, we grow and we are able to discern and become what he wants us to be. God’s voice can be heard through Scriptures, through the Liturgy and religion, through our teachers and elders, through our parents and guardians, through our peers, through the different forms of media.
We will act. We are being empowered. we will continue to be a part of the faithful community. We will grow in the community. We will assume our place in the community of disciples. We will be present and par6cipate. We will be involved. We will be one with the community.
As we experience being a family under the fatherhood of the Bishop of Cubao, embraced and protected by the Church, we earnestly seek the intercession and guidance of the Immaculate Mother so that we may once more reconnect ourselves to the common mission of the Church to love and ‘to become one body, one spirit in Christ!
The day concluded with a Eucharistic celebration led by Vicar General Steve Zabala, who used the acronym KLS – ‘know’ your God, ‘live’ your God, and ‘share’ your God. He counseled that happiness and joy are meant to be shared; that God wants us to share Him with others. The closing remarks were delivered by Fr. Rey Hector Paglinawan, the Diocesan Minister for Youth.
Attending for CTK were, aside from BEC Coordinator Eileen de Leon, St. Ignatius village coordinator Charito Barredo, Libis BEC leaders that included Ching Botero,andhalfadozenyouthleaders.A Diocesan Meeting for Parish BEC coordinators was held a week before, on May 10, to prepare for the May 18 UsaD Pa, attended by Eileen de Leon, Lulay dela Cruz, Charito Barredo, and Ching Botero.
