30. Vocation Animation and Recruitment

30. Vocation Animation and Recruitment

VOCATION ANIMATION AND RECRUITMENT

“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life”(Jn 3:16). His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to follow him to have this eternal life just as he challenged a young man, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.”(Mt 19:21). Through our baptism, all of us are called to be part of the saving mission of Christ which he entrusted to his Church (Apostolicam Actuositatem [AA], 30) and this vocation can either be towards married life or a celibate life dedicated to service and ministry in the Church that we are exhorted to promote this (Perfectae Caritatis [PC], 24). Parents, who are the first to communicate the faith to their children and to educate them “should prudently help them in the choice of their vocation and carefully promote any religious calling which they many discern in them.” (AA, 11). At this time when we have shortage of priests and crisis of vocation to religious life (Bishop Raymond A. Lucker, “Assessing the Shortage of Priests: Nonclerical Alternatives to Ordained Ministry” in Shepherds Speak, N.Y.: Crossroad, 1986, pp.34-38), “Priests and Catholic teachers should make serious efforts on behalf of religious vocations, so that a new supply may be at hand for meeting the Church’s needs adequately” (PC, 24). This should include understanding the young people today and their aspirations (John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, N.Y.: A.A Knopf, 1994, pp.118-122), role-modeling and life-witnessing of the clergy and vocation awareness and a vocation program covering recruitment, formation and follow-up evaluation (PCP II Decree, article 73, #2 & 3). Young people today are facing obstacles and problems in embracing priestly vocation due to the lure of consumer society, perverted outlook on human sexuality, distorted sense of freedom and erosion of ethical principles (John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis [PDV], 8). In spite of this, young people have vigor and vitality in involving themselves in voluntary social services towards the forsaken of society, to be open and sympathetic to the poor, the thirst for freedom, the search for a just world and a commitment to peace are ideals that inspire them to opt for priestly vocation (PDV, 9). All programs and activities of vocation animation and recruitment shall take this into account as well as to consider the “complex situation of the present day” (PDV, 10). To have a more effective and systematic vocation animation and recruitment, it is suggested to have a clear directional goal, realizable objectives, orientational principles, operational activities, effective deployment of Diocesan Vocation Director and Vocation Animators, organization and mobilization of Vocation Committees in parishes, organization of Love Your Seminarians Movement and Vocation Clubs, Vocation Sunday, conducting Vocation Seminars and Search-ins, clear funding, proper use of mass media and involvement of schools and other institutions and a good program for vocation promotion and recruitment.

Questions for small group discussions:
How do you promote or animate priestly and religious vocation in your parish?
Are there seminarians or formandi to the religious life who are from your parish? How do you support them? Do they inspire young people in your parish to follow priestly and religious vocation?
Are there programs and activities in your parish related to vocation promotion and animation? How are you involved in these? Are there many parishioners who are also involved in this? Why?

29. Religious Congregations

29. Religious Congregations

RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS

Christ Jesus calls all of us to holiness: “You must be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”(Mt. 5:48). Thus St. Paul wrote, “It is God’s will that you grow in holiness.”(I Thes. 4:3) In pursuit of this holiness and perfect charity and influenced by the Holy Spirit, since the infancy of the church, “men and women strove to follow Christ more freely and imitate Him more nearly by the practice of the evangelical counsels”(Perfectae Caritatis [PC], 1) of chastity, poverty and obedience which become the essence of their consecrated life and founded religious congregations (PC, 8). These evangelical counsels which they professed in the church in imitation of Christ, the virgin and poor man (Cf. Mt. 8:20) and who is obedient to God the Father even unto death (Cf. Phil. 2:8), does not set them apart from other Christians but it is to express “with greater fullness” (Evangelica testificacio [ET], 4) the baptismal consecration to “the service of God”(ET, 7), a self-surrender to “achieve a greater good for the Church” (PC, 1) and like all Christians, “to serve the world and the church, to be immersed in the world even as they live as signs of the coming kingdom.” (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II], 454). As a sign within the church as a sign and witnessing to the Gospel beatitudes (Mt 5:1ff.), religious life has a radical and distinct form of discipleship “whereby persons consecrate themselves to living Christ’s life radically, publicly and in community, in order thereby to devote themselves exclusively to the mission of Christ” (PCP II, 449). To fulfill the mission of Christ, religious congregations, like the Augustinians, Benedictines, Brigittines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Columbans, Dominicans, Franciscans, Handmaids, Jesuits, Redemptorists, Trappists, etc., are not only involved in parishes, schools, retreat centers, mass media, health centers and socio-pastoral agencies but they are also involved in new ministries and missions but with a prophetic character. Consequently, religious life as “prophecy in the manner of Christ’s own prophetic life has to be an urgent dimension in the light of our evangelizing task as a Church and in the context of our history.”(PCP II, 451).
Like all Christian groups, religious congregations are undergoing a renewal to be attuned to the times. Vatican II delineates that the “appropriate renewal of religious life involves two simultaneous processes: (1) a continuous return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original inspiration behind a given community and (2) an adjustment of the community to the changed conditions of the times.”(PC,2). The cloistered nuns and contemplative hermits or monks who are “totally dedicated to contemplation give themselves to God alone in solitude and silence and through constant prayer and ready penance.”(PC, 7) The friars, religious brothers, missionaries and religious clergy as well as religious women who are involved in active apostolate “have contributions to make which are as various as the graces given them” (PC, 8) echoing what is said in the letter to the Corinthians, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit” (I Cor. 12:4). Considering their valuable endowment and contribution to the Church, religious congregations and communities “should faithfully maintain and fulfill their proper activities. Yet, they should make adjustments in them according to the needs of time and place and in favor of what will benefit the universal Church and individual dioceses.”(PC, 20). In our Diocese of San Carlos we need not only the revitalization of the ARMWID (Association of Religious Men and Women in the Diocese) but also more religious congregations to spread the good news of Christ and make manifest their witness to their faith and love of God.

Questions for small group discussions:
Are you aware of the existence of Religious Congregations and missionaries in our Diocese of San Carlos? If you do, who are they and what do you think are their contribution to the Church?
Would you want to have more religious congregations in our diocese? If yes, why?; if no, why not?

29. Religious Congregations

29. Religious Congregations

RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS

Christ Jesus calls all of us to holiness: “You must be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”(Mt. 5:48). Thus St. Paul wrote, “It is God’s will that you grow in holiness.”(I Thes. 4:3) In pursuit of this holiness and perfect charity and influenced by the Holy Spirit, since the infancy of the church, “men and women strove to follow Christ more freely and imitate Him more nearly by the practice of the evangelical counsels”(Perfectae Caritatis [PC], 1) of chastity, poverty and obedience which become the essence of their consecrated life and founded religious congregations (PC, 8). These evangelical counsels which they professed in the church in imitation of Christ, the virgin and poor man (Cf. Mt. 8:20) and who is obedient to God the Father even unto death (Cf. Phil. 2:8), does not set them apart from other Christians but it is to express “with greater fullness” (Evangelica testificacio [ET], 4) the baptismal consecration to “the service of God”(ET, 7), a self-surrender to “achieve a greater good for the Church” (PC, 1) and like all Christians, “to serve the world and the church, to be immersed in the world even as they live as signs of the coming kingdom.” (Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II], 454). As a sign within the church as a sign and witnessing to the Gospel beatitudes (Mt 5:1ff.), religious life has a radical and distinct form of discipleship “whereby persons consecrate themselves to living Christ’s life radically, publicly and in community, in order thereby to devote themselves exclusively to the mission of Christ” (PCP II, 449). To fulfill the mission of Christ, religious congregations, like the Augustinians, Benedictines, Brigittines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Columbans, Dominicans, Franciscans, Handmaids, Jesuits, Redemptorists, Trappists, etc., are not only involved in parishes, schools, retreat centers, mass media, health centers and socio-pastoral agencies but they are also involved in new ministries and missions but with a prophetic character. Consequently, religious life as “prophecy in the manner of Christ’s own prophetic life has to be an urgent dimension in the light of our evangelizing task as a Church and in the context of our history.”(PCP II, 451).
Like all Christian groups, religious congregations are undergoing a renewal to be attuned to the times. Vatican II delineates that the “appropriate renewal of religious life involves two simultaneous processes: (1) a continuous return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original inspiration behind a given community and (2) an adjustment of the community to the changed conditions of the times.”(PC,2). The cloistered nuns and contemplative hermits or monks who are “totally dedicated to contemplation give themselves to God alone in solitude and silence and through constant prayer and ready penance.”(PC, 7) The friars, religious brothers, missionaries and religious clergy as well as religious women who are involved in active apostolate “have contributions to make which are as various as the graces given them” (PC, 8) echoing what is said in the letter to the Corinthians, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit” (I Cor. 12:4). Considering their valuable endowment and contribution to the Church, religious congregations and communities “should faithfully maintain and fulfill their proper activities. Yet, they should make adjustments in them according to the needs of time and place and in favor of what will benefit the universal Church and individual dioceses.”(PC, 20). In our Diocese of San Carlos we need not only the revitalization of the ARMWID (Association of Religious Men and Women in the Diocese) but also more religious congregations to spread the good news of Christ and make manifest their witness to their faith and love of God.

Questions for small group discussions:
Are you aware of the existence of Religious Congregations and missionaries in our Diocese of San Carlos? If you do, who are they and what do you think are their contribution to the Church?
Would you want to have more religious congregations in our diocese? If yes, why?; if no, why not?

27. Seminary Formation

27. Seminary Formation

THE DIOCESAN SEMINARY FORMATION PROGRAM

God “loved us first” (I Jn 4:19) and called us to participate in the communion of the Trinity. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we recognize His call and we journey towards Him in the light of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus and in dialogue with the signs of the times, transforming our very selves in the process and allowing a new self to shine forth and to cooperate with God in transforming the world so that His Kingdom may come (Cfr. Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II], 565). This journey is our formation in our life in the light of our vocation to serve God and to undergo a gradual and progressive conversion to be conformed and be configured to Christ by the action of the Spirit, to follow Jesus Christ more faithfully and to be in union with God through a comprehensive and integral seminary formation program ( Optatam Totius [OT], 2-3; Cfr. Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Seminaries, The Updated Philippine Program of Priestly Formation, 2006 [UPPPF], pp. 6-7).
Formation is a lifelong process which involves individuals at every level and a radical re-orientation and progressive transformation of persons-under-formation and gradual change of their relationships with others and with God as they respond to God’s call to holiness and discipleship appropriate to the demands of specific times and places (UPPPF, pp. 2-3) and to “serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion” (Rom 12:11).
In the spirit of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II] which focused on the renewal of the local Church for the sake of the renewal of the Philippine society, the Diocesan Seminary Formation Program is designed for a contextualized and comprehensive education program. It is focused on forming “servant leaders” for a “Church with a Mission of renewed integral evangelization” as “Church of the poor” and as “Community of Disciples of Christ” (UPPPF, pp.5, 6-7) to be “ministers of Christ Jesus among the people” (Presbyterorum Ordinis [PO], 2). Through the Seminary, the Church helps in the discernment of vocations and to accompany the seminarians in inspiring and sustaining their priestly vocation through a preparatory formation whereby this pastoral care of vocations shall facilitate in “bringing to the priesthood only those who have been called, and to bring them adequately trained, namely, with a conscious and free response of adherence and involvement of their whole person with Jesus Christ who calls them to intimacy of life with him and to share in his mission of salvation”(John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis [PDV], 42). While everyone has the task of promoting and sustaining priestly vocation, the families which are alive with the spirit of faith, love and reverence, and priests with their exemplary lives as well as parishes, in whose pulsing vitality young people themselves have a part, have an outstanding contribution to the integral formation of seminarians (OT, 2; PCP II, 566-567). The seminary should give attention to the spiritual, intellectual, psychological, disciplinary and pastoral aspects of the formation of seminarians and in making seminary education relevant by contextualizing it in the present Philippine situation and updated with the new trends in in the society and the Church ( Cfr. PCP II, 568).
Diocesan Seminary Formation in the Philippines has four objectives: (UPPPF, pp.11-13)
“Human Formation. The seminary aims at forming men of virtue, of human excellence and goodness of character, founded on psycho-emotional integration, and modeled on Christ’s example of authentic humanity.
Spiritual Formation. The seminary aims at forming men whose lives find their center in personal and transformative communion with God in Christ, and who seek to unite themselves with God’s saving will in all aspects of their lives, especially through participation in the mission of Christ as an ordained minister of the Church.
Intellectual Formation. Seminary Formation aims at forming men with a deep understanding of the mysteries of the faith, a capacity for ongoing theological reflection, and pastoral skills and competence, in the context of Church and society in the Philippines and Asia, for the sake of the mission of evangelization.
Pastoral Formation. The seminary aims at forming men with a deep commitment to and competence for pastoral leadership and service, especially of the poor and suffering, in union with Christ, the Good Shepherd, and the shepherds in the Church, towards the building up of the local Church in communion and mission.”

Since 1992 when it started as a Formation House under Rev. Fr. Lito dela Paz as its Rector, St. John Mary Vianney Seminary [SJMVS] was formally established as a Diocesan Seminary in June 1993 with Bishop Nicholas Mondejar as Rector. The academic formation is done in consortium with Colegio de Sta. Rita, a college in San Carlos City which is owned and managed by Augustinian Recollect Sisters. In January 1996 the seminary community transferred to its new Seminary building. At present with Bishop Jose Advincula as Rector, SJMVS aims to have a Christo-centric spiritual formation, relevant and comprehensive academic formation, authentic community life, human development program and realistic pastoral program. It’s vision is to “form an active, discerning and liberating spirituality, academically competent and psycho-emotionally mature individuals committed to respond to the call of God and the signs of the times to build His kingdom of justice, peace and love”(2007 St. John Mary Vianney Seminary Handbook , p.6). Vocation to the priestly ministry looks promising in our diocese and given the proper support it will usher the fuller development of a vocation configured in Jesus Christ the priest, prophet and king towards forming the seminarians to become true pastors of the people of God (Cfr. O.T., 4).

Questions for small group discussions:
How should our Diocesan Seminary be and how should seminarians be formed so they will be good priests and ministers of the Church in the future?
How can we support our Diocesan Seminary, St. John Mary Vianney Seminary?
Are there groups in your parish like “Love Your Seminarians Movement”(LYSM) that directly support the formation of seminarians? If it is not existing, are you willing to organize a group that can support seminarians and/or our seminary?

28. Social Action

28. Lineamenta on Social Action

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL ACTION IN A RENEWING CHURCH

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” (Mark 10:45). Jesus’ entire life is one of doing good, of service and of love. He preached and healed the people of their ailments (Matthew 4:23-25). He teaches His followers a new way of living based on Christian “diakonia” or service (Matthew 20:26-28). The Early Church emulated this social care and concern that they were recognized by other people through their Christian way of life and concrete ministry of love. As John Chrysostom (d. 407) said, “God is glorified not only by right doctrines but also by the best possible [Christian] way of life.” (Gen. Sermo 1,3 quoted in Norbert Brox, ‘Making Earth in Heaven’: Diakonia in the Early Church, Concilium, August 1988, p. 37). Christ Jesus is encountered through the least of our brothers and sisters who are in need of food and clothes, a stranger, sick and in prison who are in need of care (Matthew 25:35-46). Our Lord calls us to diakonia and to serve our fellowmen as He did.
Our call to diakonia or service has to be seen in the context of our situation. Our situation today is marked by consumerism and individualism amidst poverty and injustice. Instead of people being their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, we have to deal increasingly with egocentrism, self-seeking and cynicism. We live in a time of egotistical contemporary culture wherein a greater number of people pursue an intense self-interest which blinds them to what communal life and the social order really demand from each person. The range and complexity of the present political, economic, cultural and social situation demand a comprehensive approach to Christian diakonia or service and to bear in mind that God created the earth to serve the needs of every human being and people (Cf. Populorum Progressio [PP], 10)
Diakonia has not to be seen only on its intent on alleviating the sufferings of the poor and the weak by providing caring assistance, but instead more weight and emphasis is given on being with them and sharing life with the affected ones. In the course of this unconditional immersion in the life of the poor and solidarity with the least of our brothers and sisters, our involvement in social action is to uphold human dignity and rights of the poor farmers, fishermen, farm and factory workers, employees, the indigenous peoples, overseas contract workers, the unemployed and landless people. In this light, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) urged to strengthen social action apostolate by setting up working structures, by involving the people and establishing inter-sectoral and inter-faith linkages under the direction of the diocesan Bishop (PCP II Decrees, art. 25).
Our solidarity with the poor in their struggle to achieve qualitative life with justice, peace and freedom, provides an impetus to Church renewal and commitment to integral evangelization and comprehensive pastoral involvement. This is in line with the Decree of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines on Social Action which states: “The social action apostolate of the Church must set up special programs to address such crucial issues as peace and economy, the exploitation of women and minors, migrant and overseas workers, children and youth, and intensify the organization of the grassroots people or empowerment and self-reliance through cooperatives and livelihood programs and projects” (PCP II Decrees, art. 23, no.1)
In our Diocese, our Social Action Apostolate is involved in Adult and Alternative Literacy Program, Appropriate Technology Program (Appro-Tech), Community-based Health Program (CBHP), Community Organizing (CO), Cooperatives (Coop), Indigenous People’s Apostolate (IP), Migrants Apostolate and International Solidarity Work, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Program (JPIC), Mass Media Apostolate, Political Education (Pol-Ed), Prison Apostolate, Relief and Rehabilitation Program, Sectoral Linkages and Networking, Socio-Economic Development Program (Socio-Econ), and Sustainable Agriculture (Sus-Ag). The arena of Social Action Apostolate is vast and its involvement is varied but all for the fulfillment of Christian stewardship. As Vatican II exhorts us, “True apostles.. are not content with this activity alone, but look for the opportunity to announce Christ to their neighbor” (Apostolicam Actuositatem [AA], 13).

Questions for small group discussion:
What are the Social Action programs and activities that are present in our parish / quasi-parish / chaplaincy / mission station?
How are we involved in these programs and activities and how do we support them?
What can we do more in order to improve our social action programs and activities?

25. Social Communication

25. Lineamenta on Social Communication

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION MINISTRY

God wills to communicate with man in many different ways and forms. He created the human being in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) in order “to embrace divine revelation and to enter into loving dialogue with Him. Because of sin, this capacity for dialogue at both the personal and social level has been altered, and humanity has had to suffer.. the bitter experience of incomprehension and separation” (John Paul II, Rapid Development [RD], January 24, 2005, no. 4). God, however, did not abandon us. He “loved the world so much that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16), Jesus Christ, and through Him “communication itself takes on its most profound saving meaning” (RD, 4). “The communication between God and humanity has thus reached its perfection in the Word made flesh” (RD, 5). Consequently, the Church has been commissioned by Christ to bring salvation to all men and to proclaim the Gospel and, with this, claims “her duty to preach the news of redemption with the aid of the instruments of social communication” (Vatican II, Inter Mirifica [IM], 3).
The Church recognizes the importance of these instruments of social communication, which are a product of human genius, because of its great influence on human society. “As a Mother, the Church welcomes and watches such inventions with special concern.. Such would be the press, the cinema, radio, television, and similar media, which can be properly classified as instruments of social communication” (IM, 1). She recognizes the importance of mass media in evangelization and said that “if these instruments are rightly used they bring solid nourishment to the human race. For they can contribute generously to the refreshment and refinement of the spirit, and to the spread and strengthening of God’s own kingdom” (IM, 2). Pope John Paul II had also seen this important contribution of the mass media to the Church when he said, “Communication permeates the essential dimensions of the Church which is called to announce to all the joyful message of salvation. For this reason, the Church takes advantage of the opportunities offered by the communications media as pathways providentially given by God to intensify communion and to render more penetrating the proclamation of His word” (RD, 6). She is also aware that mass media can be exploited for perversion and Vatican II states, “the Church grieves with a motherly sorrow at the damage far too often inflicted on society by the perverse use of these media” (Ibid.)
We acknowledge that in our present world, the means of social communications are effective tools in promoting unity and solidarity among humankind. Certainly, the media of social communication has a tremendous potential because through “the mass media not only news or images but values are communicated to millions. And right into the very homes of people. Hence the imperative need for media education and media awareness” (The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP II], 653). More particularly, there is a need to foster movements of renewal among practitioners and consumers in the field of social communication and to have priests who will exercise pastoral care and promote spiritual formation for mass media practitioners (PCP II, 655 & 656). The practitioners or the communicators who actively employ the media have a duty in conscience to make themselves competent in the art of social communications, have objectivity and truth in their information, have the facts honestly reported in their proper context and their services grounded on the standard of Christian morality and the system of human values. The consumers or the recipients, who use, read, listen to and view the various media, should interpret the message correctly and to reap some benefits on the process even as they continue to be vigilant in their proper use of media and its meaning to life. They have to be conscious of the great power of the media in conditioning and reshaping people’s way of thinking even to the point that the reality for many is what the media recognize as real. Hence, silence can be imposed upon important issues, individual and groups whom the media ignore which may lead to the danger that the Gospel can be muted, though not entirely stilled, in the process (Aetate Novae [AN], 4). The Church plays a vital role in social communications to maintain her role as promoter of integral human development, human rights and Christian values and to exercise her primary duty to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15). In our diocese, we have to look into the proper way of utilizing print, broadcast and cyber media and to design a comprehensive program of evangelization in the context of the present technological development of communication for the well-being of the people and the Church and for the greater glory of God.

Questions for small group discussions:
What are the existing means of social communications in your parish/quasi-parish/chaplaincy/ mission area? What are their impact and sphere of influence among the people?
How can we use the Mass Media for our Evangelization Program, for worship services and for other activities of the Church?
How can we have a media education and media involvement that is attuned to the times, contextualized to our place and promotive of Christian values?