A sense of urgency pervades in a series of Catholic events taking place in Cebu City after the highly successful National Retreat for Priests NRP 2023.
After wrapping up the highly successful National Retreat for Priests held last November 7-9, the Archdiocese of Cebu in cooperation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Family and Life hosted another international event - the Human Life International 23rd Congress for Asia and the Pacific.
The 23rd HLI Congress ASPAC drew not only local delegates but also participants from 14 countries representing the Asia Pacific Region as well as pro-life advocates and experts from Europe, Canada and the United States.
Two days after the HLI Congress, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Services CHARIS Philippines convened a planning workshop (November 28 - 29) at the IC3.
The event gathered some 58 charismatic lay leaders and three members of the clergy immersed in evangelization and charismatic movements in Asia.
The 2-day workshop was meant to organize the CHARIS National Service of Communion in line with the marching order issued by Pope Francis to the “currents of grace” as he called the Catholic Charismatic Renewal CCR.
In his address to before thousands of charismatic leaders who met in Rome in early November, Pope Francis encouraged them to “expand the Life in the Spirit Seminars LSS in all places and for everyone”.
This journalist has covered major ecclessiastical events in Cebu since 2016, but she noticed a different vibe, a sense of urgency if you will, pervade in the series of events and permeated in group discussions and conversations.
In an interview with Fr. Bart Pastor CHARIS Philippines Spiritual Director during a lull in the planning workshop, he said that the sense to act immediately stems from the “urgent need to evangelize,” more specifically to “charismatize” the faithful.
He stressed that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have been bestowed on every baptized Christian, and needed only to be “reawakened”.
The theological foundation of the Baptism in the Spirit is the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the apostles during the Pentecost.
According to Fr. Pastor, it is an experience particular only to the baptized adult Christian who surrenders to the action of the Holy Spirit during the baptism.
Fr. John Jonah Orat, spiritual director of the Archdiocese of Cebu Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services ACCCRS shared the views of Fr. Bart Pastor.
According to Fr. Orat, it was suggested during the planning workshop that Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma bid parish priests to participate in “reawakening” seminars and journey with the faithful in a “spiritual revolution.”
For her part, CHARIS Philippines National Coordinator Fe M. Barino said everything is the work of the Holy Spirit. She stressed that the faithful in Cebu “are being touched” and are raring to go where the Holy Spirit leads them.
Some programs lined up for 2024 include the 1st CHARIS Conference for Asia Oceania, Asia-Oceania Youth Gathering in July 24-25, Spiritual Directors Convention and formation programs.- Malou Guanzon-Apalisok
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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