By Fr. Ritche T. Salgado, O.Carm.
The Order of Carmelites in the Philippines recently gathered together the brothers assigned in the different parishes managed by the Order together with lay representatives from these parishes.
The colloquium was convened by Fr. Modesto Malandac, O.Carm., convenor of the pastors’ group.
The prior of Agusan Carmelite Monastery, Fr. Marvin Diongzon, O.Carm., welcomed the participants assuring them that the community, as the host, will go to great lengths to ensure the success of the gathering.
In welcoming the participants, Fr. Rico Ponce, O.Carm. shared the need of the gathering as it allows for the Province to evaluate and reevaluate its parish ministry in order to effectively serve the parishioners of the different parishes.
Fr. Noel Rosas, O.Carm., provincial councilor for pastors, pointed out the need to come up with an updated unified statement of the parish ministry that would help guide the different pastors and lay partners in these parishes in serving the parishioners in the Carmelite spirit.
On the first day, representatives from the Diocese of Butuan shared about the importance of the Basic Ecclessial Communities, highlighting the different stages of being church. This became the basis of the sharing of the different parishes on the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats encountered in the course of serving the faithful under their jurisdictions.
On the second day, Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM, vicar provincial of the Order of Franciscans Province of San Pedro Bautista, shared about team ministry.
Fr. Reu reminded the participants that trust is the main ingredient to teamwork. And for trust to develop there must be truthful and candid communication, open support, mutual respect, fairness, predictability, and competence.
“Empowerment is not possible without trust,” Fr. Reu, who is also the parish priest of Santuario de San Antonio de Padua in Forbes Park, Makati, said.
Fr. Reu emphasized that team ministry is when the “parish priest, pastoral team and other ministers work together and alongside each other as servant-leaders to meet the needs of the community.”
Fr. Noel then shared about safety protocols on children and vulnerable adults in ministry giving examples and case studies, and emphasizing the role of lay partners in ensuring that the parishes continue to be safe places for children and vulnerable adults.
In the afternoon of the second day, Fr. Rico shared on the different activities of the province in the last triennium then entertained questions regarding the parish ministry of the order and the challenges that it continues to face.
On the third day, the participants went to the Carmelite beach front property in Liangga, Surigao del Sur together with the Agusan Carmelite Community for fellowship.
The three-day parish colloquium opened on October 25 with delegates arriving at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, the host of this year’s gathering, on October 24. It closed on October 28.
The parishes represented in the colloquim are Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (Escalante City), St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Old Escalante, Escalante City), Kadaugan sa Krus Parish (Rizal, Escalante City), Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (San Francisco, Agusan del Sur), Santo Rosario Parish (Rosario, Agusan del Sur), San Vicente Ferrer Parish (Saysain, Bagac, Bataan), San Isidro Labrador Parish (Bagong Silangan, Quezon City), and Sagrada Familia Parish (Bagong Silangan, Quezon City).
St. Jude Thaddeus Quasi-Parish and St. Joseph the Worker Community in Cabanatuan City were not able to send representatives because of important prior scheduled commitments.
Photos from the Facebook account of O.Carm. PDO.