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Programs in Action |
| FILM SHOWING of "Ina, Anak, Pamilya" is now ready to come to your area (selected countries only). See movie trailer and Global Schedule National Migrants Sunday 2007 OFW CASES: |
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Two Weeks of Activities for Migrant Families and Mission Program |
BY REV. FR. JOJO C. GONDA The Lipa Archdiocesan Commission on Migrants and Mission initiated many activities that enhanced better awareness to the pastoral care for migrants/OFW and their families and that oriented the consciousness of the participants on the mission concerns and directions. |
 February 15-16, 2007 – Movie showing: INA…ANAK …PAMILYA – For two days, the movie was shown in one cinema each of SM Batangas City and SM Lipa City. More than 10,000 viewers witnessed for themselves the real family situation of most OFW. They became conscious of the huge effect of migration to the families especially for the children and marital relationships. Church and society cannot keep a blind eye to this reality and they cannot limit their concern towards the financial gains that migrants acquire from migration. |
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 February 25, 2007 – NATIONAL MIGRANTS SUNDAY – Instead of celebrating the National Migrants Sunday in the Archdiocese of Lipa, we decided to join the national event in Antipolo City. There were 546 delegates from our Archdiocese and we constituted practically a third of the number of participants in the event. The priests-vicariate coordinators participated also: Fr. Bimbo Pantoja (Vicariate 7, he brought the most number of participants from Bayanan, 200 delegates), Fr. Relly de la Cruz (Vicariate 4), Fr. Mandy Panganiban (Vicariate 1) and myself (Vicariate 3). The Archdiocese of Manila, the dioceses of Caloocan, Novaliches and Anitipolo were represented. The Lipa delegation started the day in Antipolo City by joining the Eucharistic celebration (Fr. Bimbo and myself concelebrated) inside the Antipolo Church as our pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. Later after lunch, we joined all the delegates at the Assumption College for the NMS celebration. Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, D.D., Bishop Precioso Cantillas, D.D., Chairman of ECMI (Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerants) and Bishop Gabriel Reyes, D.D. (Bishop of Antipolo) gave conferences and led the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. ECMI and the Diocese of Antipolo expressed their gratitude to LACMMI for being in solidarity to the national celebration.View Photo Gallery of this event. |
| All these activities are geared towards the greater and more meaningful awareness of the situation of migration and mission. The awareness leads to the challenge of genuinely providing pastoral care to migrants and their families. On the other hand the mission orientation seminar appears to be just the starting point of a more integrated and active effort from LACMMI to reach out to as many people concerned to make them aware of the magnitude of the Church’s call, especially the Asian Church, to the mission of telling the story of Jesus to the poor, to the different traditions and culture and to the different religions. |
February 17, 2007 – First Archdiocesan Mission Orientation Seminar – Through the initiative of Fr. Eugene Hechanova, the first ever mission orientation seminar was held at the St. Francis Theological Seminary with more than 150 delegates from all over the Archdiocese of Lipa. Fr. Eugene gave the conference on the different Pontifical Mission Societies with the help of some staff from the Pontifical Mission Societies office. I provided some input regarding the proceedings and directions of the First Asian Mission Congress held in Changmai, Thailand. The participants were made to be aware that mission activity is no longer limited to the missionaries and to giving money for the mission Sunday collection but everybody has a responsibility to tell the Story of Jesus to all. The seminar also led to a plan to make the seminar available to all vicariates and Catholic Schools initially. This will eventually bring us to the Archdiocesan Mission Congress prior to the Mission Sunday of this year 2007. 
February 24, 2007 – ANAK BATANGUENO CONGRESS AND MIGRANTS FAMILY DAY – There were more or less 1000 delegates who came from the different Catholic Schools and parishes. They were both children of OFW and the parent or guardian left behind. They gathered at the new Eddie B. Dimacuha Coliseum in Batangas City. There was balloon letting go as symbolic prayers for the OFW. Then after the mass led by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, D.D., we had this novena prayers for Our Lady of Sorrows, where many sponsors offered roses and candles for our Blessed Mother. There was sharing of OFW children later led by Fr. Nathanael Mariano OSJ. There was a program that followed immediately with an enjoyable raffle draw. The dance contest was discarded because only one group contestant came. |  |
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