“Tana, manglakaw nata”

KSD helps Parish Renewal

By: Dr. Benie A. Sy

Alpha in a catholic context is a friendly approach to discover the meaning of life. It is a learning approach with a follow-up course for 13 weeks wherein members experience belongingness and intimacy in the cell groups. Participating members either belong in their neighboring parishes, workplace, campus, apostolate and even in some of the religious groups in their own localities.

In answer to the clarion call of our own Archbishop to help the existing parish BECs, District “C” organized last June 13, 2010, a one day strategic planning retreat at Lestonnac Youth Center with the theme “Tana, manglakaw nata.” This was attended by 50 volunteers from the different organizations. Half of this number came from KSD and the others from Households of Christ, Women for Christ and some parishes.

Upon the request of the Archbishop last July 13, 2010, Dr. Sy presented to the Clergy Meeting of the Archdiocese on the guidelines for implementing the Alpha in a Catholic context. It includes community building plans to help strengthen the existing BECs. For new parishes wishing to implement this model, it was agreed that this shall be done by invitation from the parish. Also highlighted was the continuance of the 5 pilot parishes which the team supported since 2005. These are the Santa Rita de Cascia of Gingoog City, San Antonio de Padua of Nazareth, Jesus Nazareno at C.M. Recto Ave., and Candelaria Parish of Tagoloan and Immaculate Conception Parish of Bulua.

Rev. Msgr. Florencio P. Salvador, Jr., Spiritual Adviser of the Alpha in a Catholic Context Team and Director of the newly created Commission of Lay Ecclessial Movements in the Archdiocese, also said that “One of the pastoral thrusts of the Archdiocese is the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities. This is not another organization but a new way of being church. The Archdiocesan BEC staff had decided that we shall be opened to all sorts of formation tracks to introduce BEC in the parish. In other words, there is no absolute model although we are having Alpha as our present model”.

The acrostic ABC Model process of building a parish community adopts”A” for Alpha evangelization tool or initiation course, “B” for BEC or integration to the parish and “C” for Community Building.

With the corresponding ABC steps to run this model are as follows:

A) Pilot to the Parish Leaders,

B) Pilot to the Chapel Leaders, and

C) Running the Alpha Course in batches

to the parishioners or to the chapel members.

The steps include the formation of cell groups after each Alpha Courses is given; the trainers’ training given by the Alpha Archdiocesan Team to make the parish & chapel capable of running their own courses and training and forming their own local Alpha Team volunteers. Finally, establish the parish as Alpha in a Catholic context, making each parish capable to share its experiences and competence to other parishes.