Leaders brainstorm on ways to activate BECs

Mar 31, 2017

By  William Charles Mindus
The 153 Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) leaders of Papar and Limbahau parishes had a workshop to discuss how they could make their BECs active. Their resolutions were then presented to the assembly and later collated by the organising committee for documentation purposes.

These resolutions include regular visits to the village communities, Bible sharing and informal meetings with villagers in a non-Catholic environment.

This is part of the parishes’ efforts to tackle the three challenges of Islamisation, secularisation and apathy highlighted by the 2015 PAX Assembly. It also included the adoption of the threefold movement of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Thrust of going inward, going smaller and going outward in meeting these challenges.

Prior to the establishment of the BEC formation team by both parishes early this year, these grassroots communities were not properly regularised or monitored in terms of their pastoral-related activities.

In his summary, Fr Madanan likened the BECs to the first Christian community as recorded in Acts 2:42 and the foundation of community based on God’s merciful love (cf Lk 15:11-32). He encouraged the participants to persevere in their commitments.

Before the workshop, the leaders attended a recollection at Holy Rosary Church on March 18. The programme began with Holy Hour and Benediction presided by Fr Thomas Yip and Fr Thomas Madanan followed by Bible sharing.

The participants were blessed and commissioned by Fr Yip at the Sunset Mass .--kkdiocese.net