Five participate in 3rd PDF programme

Mar 02, 2017

KOTA KINABALU: The third Parish Discipleship Formation (PDF) attracted five participants. The participants were four school leavers and a college graduate.

The programme ran Jan 6-25 at the Annex, Montfort Training Centre Kinarut and Sacred Heart Parish Centre (SHPC) .

The three-week programme, organised by the Mission Awareness Team and facilitated jointly by members of LiFE community (Companions of ICPE Mission) of Sacred Heart Cathedral (SHC) and previous PDF participants. The programme included a formation phase in a live-in community setting, the outreach preparation and outreach phase, as well as the closure with a retreat and planning for the future.

The participants were challenged to look at their faith as an important part of their lives to help them make better decisions and choices in life. The PDF allows open discussion about faith, relationship with God, self and others, as well as the teachings of the Catholic Church.

During this programme, they were taught to apply scriptures and Church teachings in their daily lives. Spending time in reflection on the daily readings and praying the Liturgy of the Hours together gave them the desire to want to know more about God. The healthy environment of community living, honouring and respecting each other created a sense of belonging and friendship that allowed them to share their lives without fear of judgment.

The formation was focused on discipleship through the accompaniment of a sharing partner journeying with each individual. Here, the teachings are put into action and applied in their daily lives with close guidance, constant affirmation and challenges on attitude, response and knowledge. -- By Joannes Jomitol Jr and Yvonne Teo, Coordinators of PDF2017.