Barangay Formation Program and BVM’s Visitation

San Fabian. As part of the preparation for the parish celebration of Christ the King in which the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr is the host of the vicariate celebration, the parish is embarking on an extensive Barangay Formation Program. The program is part of the continuing formation of the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the 34 barangays of the parish.

The program involves the visitation of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. The image will stay for one week in the barangay. It is received on a Saturday and will be handed over to the next barangay, and received by residents, after a week. While the image is staying in the barangay chapel, it will be processed to the different poruks or sitios of the village. This will be done for about three days, beginning on the Sunday after it is received by the barangay.

Three talks will be shared to the barangay: Family and Life (Wednesday), Basic Doctrines (Thursday) and the Bible (Friday). The talks follow the three functions of the Church: as King, Prophet and Priest – a Serving Church, a Teaching Church and a Praying Church.

There are four teams of five members who will be facilitating the formation.

On the Saturday before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is handed to the next barangay, a mass will be celebrated. The Sacrament of Matrimony will be celebrated and received by couples who were married civilly. Baptisms will also be celebrated.

The Family Bible Congress

In a circular letter signed by Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba, DD, the Auxiliary Bishop, an invitation coming from the Biblical Apostolate of the Archdiocese together with the Family and Life Apostolate addressed to the different Bible animators, Family Life workers, Catechists, BEC Coordinators and Youth, and various religious organizations and movements (CFC, WE, ME, CFM and other such groups) of the different parishes and chaplaincies of the Archdiocese to celebrate the First Family Bible Congress. The congress is to be held on January 17, 2008, Saturday. It will start on 1:00 PM and will end at around 5:00 PM. The St. Therese Gym of the St. Therese Parish in Dagupan City will be the venue of the congress.

Fr. Fidelis B. Layog, the Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate Director, said that about 300 delegates are expected to attend the first Family Bible Congress. The congresss’ objectives and rationale are the following: to celebrate the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Christian family and that the Word of God will be the bond of unity in the family. Msgr. Renato P. Mayugba DD will the main speaker of the event.

At the same time, the congress will be an occasion for the Archdiocese to celebrate already NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK which has the theme: MAY THEY BE ONE! Msgr. Mayugba also wrote to the clergy in his letter that “this will also be an opportunity for us to work towards a concerted and collaborated effort of building our BECs that have families grounded on the Word of God, with all group working as one.”

In a special note the congress wil also launch availability of the subsidized bible (P50.00 only) for poor families in cooperation with the Episcopal Commission of the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) in its program of ” 5 MILLION BIBLES for 5 MILLION FAMILIES in 5 YEARS!”

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, welcomes the celebration of the Family Congress as it will strengthen and consolidate its pastoral program in building small communities centered and founded on the Word of God.