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CBCP Monitor

C1

Vol. 15 No. 15
July 18 - 31, 2011

The News Supplement of


Couples for Christ

Singles strengthen
stronghold for Christ
By Natalie M. Malayo
About 2,000 members of SFC and
other ministries of CFC from Metro Manila traveled all the way to Pangasinan
Province to be part of the 2011 Metro
Manila Conference (MMC).
The annual conference kicked off on
July 15 at the CSI Stadia in Dagupan.
With Stronghold as theme, this years
MMC aimed at providing SFC members
with a better understanding of the grace
of God. The events at the conference

were anchored on Jesus Christ as the


stronghold of grace.
During the Holy Eucharist celebration
held on July 15, Fr. Vic Embuido of the
Diocese of Lingayen raised the importance of recognizing and defending
ones stronghold, which he defined as
ones base or foundation in life.
Is there something wrong with our
stronghold today? Fr. Embuido asked
the audience. Is there something wrong
with our foundations in life?
Fr. Embuido gave this example.
Noong wala pang cellphone, pagkagis-

ing sa umaga, pagdarasal ang ginagawa.


Ngayon, hindi pa namumulat ang mga
mata, cellphone na ang kinakapa!
(When there were no cellphones, people prayed as soon as they woke up in
the morning. Now, they look for their
cellphones, even when their eyes are
still closed).
To address this and other similar situations, four sessions were included in
the MMC: The God of All Grace, Battling Against Grace, Jesus: Stronghold
of Grace, and Graced. These sessions, along with the theme Stronghold, were based on 1 Peter 5:10-11:
After you have suffered for a little
while, the God of all grace, who called
you to His eternal glory in Christ, will
Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen
and establish you. To Him be dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
Aside from the sessions, seven workshops were also held simultaneously
in the afternoon of July 16. These were
Wounded Healer, Full of Grace,
The Fight of Your Life, Grace Under
Pressure, Be Graced, Grace for the
Moment, and Falling Out of Grace.
Grace Under Pressure was the
biggest out of the seven workshops,
attracting some 257 participants. Here,
Voltaire Lizardo, member of the Kids
for Christ core team, reminded the
audience that pressure is something
that people encounter every day. But
the difference is how you handle it, he

said, adding that if handled properly,


pressure can have positive effects. It
helps us to perform. It motivates us to
do our best.
MMC 2011 was not limited to sessions
and workshops alone. In fact, delegates
were welcomed with a cultural presentation by the Pangasinan provincial
government employees who presented
the 15 festivals of Pangasinan through
traditional Filipino dance steps. The
Gloree Choir Competition also added
to the excitement. In this segment,
the five sectors of Metro Manila Big

North, Big South, Big Central, Big East


and Big West were assigned a specific
song genre. Although all made exciting
presentations, Big West earned the main
accolade.
The three-day annual conference
ended on a high note, with all those
present joining in the praise festival.
The festive atmosphere in the Stadia
during the final event left the singles
with greater enthusiasm to follow
Gods will, through responding to His
grace and through Jesus Christ as the
stronghold of grace.

CFC joins Episcopal Send-Off of Filipino Missionaries

By Allison Gozun

Saturday, 9 July 2011 - A


special send-off ceremony
was held for the outgoing
Filipino Catholic missionaries
at the Priory Chapel of St.
Scholasticas College in Manila.
Organized by the Episcopal
Commission on Mission of the
CBCP and the Pontifical Mission
Societies in the Philippines,
this ceremony was held only
for the second time since 2006.
Many priests and religious, as
well as some lay missionaries
of Couples for Christ, were
honored participants at the
event.
The Chairman of the Episcopal
Commission on Mission,
Most Rev. Bishop Edwin De
la Pea, MSP, D.D., was the
main celebrant of the Mass
that was dedicated for the
evangelization of all peoples.
In his homily, Bishop De la Pea
said that proclaiming Christ
to the world is a call to every
Catholic in every parish, and
that this mission is a challenge
to go out and heed the call of
Blessed John Paul II, who
is a great example of a true
missionary. He affirmed the
outgoing missionaries who
are living the call as Filipinos,
Christians, and Catholics.
He added that missionaries,
who give up so much, play
a significant role in bringing

new life to the Church: all


thats required is faith[and]
faith is strengthened when it is
shared.
A Mission Sending Ceremony
was held as part of the Mass
proceedings. For many of our
outgoing missionaries, myself
included, it was a humbling
and emotional experience to
receive this formal commission
from the Catholic Church. As
lay missionaries of Couples
for Christ, it was the first time
that we had the privilege to
take part in this ceremony. We
formally answered the call to
share the love of God, not just
for our own communities but
for the greater body of Christ,
our Catholic Church. I imagine
that some of the apostles felt the
same urgency of the task that
lay ahead when Jesus gave them
the great commission to make
disciples of all nations.
A Missionary Cross was given
to each of the missionaries,
representing all the continents of
the world. We are being sent to
parts of Asia - Vietnam, Taiwan,
Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan,
Indonesia; to the Middle East Israel; to Oceania - Cook Islands,
Australia, Papua New Guinea;
to the Americas - Mexico, Peru;
to Europe - Netherlands, Rome;
and to Africa - Ghana, Kenya,
Seychelles, Nigeria.
Those who were sent off for
mission are as follows:
1. Comboni Missionaries

(MCCJ):
Fr. Randy Recalde (Peru)
2. Couples for Christ (CFC):
Mr. Rolly Zoleta (Ghana)
Ms. Leah Custodio (Ghana)
Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Bibeth
Villegas (Ghana)
Mr. and Mrs. Aurelio and
Radel Guinto (Nigeria)
Mr. and Mrs. Ronelle and
Princess Mayella Tolentino,
and daughter, Mikaelle Beatrix
Tolentino (Kenya)
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and
Allison Gozun (Seychelles)
3. Franciscan Missionaries of
Mary (FMM):
Sr. Daryl Lou de Guzman
(Mexico)
Sr.Janet Periquin (Pakistan)
4. Mission Society of the
Philippines (MSP):
Fr. Mark Louie Calo
(Netherlands)
Fr. Faustino Galo (Cook
Islands)
Fr. Percy Singco (Papua
New Guinea)
Fr. Roldan Zerna (Papua
New Guinea)
5. Missionaries of Jesus
(MJ):
Bro. Kirby Bagaslao (Papua
New Guinea)
6. Oblates of St. Joseph
(OSJ):
Fr. Jorge P. de Chaves, Jr.
(West Australia)
7. Religious Missionaries of
St. Dominic (OP):
Sr. Noemi Quiambao
(Cambodia)

Sr. Hedeliza Delariarte


(Thailand)
Sr. Gemma Tenedero (Italy)
Sr. Sylvia Josefina Fadullo
(Italy)
8. Rogationists of the Heart

(CSFN):
Sr. Mary Michael Banquil
(Israel)
10. Society of the Divine
Word (SVD):
Fr. Abraham Borja (Taiwan)

It is certainly true that our


Catholic country has much to
give in terms of our faith in the
love of God. It is our privilege,
joy and challenge to continue
to answer this call of sharing

CFC missionaries, in their red CFC T-shirts, pose with their co-missionaries and Bishop de la Pena.

of Jesus (RCJ):
Fr. Rey Vilamonte (Papua
New Guinea)
Fr. Alfonso Heredia
(Vietnam)
9. Sisters of the Holy Family

Fr. Garry Bacol (Argentina)


We were the only lay
missionaries being sent off, a
singular honor but an awesome
responsibility as well.

Christs light to the nations. Let


us continue to pray for these and
all missionaries, that they may
be blessed and strengthened by
the Lord for His purpose, so that
they may set the world on fire.

CFC recognized as a partner in missions


By Sky Ortigas
ON June 13-17, the CBCP Episcopal
Commission
on
Mission
and
Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS)
held their 58th Mission Directors
assembly in Rivier Retreat Center,
Catalunan Grande, Davao City.
It was attended by priests from
all 86 dioceses of the Philippines

who have been assigned as Mission


Directors.
CFC fulltime pastoral workers
Clarke Nebrao and Sky Ortigas of the
Couples for Christ Church Integration Office were invited to attend and
be part of the conference. It was the
second time for representatives from
CFC to attend. The first time was last
year in Cebu.
The Joshua band of CFC Singles

for Christ in Davao also showed their


support by entertaining the participants during the fellowship night.
In turn, Couples for Christ was
blessed to be given due recognition by
the Episcopal Commission on Mission
and PMS for attending and helping
organize the whole assembly. Both
groups are looking forward to more
partnerships for the missions with
CFC in the future.

Ugnayan

C2

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15

July 18 - 31, 2011

Cebu Celebrates 21 years of CFC Life


dong Banay Competition which was
participated in by families with at least
five members.
Winners in the competitions are:
Talentadong Banay: Melo Family
(Central 3 Sector)
CFC Got Talent: North 2 Sector
HOLD Pop Jazz: North Area
SOLD Song Solo: Justino Torralba
(South Area)
SFC Duet: Noel Alferez and Nadine
GAllerde (South 1 and 2)
YFC HipHop: South Area
KFC Band: Central Area
Photo Contest: Nissie Iroy
Most Inspiring Photo: Arnel Sacris

BY Jo Anne Rentutar
Around 12,000 CFC members from all
over Cebu province gathered in Hoops
Dome, Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City to celebrate CFC Cebus 21st Anniversary.
The event started with a worship led
by Milger Pinote of Singles for Christ,
after which the 12 CFC Cebu sectors, the
different Family Ministries and ANCOP
paraded on stage while dancing to a
Sinulog beat.
The praise parade was followed
by a surprise number by CFC Cebus
Area Governance Team, namely Cebu
Provincial Area Director Arnel Sacris,
Frank Noob, Doeman Patigayon, Ric
Martinez and Vic Mayor.
Different competitions showcasing
the various talents of the members
followed. SOLD competed in the Song
Solo Competitions, HOLD in the Pop
Jazz Competitions, SFC in the Duet
Competitions, YFC in the HipHop
Competitions while KFC joined the

Band Competitions. CFC meanwhile


exhibited their talent in the CFC Got
Talent portion. An added feature of
the competitions was the Talenta-

The celebration was graced by the


presence of our new CFC Chairman,
Ricky Cuenca who delivered the anniversary message. In the spirit of
thanksgiving for 21 challenging yet glorious years of CFC Cebu, CFC Central
Visayas Region Head, Reggie and Janet
Ragojos, thanked the former CFC Cebu
Provincial Head, Dong and Au Avila

who served CFC Cebu for seven years.


Reggie extolled the Avila couples for
their untiring support, commitment to
duty and for loving their CFC brethren

in the province.
The anniversary was also a fitting occasion to welcome the new CFC Cebu
Provincial Head, Hermie and Remy
Vargas, formerly PAH of Negros Occidental. Dong and Au Avila will be
moving on as PAH of this province,
replacing the Vargas couple.
The event culminated in a Praisefest
led by Frank Noob prior to the most
powerful praise of all, the celebration of
the Holy Eucharist, traditionally the last
activity of any CFC activity. The Mass
was celebrated by CFC Cebu Spiritual
Director, Msgr. Rommel Kintanar.
The Cebu brethren had even more
reason to celebrate as many of them
went home with door prizes ranging
from sacks of rice to hotdogs and wall
clocks. The main prizes were a computer showcase, a living room showcase
and one unit Multicab.
Event hosts were Sayong Letigio, his
daughter Angela Letigio, YFC fulltime
worker Princess Seoron and SFC
Chapter Head James Arela.

Streaming Faith and Victory through the Web


By Layle Ancheta
The weeklong celebration of
CFCs 30th Anniversary was indeed an inspiring and spirit-filled
event for those who were physically present at the activities.
The excitement and celebratory

spirit of the day to day events as


they transpired were also shared
by our CFC members all over
world. This was made possible
as the CFC Ugnayan Multimedia
Center opened these wonderful events to the world through
Video Live streaming.
The Communications Group,

organized by the Ugnayan Multimedia Center, the Integrated


Technology Department, and
the Special Events Team made
the live video streaming of all
the anniversary activities in real
time possible over the Internet.
The interactive live streaming
video, also known as streaming video-on-demand or event
streaming, provided many of
our international CFC brethren
an opportunity to share and
celebrate in the victory of our
community in the comfort of
their own homes, wherever they
may be on the map.
Our members were able to
partake in the CFC Anniversary
week celebrations by simply logging on to http://www.cfcevents.
co.cc. This interactive link was
viewed by more than 30 countries with 45,084 views for the
whole week of the celebration
(from June 19 - 26, 2011).

We had two major breakthroughs in our efforts to use


communication and technology
as powerful tools during the
CFC anniversary events.
First, we were able to do live
video recording of the highlights
of our anniversary week activities. Selected cideo highlights
and clips of the anniversary
week were recorded and captured, and repeatedly viewed
even after the event. These videos can be viewed through
this link [http://www.ustream.tv/
channel/cfc-events-channel/videos].
Providing this recording will
give everyone an opportunity
to continue to share and bask in
these great events and be part
of the history of our life in the
community.
Second was the simultaneous live streaming of all five
activities during the main CFC
celebration in Luneta last June

United Through Technology


The livestreaming of the CFC anniversary activities and celebrations
over Facebook generated hundreds of
comments from all over the world. Below are comments from CFC brethren,
excited to be part of CFC events even if
they are oceans away:

Michael Johnson Cardino


Jurado

Thanks to technology, I felt as if I was


part of the celebration. Even if Im in the
Middle East I was connected with the
celebration.

Josette Campo

I am from RIYADH, KSA....Im so


blessed to be part of this community
and to have been able to watch the anniversary live online... more power to
the CFC FAMILY...

Frances Caringal Muhi

Ellen Padre Juan DelaCruz

I am from Doha, Qatar. I watched


the Live Streaming starting Wednesday (June 22). The words from all the
Conferences were truly powerful, and
I shared them with our household

From Dubai: I really felt


like I was there in the events
of the CFC Anniversary!
Thank you for the CFC
Events Live Team...I really
felt Gods love while watching the events online! May
God bless us all. Happy
Pearl Anniversary CFC!

Jaoei Jumao-as

Im truly blessed to witness this big

Malou Escalada Francisco

CFC HOLD Calgary, Alberta here. I


watched the Anniversary events via live
streaming since the first day although
we are in different time zones. Thank
you for the live streaming.. I attended
most of the anniversaries before in
person, and I know the feeling of
being blessed through the events..
We prayed for nice weather in the
Philippines for our celebration on
June 26, and God is really good
He heard our prayers!..Happy
anniversary to all of us.

Maita Javellana Cabinian

Emmanuel Icaranom

I felt uplifted and proud


to be present at the Anniversary Celebrations at
Rizal Park, especially since
I was one of those who represented the Middle East. The country
where I work really is special. My
missionary heart is once again on fire,
especially after learning that there are
many CFC communities in other parts
of the worldIt portrays the true meaning
of the word CATHOLIC which literally means, UNIVERSAL. May the good
Lord continue to bless our community
especially our ministry, the SFC.

was also in Luneta. God bless the CFC


community!

event of our community, one can really


see the many delegates from around the
globe. What really gave me goosebumps
was seeing SO MANY PEOPLE wanting
to make a change in the world through
CHRIST. It is really a challenge for us to
continue with the mission. Happy Pearl
Anniversary to us all!

members. The best part was the Praise


Fest on the last day, June 26...its like I
was actually celebrating in Luneta. Once
again, happy anniversary CFC!

Marci Fresnoza Espaldon

Im from SFC San Pedro, Laguna. I


was supposed to wake up at 3pm on
June 26 to attend the Luneta Celebration, but I woke up at 5pm (Manila
time), thats why I wasnt able to attend the event in person. Good thing
there was live streaming, I felt like I

Photo shows livestreaming experts Nirva de la Cruz, Tina Rodriguez, Cesar


Gallano and Layle Ancheta

26, 2011. Forming five technical


and communication teams in
each activity area, we created
five channels where our online
CFC viewers can select the daytime activities they preferred to
view and be part of.
Our livestreaming efforts have
shown us that technology, if

used and maximized to the fullest and to our great advantage,


can truly be a very powerful tool
for evangelization and communication. CFC has continuously
been utilizing the web as a powerful frontier in spreading Gods
Word to millions of people all
over the world.

CFC Brunei
NFP Teachers
Orientation
CFC Brunei members attended the NFP (Natural Family Planning) Teachers
Updating and Orientation at the Church of Our Lady of Assumption Parish Hall last July 13. The participants had previously attended the Billings
Ovulation Method sessions many years ago and are now practicing NFP
users. Charly Laiz, head of the Gift of Life Ministry, came all the way from
Manila to conduct the session.
The purpose of the session was to prepare the teachers for the NFP Users
Training to be held the following day.
On July 14, 2011, CFC Brunei conducted the NFP Users Initial Training
for their members. Attending the training were young couples and engaged
members
of Singles for Christ. Charly Laiz, assisted by wife Mel, conducted the
session that dwelt on Responsible Parenthood and the Overview of the
Billings Ovulation Method. He also spoke about sexuality and fertility as
a gift coming from God.
A total of 15 persons attended the initial sessions, everyone enthusiastically responding to the invitation to come back one week after for the
follow-up training.

Happy Anniversary CFC! It was


great to be part of the vibrant CFC
Singapore delegation this year!
So happy to return to Manila and
see so many old friends, several
of whom have also moved out of
Manila. Its wonderful how CFC
has brought us all together again! Praise
God for giving us CFC!

Joselito Padilla

Its really a blessing that we were


able to participate in the celebration
even though that we are here in New
Zealand. The live stream is using technology to the fullest in spreading the
love and grace of the Lord through CFC.
We are indeed blessed to be with CFC.
Happy Anniversary to CFC and God
Bless us all.

Charly Laiz expounds on the benefits of NFP to a rapt audience.

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15
July 18 - 31, 2011

C3

Handmaids Plant Trees!


By Sylvia Soriano
In 1999, CFC had its first corporate Christian Life Program
(CLP) at the National Housing
Authority (NHA) through the
initiative of the Handmaids
of the Lord (HOLD), Kamuning Chapter. The harvest was
more than 30 women. Since

then, a CLP has been conducted


every year, the latest of which
was held in November 2010.
We thought our work at NHA
would be limited to evangelization and taking care of CLP
graduates. But God has more
plans for our community.
In September 2010, West
B-HOLD, through the NHA
Chapter requested for a piece of

land within the NHA premises


to be used as nursery for our
seedlings and to hold another
CLP for NHA staff. Both requests were granted by Atty.
Chito Cruz, General Manager
of NHA. But again, there was
more to it. We were invited
to a partnership, where CFC,
through the HOLD, will provide seedlings for NHA housing
projects in Bulacan
,Valenzuela, Caloocan, Pampanga,
Bagong Silang, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna
and Muntinlupa.
CFC HOLD will
also, together with
NHA staff conduct
workshops for the
Homeowners association members especially
the Green Patrol
Brigades in these
project areas. After the workshop,
HOLD will participate in the planting
of the seedlings and

will continue to monitor the growth and care


of the trees planted
Another partner is Rotary Club-Metro West.
They will provide the
planting tools. This
partnership is covered
by a Memorandum of
Agreement.
On June 14, 2011,
we had the first Tree
Growing Seminar/
Workshop at NHA
Operations Center in
Elliptical Road, Quezon City. This was
followed by another similar
workshop in July 5, 2011. The
talks on Stewardship of Gods
Creation (including an activity
on values essential to care for
the environment)and Global
Warming and C limate Change
were given by Thelma Hizon;
HOLDs Ang Ganda Mo
Program on environment by
Dory Sarmiento. There were
also speakers from the Forest
Management Bureau (FMB)
of DENR who discussed tree

growing and soil preparation.


Bamboo growing was part
of the presentation. These
workshops were attended by
NHA Staff and Homeowners
Association officers from all the
housing projects and the Handmaids from all Manila sectors
and Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Muntinglupa, and
Laguna.
The HOLD Ang Ganda Mo
Core realized the magnitude of
the work to be done. To prepare

the Handmaids for the work,


a training on how to conduct
similar workshops was given
to HOLD teams. This was held
at Vista Concorcia Resort in
Jala-Jala, Rizal last July 7, 2011.
Attendees came from the Metro
Manila Sectors, Pampanga,
Rizal, Cavite and Laguna. The
training included practicum on
proper way of planting and the
most exciting part of allparticipants went home with seeds
and seedlings for planting.

Mission Update:

CFC Timor Leste - Going for the Great Prize

By Emmanuel Asunto
Ever since CFC started in Timor
Leste in 2001, God has truly blessed
our community. The Holy Spirit has
captured many more hearts through
our Family Ministries. Our CLPs and
camps have been blessed with good
harvests and we have never stopped
bringing Christ even to the farthest
districts of the country. All these have
come about through Gods grace,
and also thanks to our empowered
local mission volunteers and fulltime
workers, with the full support of
our Filipino mission team to Timor
Leste, past and present, who shared

their time, wisdom, and passion for


the mission. The leadership of our
local CFC Governance Team is also
crucial in all the developments of the
mission here.
This years theme Put on the Full
armor of God (Ephesians 6:10),
affirms our growing community as
we envision the fullness of Christs
plan for Timor Leste in the next 10
years. Our annual National Conferences have grown bigger and have
garnered more support from the three
Dioceses. Last May 7 and 8, SFC gathered in Ermera, a district two hours
away from Dili, for their 5th National
Conference entitled Hamrik Metin

(I Stand) which was attended by close


to 300 participants. During the concluding Mass celebrated by Fr. Angelo Salsinha (director of the Diocesan
Youth of Dili), villagers filled up the
amphitheater where we presented to
them our community during the last
part of the Eucharistic celebration.
Both SFC members and the villagers
were able to experience a renewed
commitment to accept and follow
God in the most exciting way.
Our 5th YFC National Conference
is scheduled on August 12 14 in St.
Paul School, Audian, Dili. About 800
YFC members will gather in this event
with one voice saying Ba Manan!
(For the Win!) We are blessed to have
the presence of the Bishop of Dili,
Bishop Ricardo Da Silva to open the
event with a high mass concelebrated
by our very own Filipino priests and
other local diocesan priests of Dili.
Senor Luis Guteres, the second-incommand to the Prime Minister of
East Timor, will also give his message
to the youth.
We look forward to the other National Conferences this year. KFC will
be having their 5th National Conference in September, HOLD in October
and finally CFC will celebrate their
10th Anniversary in November 19
20 in Dili. Parabens to CFC Timor
Leste!
Other than the National Conferences, our young ministries were able
to make breakthroughs that set the
hearts of the young on fire. Last June,
our 100% Pure program of YFC went

on Campus Tour to three major


schools in Oe-cusse, a district located
in the western part of the Island of
Timor. It was a very inspiring event
that brought inner transformation to
the students and drew the interest
of the school administration and its
faculty, such that they wanted us to
conduct the program on a regular
basis as part of their students formation program.
SFC leaders, on the other hand,
went on a pilgrimage to the highest
peak of East Timor Mt. Ramelau,
located in the district of Ainaro, about
70 km away from Dili. As we ascended 9,721 ft above sea level, we started

to say the Rosary in groups until we


reached the top of the mountain. It
was a five-hour spiritual journey, an
adventure that strengthened the commitment and dedication of our single
men and women to continue what the
Lord has started in them.
The majestic view from the top
awed us and made us shout our praises to God in worship. It also made us
realize how beautiful Gods creation
is and that we need to respond to the
call to preserve the environment by
being good stewards of the Earths
riches.
Maromak diak nafatin! God is good
all the time!

Armor of God conferences continue to be echoed


Over the weekend, two more
provinces echoed the weekend
retreat entitled Put on the Full
Armor of God, based on the
years theme for the entire community.
The retreat has been echoed
in most of the provinces and in
countries abroad. The retreat
is an annual activity of CFC,
focusing on whatever theme
has been discerned for the year,
such theme serving as the communitys direction and plan of
action for the coming year.

CFC QUEZON
By Nat Deveza
CFC Quezon trooped to the provincial center in Ikirin, Pagbilao,
QUEZON, for their echo conference last July 16 and 17. Almost
800 persons attended the retreat,
completely filling the huge
gym within the complex. CFC
Romblon, led by their Provincial
Area Director Luna Fajilagutan
and CFC Marinduque, with their
PAD Mel Lauresta, joined their
Quezon brethren in the retreat.
The opening mass was celebrated by Rev Father Dondon
Endiape, Spiritual Director of
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary in Lucban, Que-

zon. In his sermon he quoted


Mother Theresas words that the
fruit of knowledge is love. He
encouraged everyone to grow
and be victorious in putting on
the full armor of God.
The five talks of the conference
were spread over the two-day
period and was punctuated
by segments imitating the live
anchor TV broadcasts of Philippine channels. Acting as news
anchors between talks were Max
Bunyi, Jerry Inojosa, Benjie de
Ocampo, Andy Alquiros and
Quezon Provincial Area Director
Jun Oabel.
Speakers came from Metro
Manila, beginning with Flame
Ministry Head
Rommel Ancheta
(for the first talk
Field of Battle),
Quezon Provincial
Area Head Robert
Ardiente (Rely
on the Mighty
Power of God),
MM West B Sector
Head Arnel Santos (Stand Firm
Against the Foe),
Chito Nepomuceno (Put on the
Full Armor of
God) and International Council
Member Jun UriTop photo shows Rey and Lulu Espiritu, Pampanga PAD, giving God-tags to their leaders.
arte (Victory in
Ocampo, newly-elected IC member, prays over the brethren after his talk.
the Spirit).

Rev. Father Eric Mercurio officiated at the Holy Mass on the


last day of the conference.
The service team for the conference was headed by Adel
and Cherry Ambrocio of Quezon
CFC East Sector.

CFC
PAMPANGA
AND TARLAC
By Ric Miranda

In lower photo, Mannix

July 17, 2011, Pampanga. Once again,


God showed
Pampanga and
Tarlac His might
and power. More
than 700 leaders
of Couples for
Christ from these
two Central Luzon
provinces, headed
by their respective
Provincial Area
Directors Rey Espiritu (for Pampanga) and James
Maglalang (for
Tarlac), renewed
their commitment

to continue Gods work by evangelizing people during a daylong echo of CFCs Put On The
Full Armor of God Weekend
Retreat. The newly-appointed
Provincial Area Head of Pampanga, Lito Legaspi, and the
PAH of Tarlac, Omy Santos with
wife Fe, were also in attendance.
The retreat was held in Heroes
Hall of the provincial capitol in
San Fernando, Pampanga.
It was a spirit-filled retreat
given by Manila leaders, Mannix
Ocampo, Tony Gimenez, Hermie
Vargas, Romy Alfaro, Lito Tayag
and Lito Legazpi with the support of their respective spouses.
The activity started with the Holy
Mass officiated by Fr. Dane Lumabas of Society of St. Paul who, in
his homily, reminded everyone
that the field of battle also lies
within each ones heart.
The retreat was highlighted
with very powerful sharers from
the youth, who everyone believes will continue the work for
Couples for Christ for the next
30 years or more. Inspirational
songs of worship were rendered
by the Pampanga Band Music
Ministry. The retreat ended with
the very moving commissioning
of the leaders present who were
given God tags, symbol of
their commitment to proclaim
God to all areas of their respective provinces and in all aspects
of their lives.

Ugnayan

C4

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15

July 18 - 31, 2011

By Ricky Cuenca, CFC Chairman

CFC is GODS PLAN!


The CFC Pearl Anniversary
that saw a hundred thousand
army of Christ marching in Luneta, a huge number of foreign
delegates witnessing GLOBAL
IMPACT and the many miracles
created in CFC following the
two major storms show clearly
that CFC is Gods plan. CFC is
Divine Providence manifest.
For surely I know the plans
I have for you, says the Lord,
plans for your welfare and not
for harm, to give you a future
with hope. Then when you call
upon me and come out and pray
to me, I will hear you. When
you search for me, you will find
me, if you seek me with all your
heart, I will let you find me, says
the Lord, and I will restore your
fortune and gather you from all
nations and all the places where
I have driven you, says the Lord,
and I will bring you back to the
place from which I sent you into
exile. Jeremiah 29 Verse 11-14.
When I was convicted to stay
with CFC in the first storm, this
message of Jeremiah and the
belief that THE TRUTH WILL
SET US FREE. guided me.
When I took on the role of
CFC USA Country Coordinator
in the midst of that first storm,
I felt like David conquering a
GOLIATH. Trusting in the Lord,
I underwent a renewal. The CFC
community was also undergoing
a renewal process so I allowed

myself to be transformed, journeying with the CFC community. We embraced Christ with
courage, submitted to Gods plan
and moved forward continuing
to love one another with a love
flowing with the movement
of the Holy Spirit. The pains
of growth and separation enlightened and strengthened our
resolve to serve the Lord in our
work with the poor, Pro Life
and evangelization. We were
renewed in the image of Him
who created us. And Gods plan
unfolded. The many miracles of
transformation in CFC brought
us to the gift of pearl anniversary. Ang sarap! Its great to
be nurtured and cradled by the
Lord. The truth indeed set us
free. Thank you Lord.
During the IC election process,
when the nomination and voting
by the Elders Assembly resulted
in my becoming a member of
the IC, and later on as IC Chair
after the voting by the nine IC
members themselves, I was surprised. A strong fear enveloped
me. My first question was, Why
Lord? I doubted myself. Lord, I
am not worthy. Who am I? What
is my role?
I heard the voice, Do not
be afraid, God does not choose
the anointed, He anoints His
chosen. When I was reading
the scripture guide In His Steps
last Wednesday July 13, the

reading for the day was taken


from Matthew 11:25-27. It was
an assurance from the Lord.
The message was: God is to be
revealed to all. The Lord is made
known not to the mighty, intellectual or the proud, but to the
humble, the pure of heart, to the
child-like and to those who seek
Him fervently through Gods
grace. He chooses the ordinary
so that it is through His power
and might that His works might
be glorified. Jesus does not pick
the scholars or influential people
to be His apostles but rather the
lowly and humble so that His
empowerment and grace working in them may be all the more
made apparent. Through His
disciples, He carries on His mission of making the Father known
to all mankind and spreads the
Good News of Salvation.
One of the many lessons I
learned in the difficult years of
transition is respect for our CFC
process of anointment and succession. I took for granted our
practice of next generation leadership formation in the Kids for
Christ, Youth for Christ, Singles
for Christ, Handmaids of the
Lord, Servants of the Lord and
Couples for Christ. In the recent
CFC National and International
Conferences, Youth for Christ
and Singles for Christ leaders
rallied the congregation to put
on the full armor of God. With-

out our knowing, we realized


that we now have a steady pool
of trained leaders in our CFC culture. It was when I saw young
leaders speaking boldly about
our being rooted in Christ that I
realized that we have a natural
process of changing the guards
and forming new leaders.
Our Elders Assembly, Board
of Elders and IC members, bereft
of ego and self preservation,
gracefully allowed themselves
to be part of this process of
anointment and succession in
engaging new leaders. The virtues of true servant leadership,
shepherding with humility and
meekness in submission to the
will of God were modeled.
Lets continue our sacred
practice of formation, anointment and succession leadership
in developing our leaders of
tomorrow and journeying with
them through the many lessons
still to be learned. And before
we know it, we will have the gift
of GOLD.

ship from household leaders up


to the cluster, sector heads, and
the Elders Assembly. I would
like my presence felt in humble servant leadership, sharing
the love of Christ in conversations with far flung community
members and leaders across the
country and in missions abroad.
Pastoral care also means building
the foundations for Pro-Life and
Pro-Family, reaching out and
strengthening our membership
and leadership to grow in faith
and love. The 3 Cs- Connecting,
Communicating, Communing
with our members and leaders in
genuine love - are key elements
in our pastoral care. Modeling
discipleship, encouraging our
leaders, enabling the positive
heart, challenging the process
and having a shared vision are
good practices of servant leadership. Like Christ, let us shepherd
the flock with our compassionate
love and true servant leadership.
The Good Shepherd lays down
his life for his sheep.

Three-Pronged Focus

Evangelization.
This is the very root of our
existence as an organization.
How can we strengthen our
evangelization? Although our
membership multiplied in the
last five years, it is not enough.
The harvest is rich and the need
is plentiful. We need passion
and zeal in our evangeliza-

Pastoral Care.
The process of renewal brought
many pains, sufferings, distrust
and broken relationships in the
community. Thus I would like
Pastoral Care to be the cornerstone of my leadership. I would
like to care genuinely for the
general membership and leader-

tion. Let us commit to spend


time and energy in co-initiating
and co-creating approaches in
evangelization that produce
results. Spreading the Word of
God is our mission. Let us look
towards mainstreaming the general population in our missions
abroad. Language and culture
of countries are important. The
global mandate to evangelize is
in our nature as an organization.
CFC will be trailblazers, we will
be breaking new grounds.
Work with the Poor.
Work with the poor has been
my passion from the very start
of our CFC mission to bring
glad tidings to the poor. My
charism is identified with our
work with the poor. The Holy
Spirit must be sending signals
to the Elders Assembly and the
IC to put emphasis on this work
in my election as Chair. ANSWERING THE CRY OF THE
POOR is an integral part of our
mission. Christs mission in the
world continues in our Faith in
Action.
I have three years as IC member as covenanted. I look forward to the next three years with
you, building the church of the
home and the church of the poor,
focused on our vision of Families
in the Holy Spirit renewing the
face of the earth.
May God be praised!

By Melo Villaroman, CFC Executive Director

CFC ON FIRE!
We need to be on fire again,
for our hope is no longer an easy
hope.
We live in a culture of despair
within which Pentecost can no longer
be taken for granted.
Hence we must take upon ourselves the
burden of the times
and refuse to make the Holy Spirit a
piece of private property
but a spirit that matters.
- Mary Jo Leddy, Catholic
theologian and missionary
Our Couples for Christ expanded
vision declares, CFC is a global united community of family evangelizers
that sets the world on fire with the
fullness of Gods transforming love.
To be a light to the nations, spreading Gods salvation to the ends of the
earth, we in Couples for Christ need
to be a people always ON FIRE!
Even our Pearl Anniversary guest
speaker Christopher West enunciated
that if CFC were to set the world on
fire, then first, we ourselves need to
be truly ablaze.
Do we then consider ourselves
to be on fire today? To live constantly ablaze across nations in the
Spirits mighty flame, to be families
on fire with eternal hope so needed
in a darkened world, to serve with
Christ-like love that lights for the
poor a brighter path to God these
are challenges for Couples for Christ
and its ministries as we press on our
journey from Pearl to Gold. It will
not be an easy journey, for true gold
is purified only through the test of
fire, but it will be a most fulfilling

one, in which we will witness lives and


families around the world moved and
transformed by the warmth and power
of the Pentecost!
We have marvelled at the Lords
blessing upon CFC the past 30 years,
leading the Community from strength
to strength, despite our individual
frailties. As we start our 31st year of
service to the Lord, let us also allow this
Spirit-led term or acronym On-FIRE
to remind us of our most important mission priorities in CFC. These priorities
and directions flow out of our Vision
and calling, and therefore are for each
CFC leader and member in any part of
the world to share, and to passionately
help bring to life:
One Community, one with the Catholic Church We live and cherish the clarity and dynamism of our oneness with
the master evangelization plan of our
beloved Catholic Church. This is Gods
inalterable blueprint for CFC, a calling
under Christs headship and a mission
consecrated to our Blessed Mother. Our
oneness with the Church is also reflected
in the strength of our oneness within
CFC. The unity flowing out of our CFC
vision and mission is a great gift, tested
and strengthened through storms. We
fully trust God who anoints CFC with
one leadership and one set of mission
directions, choosing to follow His commandment to love, to move forward, to
embrace Christs Fullness, and to put on
His full armor, never again to be bogged
down by storms and distractions along
the way.
Fullness How blessed we are to be
called to a mission of Fullness in Christ,

building the Church of the Home, and


Building the Church of the Poor! What
a wonder that each element of our calling
is blessed to flourish only if integral to
the wholeness of Christ: Evangelization,
Formation, Family Renewal, and Work
with the Poor forming together one mission that allows us to feel the embrace
of Gods fullness in our lives. Our CFC
ANCOP Mission and the fast-developing
CFC CORNERSTONE convergence
approach across public schools, are great
examples. The young are graduating not
just from good education but from Kids
for Christ and Youth for Christ, their
parents participating in spiritual formation through the CLP/CFC Formation,
many partners stepping up to spearhead
food and nutrition, whole families starting with ours transformed forever by the
fullness of the living Spirit!
International/Global CFC CallingOur mighty God is intent in His plan
to send and bless CFC families to help
continue His mission in renewing the
face of the earth and to make disciples
of all nations. The active life of CFC
and its Ministries in more than a hundred countries, and the representation
of Bishops, Clergy, Religious and CFC
from 35 nations in our recent Luneta
Pearl Anniversary celebration is the
Lords strong affirmation that He desires for CFC to become a truly global
community! We are reminded that Global mission work is a calling not just to
CFC full-time missionaries but to each
and every member of the community.
Through official CFC missions, planned
volunteer missions, and even by way of
social technologies and web-based enablers that connect the world, there are

expansive opportunities for each one of


us to evangelize across nations!
Relevant Life and Formation: We are
blessed with key elements of our relevant
life and formation in CFC our lifeblood
for the mission. At the center and core
is the Holy Eucharist, the source and
summit of our Christian life. As best
as we can, we should appropriate our
daily mission energies from the Eucharist. This is our highest form of worship,
and our daily, sacred opportunity to be
able to touch the body of Christ, and for
His living presence to touch our lives.
Within CFC, the household meeting is
another crucial channel of life. A living
expression of a small Christian community at work week-in and out the past
30 years, the household is one of the
Spirits unique and magnificent gifts bestowed upon CFC. Through this venue,
the Spirit refreshes, renews, and readies
us for mission through prayer and fellowship with brothers and sisters. The
strength of the family as a nucleus, and
the power of the Spirit within the deliberate collection and connection of families
comprising the households, make up the
solid foundation and future of CFC and
its influence in society. Let us also remain
faithful in attending all our CFC formation and assemblies. The Eucharist and
Sacraments, our household meetings,
and our CFC Formation will keep the
flame of the Spirit in our families and in
our mission assignments burning! Neglect these, and we will find our mission
energies easily burning out.
Effective Governance and Stewardship: God bestows upon CFC blessings that are boundless, a calling that
is heaven-bound and an armor that is

full. Yet, for now, we are tasked to


carry out the mission here on earth,
through earthen vessels, exercising faithfulness, and fruitfulness as
stewards of the Lords treasures. Let
us never hold back in the generosity and fidelity of our giving (tithes,
Build My House). It is our act of
living out our Christian worship and
trust upon our Lord who is always
faithful to us. Through our sharing
of resources, we honor and support the bare-basic mission needs of
young missionaries who will nurture
CFC for our own children, support
the reach of CFC evangelization to
more countries awaiting the Gospel,
bring the living embrace of Christ to
the poor, and most of all, delight our
Father in heaven with our hearts. As
good stewards, we will also target for
all CFC big events to be financially
self-supporting, and even missionresource generating, so that we can
support the expansion of the mission
according to Gods greater call.
Brothers and Sisters, I, my brothers
in the CFC International Council, and
our families are as excited as you are,
facing the next 30 years of Couples for
Christ and beyond, with the loving
grip of the Lords hand upon us, a
hand that will not let go, a hand that
is always victorious! Let us together
in CFC be ON FIRE, daily lives ablaze
with the transforming love of Christ.
We shall see the Spirit of Pentecost
sweeping our country, and blessing
our land, spreading light and warmth
to many nations, and majestically
setting the world on fire with the fullness of Gods transforming love!

By Jun Uriarte

Do You not yet have Faith?


A story is told of a man
traveling alone in a vast desert
with his water jugs now empty
and dry. He was nearly dying
from thirst when he saw a shallow water well equipped with a
hand pump. Upon reaching the
well he saw a container filled
with clean water with a note attached saying, Pour this water
into the opening to prime the

pump before operating. Not


knowing if the note was true or
not, he thought to himself, I am
now dying of thirst. I have but a
few hours to live. If this note is
true, I can have all the water I
need to survive. But if this note
is not true, if I pour this water
and the hand pump does not
work and no water comes out,
I will certainly die. After paus-

ing for a moment to consider


his choices, he decided to risk
it. He poured the water into the
opening and started operating
the hand pump. Nothing! He
pumped some more. Nothing!
He pumped again. And water
started flowing from the well,
abundant clean potable water,
all that he needed to quench
his thirst, to wash his face and

arms, and to fill his empty water


jugs. Now refreshed but before
continuing on his journey, he
filled up the water container and
added to the note, Do not be
afraid. Have faith.
Jesus had the same message
for his disciples when they were
caught by a storm at sea: Leaving
the crowd, they took him with them
in the boat just as he was. And

other boats were with him. A violent


squall came up and waves were
breaking over the boat, so that it
was already filling up. Jesus was in
the stern, asleep on a cushion. They
woke him and said to him, Teacher,
do you not care that we are perishing? He woke up, rebuked the
wind, and said to the sea, Quiet!
Be still! The wind ceased and there
was great calm. Then he asked them,

Why are you terrified? Do you not


yet have faith? (Mk 4:36-40)
Brothers and sisters, this wellknown miracle story on the
calming of a storm at sea, which
is reported in all three synoptic
gospels, evokes many ideas and
passages from the Old Testament. First, control of the sea is
seen as a sign of divine power:
Faith / C5

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15
July 18 - 31, 2011

C5

Know Your Board of Elders

Last June 27, right after the Elders Assembly voted for the nine members of
the International Council, they returned
to the polling booths to select 15 men
and women who will serve for the next
two years as members of the Board of

Elders.
Of the 15 selected, three are women.
Nine are first-termers, with two of
them coming from Mindanao and one
from Negros Occidental. They are a
mixed crew, the youngest being Shok

Ariola at 35 and the oldest being Joey


Arguelles at 68. All, however, are one
in their commitment to be elders, if
not in the chronological sense, definitely in the wisdom and commitment
to responsibility that they will bring to

The Veterans:

AGUINALDO, Ding
RH Northeastern Luzon
A CPA, in private business

ARGUELLES, JOSE (Joey)


- 68
PAH Batangas &
Misamis Oriental/CC
Israel/Director, Church
Integration Office
RH Micronesia
Retired from full time
pastoral work at CFC

their new calling.


Bong Arjonillo, one of the first-termers put it aptly and perhaps he speaks
for the group when he says that this new
service will keep me firmly rooted in
Christian values, constantly guided in

being responsible for my flock, comfortably integrated in my different roles


in life and in community, constantly
motivated to strive for personal holiness and humbled in my worldliness
and pride.

The First-Termers:

CUEVAS, BERNADETTE
(Bernie) 56
CFC Fulltime worker now
assigned to Cornerstone,
CFCs work in education
for the poor
HOLD Regional
Coordinator Bicol, HOLD
country coordinator
Japan, HOLD PFO

GALSIM, REMEDIOS
(Didi) 63
International HOLD
Coordinator

DE LEON, Ramon (Mon)


- (59)
Sector Head South B/PAH
Laguna

ARIOLA, Michael (35)


RH Southern Africa/
SFC Intl Coordinator/
Head, Migrants Workers
Program
Fulltime Pastoral Worker

RESPICIO, Leonides
(Nides) (58)
STMA Natl Coordinator/
Core Group Gift of Life
Ministry/Country Coord
Guam
Practicing lawyer, estate
planner and real estate
broker/lecturer

ARJONILLO, Rabboni
(Bong) -- 52
SH Central C/Regl Coord
Greater Mekong Area/
PAH Iloilo
Senior VP and Chief Risk
Officer, China Bank

BREVA, Rene (53)


PAH North Cotabato/RH
Southeastern Mindanao/
PAD Davao City
Businessman

CAMPOS, George (48)


Country Coordinator
Vietnam/PAH Nueva
Viscaya
Consultant: Power
development/retired
Meralco executive

GIMENEZ, Zenaida
(Zeny) 63
Head, Ugnayan
Multimedia Center, Home
Office
Husband Tony is Regional
Head Western Visayas
Fulltime worker

PENALOSA, Ramon
(Mon) (57)
PAH Guimaras/
Provincial AGT and
ANCOP Head, Negros
Occ
Agri-preneur/agriscientist

ILAGAN, Jaime (49)


Sector Head Central A
Consultant, Sime Darby
Pilipinas/CPA

SANTOS, Arnel (43)


Sector Head West B
Government employee

SESCON, Sofronio (Boie)


(66)
Country Coordinator
Netherlands/RH
Northcentral Mindanao/
PAH Lanao del Sur
A doctor/Fulltime
pastoral worker

By Joe Yamamoto

MEGUMI
RECENTLY, Couples for
Christ in Japan celebrated
its 15 years of existence. In
Japan, they refer to CFC
as Kamisama no Megumi,
Gods gift. This is an appropriate label because one
who experiences the joy of
transformation in life and
continues to enjoy it will
not miss out on the reality of
CFC as MEGUMI, i.e. gift or
blessing, being received.
The last fifteen years have
seen invigorating and progressive growth of the community from one prefecture
(Tokyo) to the present 14.
CFC Japan feels blessed,
and rightly so. They have received megumi, but they
do not stop there. They who
receive the megumi become
the givers of the same.
With the examples of their
daily lives, our CFC Japan
brethren are proving to be
a blessing to others. They
have become the models of
dedicated lives and demonstrate the way to pay
forward.
Two sisters in the com-

munity, Elma Diaz and Mel


Kasuya, who battled with two
bouts of cancer each but never
wavered in their passion and
love of God and neighbour,
are prime examples of megumi
spread and shared to others.
Elma, the wife of CFC Japan
country head Dennis Diaz,
underwent a modified radical
mastectomy for cancer in her
left breast five years ago. All
was well until a few weeks before our CFC 30th anniversary,
when a new malignant lump
was found on her right breast.
Not wanting to slow down their
members preparations to travel
to the Philippines and join the
anniversary celebration, she
bravely decided to postpone
her surgery until after the event,
trusting that God is in control.
Between her two cancer surgeries, Elma experienced one
major trial after another- their
newly renovated house in Cainta, and everything in it including their car, were buried in
the floodwaters of Ondoy. Not
too long after that calamity, her
father died. Shortly before he
died, Elma learned that he had

resented Elma and Dennis being


so passionate for CFC and was
hurt because he felt that the couple had put CFC as priority over
family. By Gods grace, father
and daughter were reconciled.
Her battle with cancer is far
from over but the outcome is
never in doubt- Gods love and
healing will prevail.
Mel has been a member of
Handmaids of the Lord from as
far back as 14 years ago. As part
of a career move, she accepted
work in Japan, met a handsome
Japanese, Hiroaki, and eventually married him. Mel is one of
select few foreigners who hold
doctorates in biological sciences
from the prestigious Todai University. What makes her truly
special, beyond her professional
achievement, is her passionate
dedication and quiet service
to CFC and her own inspiring
outlook in life.
Mel was diagnosed to have
uterine malignancy a few years
back and was surgically treated.
Not long thereafter, she had
another bout of malignancy in
one of her kidneys which again
was successfully operated upon.

All through her period of trial,


she remained steadfast in her
faith and continued to express
her love for the Lord even if
following Him involved many
sacrifices.
As if that were not enough,
her husband Hiroaki suffered
a massive cerebral hemorrhage
and lapsed into a coma. A delicate and last ditch emergency
surgery brain surgery was performed in spite of the dismal
prognosis. Because of much
prayer and excellent medical
care, Hiroakis condition stabilized while remaining comatose.
His hospital stay spanned two
years and much of his hospital
course was touch and go.
In between taking care of the
seriously ill Hiroaki, Mel continued unfailingly in her service
to CFC and her academic work.
During one episode when it appeared medicine could do nothing more for him, Mel called for
a priest to administer the last
rites of the Church. But Hiroaki
was not a baptized Catholic,
and the rite could not be administered. Hiroaki survived
that episode but Mel continued

to pray that God will show the


way for Hiroaki to be baptized.
Finally the time came, with
Hiroaki agreeing to it. Hiroaki
was baptized and his Christian
name is John Paul in honor of
the beloved pontiff, now beatified John Paul II. In the course
of two years, John Paul slowly
and miraculously recovered,
beating the odds.
The examples of these two
CFC sisters are embodiments of
modelling grace under trial and
steadfastness in their love for
God and the community.
TSUNAMI hits Japan
Last March 6, the country was
suddenly hit by the strongest
earthquake experienced in the
last 300 years. The gigantic tsunami that came in the quakes
aftermath caused indescribable
havoc and destruction in a large
area of Sendai and endangered
the world because of the resultant explosion of the nuclear
reactors in Fukushima. The government of Japan considered the
natural calamity as the worst
tragedy to befall the island nation since World War II.

Japan reeled and trembled


while the rest of the world
was gripped by fear and
worry. Estimates of loss in
human lives number into
twenty thousand or likely to
be more. The property and
material destruction range
in the hundreds of billions
of dollars.
OUR PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND
Three days after the destructive quake and tsunami,
displaced people were still
being relocated to temporary
shelters and their basic needs
attended to by the Japanese
government and private
citizens. Meanwhile, our
embassy in Tokyo fielded an
emergency team to take care
of the Filipinos who are in
Sendai and environs.
At the head of that rescue
and relief team was our
CFC brother, Solphie Confiado, Consul-General of the
Philipppine Embassy. While
it is part of his responsibility as government official to
Megumi / C7

Faith / C4

Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? Mighty


God, your loyalty is always present. You
rule the raging sea; you still its swelling
waves (Ps 89:9-10). Was it not you who
dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea into a way for
the redeemed to pass over? (Is 51:10)
Second, more than a sign of divine
power, the calming of the sea is seen as
a sign of Gods love and care: They saw
the works of the Lord, the wonders of God
in the deep. He spoke and roused a storm
wind; it tossed the waves on high. They
rose to the heavens, sank to the depths; their
hearts trembled at the danger. They reeled,
staggered like drunkards; their skill was of
no avail. In their distress they cried to the
Lord, who brought them out of their peril,
hushed the storm to a murmur; the waves
of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the
sea grew calm, that God brought them to
the harbor they longed for. Let them thank
the Lord for such kindness, such wondrous
deeds for mere mortal (Ps 107:24-31). This
ancient prayer clearly depicts the situation that Jesus disciples are in.
Third, peaceful and untroubled sleep
as displayed by Jesus in a boat being
tossed by powerful waves is a sign
of perfect trust in God: Whenever I lay

down and slept, the Lord preserved me to


rise again (Ps 3:5). In peace I shall both lie
down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make
me secure (Ps 4:9). When you lie down, you
need not be afraid, when you rest, your sleep
will be sweet (Prov 3:24). And you shall be
secure, because there is hope; you shall look
round you and lie down in safety, and you
shall take your rest with none to disturb
(Job 11:18-19).
This miracle story can also have several levels of meaning. Let us focus our
reflection on the cry of the disciples:
Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? It takes only a few moments of
reflection to see that this cry suggests
that the disciples sense a danger that
apparently threatens them but does
not necessarily threaten Jesus. It further
suggests that they believe Jesus can do
something about the situation but only
if he were awake.
The first level of meaning reflects
the experience of the early Church,
the community that Mark was familiar
with. Marks community was perhaps
faced with many difficult problems and
they felt helpless and abandoned. They
felt as if Jesus were asleep and did not
care about what was happening in their

community. By relating this miracle


story, Mark wanted to teach his community that the mere presence of Jesus,
whether asleep or awake, was sufficient
assurance of their safety and well-being.
Jesus rebuke of the disciples was meant
to remind Marks community to have
complete faith and trust that Jesus mere
presence should be enough for their
fears to be stilled that they should
neither worry nor fear since Jesus was
in their midst.
The second level of meaning reflects
the experience of our community. During the past few years, as we moved
from silver to pearl, our community was
buffeted with two successive storms.
Although we were confident that Jesus
was present in our community, he appeared to be asleep, not minding the
dangerous situation we were in. In fact
even up to the first few days of our anniversary week, stormy weather and
heavy rains accompanied our various
activities. But on the very day of our
pearl anniversary, Jesus awoke and
calmed the storms, both literally and
figuratively. The heavy rains completely
dissipated on our anniversary Sunday
and we enjoyed a perfect day. There

was absolutely no rain, not even a slight


shower, and the sky remained overcast
reducing the heat of the sun. And as if
Jesus wanted to assure us of his continuing presence and active action in the
community, we saw the largest gathering ever of the community converging
at the Rizal Park, estimated to be about
a hundred thousand members from
about 35 countries (over 700 delegates
from outside the country), accompanied
by over a hundred archbishops, bishops
and priests.
Brothers and sisters, the third level
of meaning reflects our own personal
experience. We have now reached
retirement age but we receive no pension and live merely on our savings.
Thus we feel as if we are in the midst
of a retirement storm but instead of
fearing that the boat will soon fill with
water, we fear that the savings will soon
be empty of funds. Already too old for
any regular corporate or international
positions, we pray that there will be
consultancy projects that will pay for
our expertise and experience. But Jesus
seems to be asleep.
But our greater concern is not how
we will continue to support our daily

needs but how we can continue to


financially support our service in the
community. We have always used
our personal funds to support our
missions to various countries to give
talks, retreats and teachings and to
participate in the multifarious activities and conferences of the community.
We have chosen to be like Paul and
Aquila and Priscilla, who supported
their service in the early Christian
community through their income as
tentmakers. Thus, since our retirement
early this year, we have tried to live a
more modest and simpler lifestyle. As
the Lord has called us to greater service, we hope, with Gods grace, to serve
even more intensely and actively the
various communities in the Philippines
and abroad by giving talks, retreats
and teachings. And so like the disciples
we cry, Lord, help us to continue supporting all these!
Brothers and sisters, we continue to
pray that God will calm the storm of
our retirement and give us the grace of
courage that we may no longer fear
the uncertain future and the grace of
faith to believe that Jesus is truly with
us. And that should be enough.

Ugnayan

C6

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15

July 18 - 31, 2011

Letters From Abroad

THE anniversary is over but the spirit of fellowship,


of wonder and of love continues to be manifest.
Here are some letters from CFC brethren from many
places abroad who came to Manila, joined all the
anniversary activities and came away awed at the
sheer magnitude not just of the CFC Family but of
the love that Jesus has for us.
Fr. Robin Rai, Parish of the
Assumption, Nepal
The 30th Anniversary of Couples for Christ was really a
heart-touching religious event.
Through the different activities,
I could sense the unity of the
Catholic faithful from the Philippines and elsewhere.
It was great indeed to see people from all walks of life, big
and small, giving their best to
help one another spiritually and
physically. This really showed

Bro. Michel Beaudoin,


Brothers of Christian
Instruction
On July 3, 2011, the CFC
chapters from Yokohama
and Tokyo had a graduation
ceremony, during which
many singles and handmaids
became part of Couples for
Christ. I was given 15 minutes to show the group 50
pictures of the CFCs Pearl
Anniversary celebrations in
Manila. It was an occasion for

peoples commitment and love


for the Church.
The sessions of the conferences, especially those which
talked about ANCOP were, for
me, the concretized version of
CFC i.e. the Gospel in action.
The Celebration of the Holy
Eucharist during each event
was done with much devotion, which I found spiritually
uplifting. Thanks be to God for
allowing me to join CFC in their
celebrations.

ology of the Body. I hope to


be able to echo what I have
learned during that blessed
week. Being with thousands
of dedicated laymen and
laywomen who have placed
Christ at the center of their
lives was a real Church experience for me. Coming from
a cold country (French Canada) where faith in Christ has
become frigid, I welcome the
burning heat of the Couples
for Christ, who want the
whole earth to be ablaze

Back: Carol Arjonillo, Bishop Dominic, Fr. Robin, Bishop Paul, Bro. Michel,
Bong Arjonillo Front: Topper Arjonillo, Robbie Arjonillo

me to relive that great week.


I cannot thank you enough,
my CFC family, especially
the Arjonillos of Metro Manila Central C, for having
hosted me during that time.
I was privileged to be part
of the family for more than
a week.
Since my trip to Manila
and attending the conferences with Christopher West,
I have been listening to his
talks and gathering information from the internet on
Phenomenology and the The-

Abraham Indrias and


Meskerem Negusse, CFC
Eritrea
CFC Eritrea, Asmara
When our country leaders
based in Abu Dhabi sent us
the invitation letter, tickets
and itinerary for the 30th Anniversary Celebrations, we
could not help but be grateful
for their immense support. At
first we thought going to Manila would be easy but when
we tried to process our visas
in preparation for the trip, it
was really difficult as we didnt
have a Philippine Embassy in
our country.
We opted to look for an Embassy in the nearest country,
and our CFC brothers and
sisters in Nairobi ended up
assisting us. At the last minute
though, our passports were
lost due to miscommunications between DHL Nairobi
and Asmara. Nonetheless, our
CFC brethren kept on praying
for us, encouraging us to have
faith. Indeed, for us it was truly
a miracle that we were finally
able to leave Eritrea and join in
the celebration.
Upon arriving in Manila we
came face to face with the traditional Filipino hospitality.
We were greeted with love,
enthusiasm, and smiling faces.
The way our Filipino family
greeted us was so amazing and
we really felt at home. The 30th
anniversary celebrations were
wonderful and well-organized,
and we were surprised to see
that so many people could
gather for one objective i.e. to
praise the Lord. Our spiritual
director for CFC Asmara, Abba
Siyum Kifle Zeragiorgis, also
had a chance to participate in
all the activities. We learned a

with Jesus Christ. There is


hope for men and women
of goodwill even in Japan
when they can see couples
and singles living for Christ
and trying to make a difference in their society.
I also thank God the Father and his Son Jesus for
bringing more freedom in
my life and offering me the
grace to love others more
like Jesus has and is still doing to this very day. Thank
you CFC for all that you
have given us.

lot from the conferences on the


Theology of the Body and the
celebration at Rizal Park. We felt
united as one family especially
while we waved our country
flags during the parade.
The week after the celebrations, we were able to attend
training sessions organized
by Mon Santiago of the International Missions Office. During the whole week, we were
hosted in different homes and
everyone allowed us to feel
the same everywhere, of being
truly at home. We were able
to attend household prayer
meetings, unit leaders household meetings and a chapter
assembly under CFC Metro
Manila East A. These enabled us to gain more practical
knowledge on how to conduct
a prayer meeting, to put our
training into practice, to meet a
lot of people, and even a chance
to eat different types of Filipino
food. We were also pleasantly
surprised by the way people
interacted with each other,
always smiling upon greeting
each other, and the young always seeking to be blessed
(mano) by their elders.
We are also truly grateful for
our brothers and sisters who
hosted us, and gave of their
time, their homes and their
money, especially Mon and
Tita Santiago, who not only
organized our training, but
opened their homes to us and
shared Gods love to us every
day. The training sessions enabled us to have a more holistic
vision of CFC, which we plan
to share with our brothers and
sisters in CFC Eritrea. We are
really happy to see CFC growing spiritually throughout the
world by the power of the Holy
Spirit and continue to pray for
Gods blessings upon us all.

Mon and Ammie Alano,


CFC Brunei
As members of the CFC Brunei National Council, the
recently concluded 30th CFC
anniversary celebration gave
us an insight and a new dimension of our mission in
the community. The series
of events ranging from the
International Church Integration Congress, the CFC
Cultural Night, the Freedom
to Love Conference and the
CFC anniversary grand celebration in Luneta Park served
as catalysts of blazing fires
in the hearts of the men and
women of CFC.
CFC Center, Our Home
The igniting force started
from seeing the new CFC
home, a product of the generosity of the members of
the community all over the
world. Gazing at the structure
strategically situated within
the heart of Cubao, Quezon
City allowed us to rejoice and
look upon God in jubilant
praise. The warm welcome
of people manning the center,

the humble hospitality extended


to all the members of the community from the provinces and
other countries waiting for their
respective hosts, plus the abundance of refreshments and food
for the hungry guests, indeed
reminded us of the parable of
The Good Samaritan.
Our Host, Our Second Home
The home of our host family,
Romy and Estela Gasgonia in
Taguig, did not only become
a shelter for us, but an oasis
of love and care, and we spent
the nights sharing our lives,
our trials and our weaknesses
with one another. Despite our
hectic busy schedule, we made
it a point to have this sharing of
experiences, as it made our day
more meaningful.
Significant Lessons From The
Series of Scheduled Events
The remarkable lessons we
derived from the wisdom of
Christopher West and his Theology of the Body inspired us to
be set on fire. As he said: To
be Couples for Christ, you need
to be Couples of Christ first. To
be Couples of Christ, you need

to be set on fire.you
cannot give what you
do not have. That
kept ringing in our
ears. We heard this
many times before
but this time as it was
said by somebody declaring the Gospel of
Life, particularly the
Theology of the Body,
its message seemed
almost deafening and
was given with great
authority and conviction. We truly felt as if it were
God Himself speaking to our
whole being.
Also, the Church and Clergy
Integration Congress on June
24 allowed us to appreciate
more clearly the mission of being a consecrated celibate. The
CFC Cultural Night later in
the evening was a showcase of
talents well-preserved in each
CFC delegations culture and
tradition. The human spirit was
well entertained with songs and
dances inspired by the Holy
Spirit.
The grand celebration at Rizal
Park on June 26 was an awesome work of an awesome God.

The weather just simply


cooperated with Gods will,
a calm scenario before the
storm. Tens of thousands
of faithful members of the
community from all over
the world gathered in Jesus name, proclaiming His
goodness and identity. It
was as if we were experiencing heaven on earth.
Indeed, God is good
not only this time but all
the time. We are looking
forward to more of these
events, where we can truly
say that God is working
miracles in and through the
CFC community.

Sudhir Masih Randhawa,


CFC Pakistan

I truly feel that the CFC


community is a real and
spiritual platform for salvation
in Christ Jesus. I also admire
To my brothers and sisters in
the dedication and devotion of
CFC,
the CFC global family towards
Greetings in Christ!
the Lord.
Im writing to offer my heartfelt
Im thankful to all the
thanks to you for giving me a
CFC brothers and sisters
chance to take part in the CFC
in the Philippines who
30th Anniversary Celebration
provided us foreign delegates
held in Manila last month, which
with accommodations,
was truly a great event to praise
transportation, spiritual
the Lord our God.
company, excursions and
I feel proud to be part of
really delicious food during
the CFC community and was
our stay there. May God
truly blessed during my stay in
reward you all for your
the Philippines. Im impressed
service. We will never forget
and amazed with how CFC is
actively promoting the love and From left to right standing - Leslie D Costa of Bangladesh, Sudhir Randhawa of the love and care you have
Pakistan, Muriel D Costa of Bangladesh, Celestina Subba of Nepal. Seated left to
care Jesus has for His people by right - George Subba of Nepal, Nadeem Feroze of Pakistan, and far end Fr. Terence extended to us.
I offer myself for the growth
being united as one family. CFC Rodrigues of Bangladesh.
and development of CFC,
is really victorious in converting
especially in Pakistan. I
love, sincerity, loyalty, unity, spirituality,
and uniting different cultures to
be on one platform, united as one family caring and hospitality, which is the real continue to pray for the prosperity, growth
essence of CFCs culture.......what a truly and victory of the CFC community. May
in Christ.
God bless us all!
I have come to appreciate the spirit of amazing miracle of God!

Moses Brainard, CFC


Sierra Leone
I am the Chapter Head of CFC
in Sierra Leone. Through Gods
blessings, I found myself in
Manila on June 23, 2011 to
join the CFC 30th Anniversary
Celebrations, which took place
between June 19 and 30. But
my journey started way before
that. In late October 2010, our
Missions Director for CFC West
Africa, Ricky Cuenca, invited
my wife Jane and me to come
to the Philippines for the celebration. He asked us to start
praying about it, encouraging
us to always put God first in
everything we do. Since that
time, God started working His
miracles, and by early April
2011, I got an email from Ricky
and Eric Villanueva from the
US, that they could only cover
the travel expenses of one person. My wife was happy to let
me go alone, and assured me of
her prayers.
My first pleasant experience
during the trip was at the Manila airport where I met fine
Filipinos who welcomed me
with open hands and smiles
on their faces. My accommodations, meals and transportation costs from one place to the
other were all handled by the
CFC families with whom I was
blessed to stay. This made my
visit truly memorable.
I was overwhelmed when
I saw the gathering of the
CFC family worldwide at the
Rizal Park for the celebration
proper. People came from
countries all over the world

and what gave me more zeal


and strengthened my commitment to our CFC mission was
when I saw the great number
of CFC from China. I realized
that CFC is indeed a global
family truly living out the vision of Families in the Holy
Spirit Renewing the Face of
the Earth.
Moving around from one
host family to another also
helped me gain a wealth of
experience, which I have committed to take back home to
my people in Sierra Leone, in
order to strengthen their faith
and encourage them to live
out the culture of CFC. The
training I have undergone in
Manila, through the leadership
of Mon Santiago from the CFC
International Missions Office,
is an added advantage for me.
With all that I have learned,
I hope to empower my community in Sierra Leone as to
how we should all live out the
culture of the Vision and Mission of CFC.
I truly appreciate all that
I have gone through and I
promise that, by the grace of
God, I will put them all into
practice, so as to make CFC
a sustainable mission community within the Catholic
Church, particularly in Sierra
Leone.
Couples for Christ has transformed me and I am grateful to
God for all His blessings, and
I pray that I will live my life
for Christ and work as a servant for my community, with
humility, love and care for my
people who are truly in need
of Gods love.

Moses Brainard (Sierra Leone) in a jeepney.

George and Celestina


Subba, CFC Nepal
Greetings from Nepal.
We are back in Kathmandu, arriving here on
July 1 after a three-day
stopover at Bangkok. But
we still cant forget our
Philippine trip. The CFC
Pearl Anniversary Celebration was one of the most
wonderful and memorable
experiences for us, and
we never thought that we
could participate in such
a spectacular event. We
enjoyed every moment of
our stay in Manila, and
extend our gratitude to
those who helped arrange
everything for our trip. We
were amazed at the efficiency and organization of

all the arrangements, and


the culture and values of
CFC were clearly visible in
the faith, hospitality, openness and humility of all the
Filipinos we met.
There are so many things
we want to share with
our members, which we
will do in our upcoming
household meetings. We
are especially very grateful to those who hosted
us, and took care of our
transportation and meals.
Getting to experience riding the tricycle, jeepney,
taxi and LRT on the last
day made our trip even
more meaningful.
Truly, we are blessed
to have formed beautiful
friendships in CFC, and are
grateful to God for establishing CFC 30 years ago.

Melo and Nini Villaroman, seated with Mon Santiago, pose with (standing left to right)
Abraham and Meskerem of Eritrea, Leslie and Muriel of Bangladesh, Edith So-Kargbo
of Sierra Leone, Nadeem Feroze of Pakistan, Moses Brainard of Sierra Leone

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 15
July 18 - 31, 2011

C7

ANCOP NEWS

ANCOP U.S.A. Leaders Hold Nationwide Summits


By Manny Caballero
As part of the program to make every
CFC member in the USA aware of

ANCOP and its vision of building the


church of the poor, CFC USA held two
summits, one in the Eastern USA and
another in Western USA.
ANCOP Western Summit
In a short period, CFC-ANCOP has
become a global movement of Gods
people in the service of the poor to
share the love of Christ. Those were
the opening words of Ricky Cuenca,
ANCOP U.S.A. Chairperson and newlyelected CFC Chairman, during the June
3, 2011 ANCOP U.S.A. Summit held in
Portland, Oregon.

The ANCOP official also emphasized


that ANCOP is a ministry of Couples for
Christ, the global family renewal movement that started ANCOP, an acronym
for Answering the Cry of the Poor.
O t h e r
summit
speakers
were Tony
Ventura,
ANCOP
U.S.A. President and
CEO; Roger Santos,
Child Sponsorship Program (CSP)
Director;
Elmer M.
Pacia, Com-

munity Development
Program (CDP) Director;
Joe Yamamoto, CFC Executive Director and Ricky
Coronel, 2011 ANCOP
U.S.A. Walk Manager.
In his presentation,
Tony Ventura explained
the symbolisms behind
the new ANCOP logo,
which reflects the global
dimension of ANCOP
and its mission of bringing
Christs love to the poor by
proclaiming Him, uplift-

ing lives and transforming communities. The ANCOP U.S.A. President also
announced that the 12 ANCOP regions
around the U.S. will sponsor one community each composed of 30 houses. In
addition, Ventura said that the goal of
this years ANCOP Walk around the U.S.
is to raise $1 million for its projects.
Roger Santos informed the audience
that currently there are over 400 poor
children being sent to various schools
in the Philippines for free by ANCOP
U.S.A. under CSP. Elmer Pacia announced that a number of housing
communities for poor Filipinos will
be established soon in Rizal, Batangas
and Bataan.
Dr. Joe Yamamoto announced that
health is an integral part of CFC-ANCOPs
program for the poor. He said that henceforth, CFC-ANCOP will promote a qual-

ity health
care system
responsive
to the needs
of the poor
people living in CFCANCOP
communities.
R i c k y
Coronel,
in his talk,
announced
that the
ANCOP
U.S.A. Walk
will be held
on August
20, 2011
in t welve

key cities around


the U.S. For more
information about
the ANCOP U.S.A.
Walk, please visit
their website: www.
ancopwalk.us.
ANCOP Eastern
Summit
The Eastern
Summit was held
a month later, on
July 8 t0 10, at the
BWI Marriott Hotel
in Baltimore, Maryland. Once again,
Ricky Cuenca was
the keynote speaker, ably supported

Ricky Cuenca

by his ANCOP USA team -- Tony


Ventura, Roger Santos, Elmer Pacia and
Ricky Coronel.
The two top winners from the U.S. in
the recently-concluded ANCOP Theme
Songwriting Contest held in Manila
during the 30th anniversary week, performed during the Conference.
Jona Peralta of California sang (together with Egbert Francisco), One
Hope, One Dream. Her composition
won the grand prize during the songwriting competition and will be the
theme song of ANCOP. Marc Bernardo
of Florida sang Let Love Unfold, one
of the ten finalists in the same contest.
Ex Funtera, member of ANCOP
U.S.A. Board of Directors, helped make
the Summit lively with his one-liners
as he emceed the program.

Lace Up Your Shoes For The ANCOP Global Walk

By Alma Alvarez

FUN runs and marathons for


a cause are definitely the in
thing nowadays. Theres the
KapitBisig Para Sa Kalikasan
organized by ABS-CBN for the
rehabilitation of Ilog Pasig; the
Victory Fun Run for the planting
of a new Church in Baguio City;
The Pink Run for DFeeting
Breast Cancer; and the longestrunning of all, the National Milo
Marathon, which is now on its
35th year of providing running
shoes to thousands of school
children all over the Philippines.
These marathons actually hit
two birds with one stone: one
trains for the run and thus gets

physically fit; at the same time


one is able to give to his or her
favorite charity.
This year, CFC ANCOP is joining the fund-raising bandwagon
by staging the ANCOP Global
Walk. But a Walk is different
from a Run, isnt it? So why
organize a walk rather than a
marathon?
Ricky Cuenca, Couples for
Christ Chairman and former
CFC ANCOP President and
CEO, puts it simply: We just
want everyone to be able to
participate.
The ANCOP Global Walk is
open to all, Couples for Christ
and non-CFC members alike.
Everyone, young and old, from
all walks of life, can participate
in the ANCOP Global Walk. All

they have to do is register, pay


the walk donation of P300 (either
through their CFC leaders or
friends, or via BDO Savings Account Number 107-020-754-1), go
to the SM Mall of Asia on August
21 as early as 4:00 in the morning,
and start walking at 5:00 AM!
The ANCOP Global Walks
primary objective is to raise funds
for scholars under the ANCOP
Child Sponsorship Program. The
participation of CFC families,
friends, co-workers, classmates
and the public in general is encouraged so that everyone may
share the joy of giving.
For Metro Manila alone, the
ANCOP Global Walk is targeting
60,000 participants, says CFC
ANCOP COO Eric delos Reyes,
during the meeting for Metro Ma-

YFC Oceania Conference


Giving It All For the
King!

The CFC Youth for Christ Oceania


Youth Conference was held on July
1 to 3, 2011. Taking place at Meroo
Christian Conference Centre, Kurrajong, New South Wales, this
years OYC was attended by over
700 youth from all over Oceania,
including cities such as Rockhampton, Christchurch, Melbourne,
Perth and Darwin, to name a few.
Stemming from Couples for
Christs anchor verse of the year
Ephesians 6:11, Put on the full
armour of God, the OYCs overall
theme was For The King! There
were four very powerful sessions
accompanied by equally captivating creative numbers based on
the theme during the weekend.
Twenty-four workshops were also
conducted by a variety of priests,
religious sisters and members of
the community. The topics of the
workshops varied from vocations

to the value of human life to using


virtual media as a tool for evangelisation.
The creative competitions such
as Band, Dance, Show Tunes and
Short Film really showcased the
talents of the attendees, while
sports competitions such as Tug of
War, Soccer and Basketball gave a
chance for each area to demonstrate
their impeccable team work and
determination.
On Monday, July 4, YFC Oceania
became the first delegation outside
of the Philippines to launch the
Greeneration program. Greeneration is a program designed to not
only raise awareness about the
environment but also to make a
difference to Gods creation. About
200 OYC attendees gathered at
Tregear Reserve to help the local
council care for the reserve and
plant over one thousand trees.

nila CFC leaders last July 8, 2011


at the Lay Formation Center. This
means that 5,000 walkers for each
of the 12 sectors of CFC Metro
Manila are expected to walk for
the scholars who are still waiting
for sponsors.
In the same occasion, Joe Tale
of the CFC International Council
exhorted, These children, if left
uneducated, will become tomorrows poor. I honor each one
of you for making education a
priority through the ANCOP
Global Walk.
The ANCOP Global Walk
is not limited to Metro Manila
alone. During the 30th Anniversary celebration of Couples
for Christ last June 26 at the Luneta, Ricky launched the Walk in
front of a crowd of about 100,000

delegates from all over the Philippines and the world. To date,
there are 18 Philippine provinces
that will stage the Walk in their
areas -- La Union, Pangasinan,
Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva
Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Cavite, Camarines Sur,
Masbate, Iloilo, Bohol, Basilan,
Zamboanga City, Davao City
and South Cotabato.
In the international scene,
Canada, which has been staging
the Walk for 5 years, and the
United States, which is in their
2nd year, are walking alongside
Australia, Saudi Arabia, and
Europe, among others.
The CFC Family Ministries
Singles for Christ, Youth for Christ,
Kids for Christ, Handmaids of the
Lord, and Servants of the Lord

are likewise excited to participate


in the Walk. The parishes, private
and public schools and corporations are also being tapped to walk
for the scholars.
In a fun run, fitness-crazy
and compassionate society that
we have right now, the ANCOP
Global Walk will indeed be a
welcome addition to the many
events that are geared towards
helping those who are in need.
So what are we all waiting for?
Lace up those shoes, and walk
for a scholar!
For more details on the ANCOP Global Walk, please go to
www.ancopglobalwalk.com,
www.facebook.com/ancopglobalwalk, or call (+63 2) 794-5363,
or 935-7590 (ask for Alma Alvarez or Harmony Medina).

ANCOP goes to Villa Mejia Joson


By Jerry Tanigue
THE ANCOP Home Office Team
headed by Eric delos Reyes, with wife
Carina, together with Mark Tagalag,
Jerry Tanigue, accompanied their guests
-CFC Vancouver
Family Ministries Head
and CFC fulltimeworker trainee, Cesar
Rodas, and lot donor
Alexander Mejia to
Cabanatuan City last
June 14, 2011.
The group arrived
in the city in time for
a sumptuous lunch of
native cuisine namely
chicharon python skin,
crispy frog, frog in tamarind shoots, tilapia in
fermented rice (buro),
a very spicy gising-gising (a vegetable dish),
buttered adobong duck
and goat kaldereta. The
exotic meal, new to the
visitors tastebuds, was
a symbolic way to start the day, and
signified new initiatives to answer the
cry of the needy in Nueva Ecija.
In the afternoon, the team met with
CFC Nueva Ecija leaders led by Pabling

Trinidad, Provincial Area Director, and


newly appointed ANCOP Core Team
(ACT) head, Boy Hernandez, at the CFC
Cabanatuan Mission Center.
Eric presented the ANCOP overview, focusing on its major programs
and how to go about implementing

community development, education and livelihood programs. He


emphasized the crucial role of CFC
Nueva Ecija and its ANCOP ACT to
support and form Project Implement-

ing Teams (PIT) in their identified


ANCOP area, namely Brgy. Joson in
Carranglan.
Mark followed with his presentation
on how to prepare a site for community
development. An open forum followed,
making the event more interactive and
informative. It was emphasized that the local CFCs
involvement in the work to
develop the donated land for
the poor by Mr. Alex Mejia at
Villa Mejia in Joson, Carangglan is crucial to the success
of the project.
The team, together with
Mr. Alex Mejia and Rudy
and Sonia Lubis, in charge
of ANCOP Livelihood, then
proceeded to Carranglan
to for ocular inspection, inspite of the gathering darkness. Mr. Mejia showed
the team the vastness of the
subdivision and its advantages, in terms of gravel
access road, electric posts
and water. It was surmised
that livelihood programs
could easily be introduced, with the
existing piggery structures. The site
is also surrounded by public schools
of all levels, elementary, high school
and college.

Megumi / C5

take care of the welfare and concern


of Filipino citizens, Solphie performed
the task with a commitment and passion that goes far beyond doing a job.
Solphies selfless act is a prime example
of megumi.
Dennis, the husband of Elma, initiated the collection of food and relief
among CFC members for families of
Filipinos or Japanese alike who were
affected by the calamity. CFC members
from safe and distant Osaka, Kobe and
Nagoya opened their homes to the
displaced families. From the viewpoint
of CFC and Filipinos in Japan, helping the Japanese is the natural way
of paying forward for the blessings
they have experienced in their second

homeland. Megumi received begets


megumi given.
LESSONS LEARNED
As the international media provided
round the clock coverage of the tragedy
and calamity in Japan, the world was
struck by the magnitude of the destruction and loss of lives. The same world
was amazed and awed by the unique
behaviour and discipline of the Japanese people. There was no looting, no
mobs, no disturbances. When asked
for an explanation, the older Japanese
simply invoked the word Atarimae,
meaning it is natural or obvious. For
the Japanese, it is natural not to loot
or to take advantage of those who are

suffering.
The permanent Filipino residents
in Japan imbibed the same spirit and
showed their genuine care for the
Japanese by quietly doing acts of kindness and generosity. To those who
have been touched, it is atarimae,
i.e. natural to help and to care. Goodness and kindness, as well as other
blessings, freely received must just as
well be freely shared. Times of hardships and difficulties are always the
opportune time to pay forward and
even pay back.
For us CFC, this kind of spirit must
also be atarimae. We are called, as
Christ-followers, to be the Megumi to
people in pain.

CBCP Monitor

C8

Vol. 15 No. 15

July 18 - 31, 2011

The 2011 CFC Eastern Conference


By Judith Ladringan
The weekend of July 8-10, 2011,
was an extraordinary weekend.
Many CFC brethren witnessed
the highest degree and the
greatest measure of Gods
blessing to its fullness
when they trooped
to the BWI Marriott
and Hilton Hotels
in Baltimore for the
2011 Armor of God
weekend retreat.
For all the
participants, it was a
joy-filled weekend,
amazing everyone
from the creative
components which
featured Baltimores opening
number I Love Baltimore,
a dance musical represented
by all ministries, to the CFC
GOT TALENT which featured
the individual talents and
group presentations of the

different sectors and countries


represented.
The Banner Parade signaled
the opening of this special event.
Aside from the area delegates
who paraded to cheers and chants,
Puerto Rico and Belize participants
got the biggest applause. Saturday

nights Dancing with the Stars


reminded us of one of TVs favorite
show. That night we witnessed the
dancing prowess of brothers and
sisters blessed with graceful ability
to demonstrate the fun of dancing
and again they all captivated our
hearts.

And of course the substance


of the weekend came from
the beautiful talks delivered
by great speakers who, acting
as mouthpieces of the Lord,
convicted everyone with the
message they brought.
This years message taken from
Ephesians 6:11 Put on
the full armor of God,,
teaches us to hold firm
to Christs teachings
and commandments.
As the talks reminded
us, the Devil can attack
us in many ways. We
are not to run from
the enemy, nor stand
up to the attacks with
our own strength; we
are to stand in the strength of the
Lord. Everyone was encouraged
to put on Gods armor: the
belt of Truth, the breastplate of
Righteousness, the feet shod in
Readiness, the shield of Faith,
the helmet of Salvation and the
Sword of the Spirit.

KidsWatch: Fruit of the Holy Spirit!


By Medy Deausen
The recent CFC Eastern Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in
July included an activity called
KidsWatch, a time of fellowship, learning, and exploring;
but above all, of strengthening
the childrens knowledge and
love of God and His teachings.
KidsWatch was motivated,
powered, and sustained by
the Holy Spirit from inception
to implementation. The carefully designed and supervised
program that highlighted active pastoral involvement with
the kids was an integral part
of KidsWatch. The program
consisted of a diverse set of activities that addressed various
aspects of pastoral formation,
such as:

* Physical singing praise


songs with action, performing exercises, taking a needed
nap;
* Mental and Emotional -coloring the armor of God
cutout, answering questions,
sharing at small group discussions, showcasing individual
talents;
* Spiritual discussing the
shield of faith, watching the
stories of Fatima and Daniel
and then discussing what was
learned from them, making
a rosary, and praying the rosary.
The KidsWatch program
provided many practical experiences for the kids that will
hopefully motivate them to
desire further spiritual learning and reflection. From the
story of Fatima, the kids learned

about Mama Mary, the importance of the rosary, and how to


kneel and fold their hands in
prayer. Daniels story taught
them about obedience and
trust in God. In fact, one of the
mothers shared with us how
her daughter expressed a strong
desire for their family to pray
the rosary every day.
For the many adult and youth
volunteers, KidsWatch was an
opportunity to develop the ability and heart to be shepherds
of souls by responding to the
kids varying needs. In the end,
the kids developed a sense of
trust for the volunteers and the
program. One of the parents
made this comment: This was
the first time that we were able to
listen to all the powerful talks since
our kids were thoroughly engrossed
in KidsWatch.

YCOM Weekend: REFRESH

By Kat Martin
What can creativity do?
This was the question posed to
the participants of the 2nd YCOM
Weekend, held last July 2-3, 2011 at
Methodist Retreat Center in Rizal.
The overnight training cum retreat
for YCOM (YFC Communications)
heads, members, and mission volunteers in Manila and nearby provinces
such as Rizal and Batangas, was
meant to empower YFCs creative
missionaries and prepare them for
the many challenges that lay ahead
of them this coming year. The theme
for this years YCOM Weekend was
taken from Romans 10:14 How
then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him of whom
they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? This
passage served to inspire all of those
presentattendees and service team
members alike.
On the first day of the two-day
event, the 38 participants were
welcomed by YCOM International
head Madel Solijon as she gave the
first session entitled You are Gods

Masterpiece. As she briefed the at- concluded with an activity wherein


tendees on what to expect for the rest each group was assigned a specific
of the event, she also shared how God YFC or CFC event. They were tasked
cultivates the talents and passions in to come up with a creative proposal for
the hearts of the youth today. She ex- the event and pitch it to the judges.
plained that it is the task of every YCOM The importance of follow-through after
member to live to
promote Christ,
to make ordinary
things extraordinary,
to creatively express
Gods teachings,
and to open their
hearts and minds for
the things that they
can do for the Lord.
The first session
was followed by a
workshop on Ideas
that Stick, which
was presented by
YCOM Couple Coordinators Beverly
and Jomari Badilla. Fr. Francis Lucas, in white at center, with YCOM weekend participants.
Beverly presented
the tried-and-tested formula for good the activities was stressed during the
ideas: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, synthesis of the workshops.
Credible, Emotional, and Story-driven
On the evening of that same day,
(SUCES), and emphasized that although two speakers from the recent 18th Increativity is a gift in itself, touching ternational Leaders ConferenceFr.
lives and effecting change through it Francis Lucas and FTPW Raymond
is even better. The first workshop was Ibarrientoscame to the venue to

give the second workshop and session,


respectively. Fr. Francis discussed
the crucial subject of Evangelization
through Social Media and reminded
all those present that the truth needs
to be made emotionally engaging if
it is to appeal to the
hearts and minds of its
audience. He emphasized the significance
of penetrating media
to promote the Word,
especially in an age
where Satan has also
done the same. On the
other hand, Raymond
gave a talk on Dwelling in Gods Presence
to help YCOM members experience God
anytime, anywhere,
especially since it is
crucial for one to have
a deep relationship
with Christ before he/
she can bring others to Him. He also
shared that a rich prayer life can be
attained by first recognizing our realities, then being in Gods presence
and allowing Him to be the Master of
everything in our lives.
The event resumed the following

day with a workshop on Marketing Jesus, given by YFC Mission


Volunteer Kristine Rey, who explained the significance of applying
the basic principles of marketing
in promoting Jesus through YFC
events and activities. She stressed
the need to attract new customers
and keep the current YFCs in the
process. The workshop ended with
a group planning session for possible promotional campaigns for
100% Free and Greeneration, the
end results of which were deemed
fit for probability testing in various
YFC areas. After the third workshop, YCOM Head Keith Janohan
gave the last session. He explored
the different definitions of creativity and how being a creative missionary meant using his creativity
and talents to make Christ known
to others. In the end, he emphasized that the value of creativity is
still in putting Christ at the center
of our lives, no matter what our
endeavors. The YCOM weekend
ended with a closing praisefest that
further energized the participants,
as they trooped to their service areas armed with new, creative tools
for evangelization.

CFC Singapore Joins Global Recollection


By Paulo Canlas
IN line with the recently held
Couples for Christ (CFC) 30th
anniversary celebration, its
Chairman at the time, Joe Tale,
declared the 1st Saturday of June
as the CFC Global Recollection

Day and encouraged the entire


CFC global community to
organize a half-day recollection
to dedicate our mission
and community to Jesus
journeying with Mary, the
start of Evangelization and
Mission. Thus, last June 4,
CFC Singapore members from

various ministries took time


off from their usual Saturday
afternoon routine to reflect and
pray with the entire community
at St. Peters Auditorium,
CAEC.
Dubbed as The Pearl of Great
Price, the recollection kicked
off with a powerful praise and

worship session led by


Jonar Lusung, the newly
installed CFC Chapter 3
Head. After that, Theodore Olsen, the Evangelization Head, read Joes
memo affirming that despite the storms that
the global community experienced, the Holy Spirit
has always been with us
to help us withstand all
trials, move forward, and
set our sights on a new
target our golden (50th)
anniversary.
The recollection had
three talks delivered via
a pre-recorded video of
Msgr. Allen Aganon, the
CFC Spiritual Director,
followed by a recap by the
three (3) CFC Chapter Heads
William Villaviray (C1), Gerry
Falsado (C2), and Jonar Lusung
(C3) and reflection questions
after each talk.
Talk #1: God is the Seeker of
the Pearl related the Parable of
the Pearl (Mt. 13:45-46) where
the merchant is God decisive
to do everything for us to be
with Him either via a sudden
life-changing experience or even

a slow long process. Indeed,


Hell patiently wait for us till we
respond to Him.
Talk #2: We are the Pearls
started with a video on how a
pearl is created - interestingly,
by an irritant being enveloped in
concentric layers of calcium carbonate by an oyster. The speaker
then highlighted that God allows
irritants in our lives to mold us
to be better disciples. Similarly,
CFC is being transformed to be
a better community to serve God

and church.
Talk #3: The Pearl Attitudes
gave a new meaning to PEARL:
(P)ersonal covenant with Christ,
(E)vangelization, (A)nawim, (R)
esilience, and (L)ove. Hence,
this should be our mantra as we
move forward.
The afternoon concluded with
the entire community singing
the new CFC anniversary song,
The Pearl of Great Price and
reciting of the CFC Pearl Anniversary Prayer.

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