‘Year of the Parish’ legacy: Christianity means helping the needy

BOHOL – At the culmination of the Year of the Parish, a priest reflected on the legacy of the year-round celebration and how it allowed more people to live out the mission of being Christian: helping those in need.

“The main mission of Christianity is becoming more concrete; people are starting to realize that Christianity is not a life of feeling and praying but more of going out to the people in need,” said Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) director of the Diocese of Tagbiliran, Fr. Cecil Lobrigas.

According to the priest, the celebration promoted stronger communion between local communities and the Church, involving more people in the faith.

“There are many people that think that the Church is more on the infrastructure but because of [BEC] programs, they were able to realize that they are really part of the building blocks of the Church,” he said. “Their participation makes the Church alive.”

The Participation in Mission formation allowed leaders and members of BECs to exercise the “Christian mission of being a prophet, a priest and a king.”

Moreover, Lobrigas pointed out how the celebration of 2017 raised awareness regarding renewal groups and why they should be more involved with the parish by offering their services to BECs.

“The reality of the BECs is that it gives people [a] home where we can do more and help resolve each other’s issues,” he added. Niceforo Vince A. Balbedina III/CBCPNews