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My
dear brethen,
Rejoice in the Lord, for He has done
marvelous deeds in our life and mission!
We have just finished our 25th
anniversary celebration, and we had a grand time! We had over 500
brothers and sisters coming to Manila from other countries, and we
had one big family reunion. We were joined by over 40 clerics,
including a cardinal and many archbishops and bishops, from
different countries. Our times of worship gave us a peek into John’s
vision of the great multitude from every nation, race, people and
tongue coming together to worship the Lamb. It was simply glorious.
CFC was established by God on June 26,
1981. So June 25 was the last day of our 25 years. This day, a
Sunday, was also the culminating activity where 100,000 members
converged at the Luneta in Manila to celebrate God’s faithfulness.
And on this day, God gave us a
wonderful gift. God brought us to 153 countries.
Global mission
Over ten years ago, when we were only
in about two dozen countries, God gave us a goal to be in 153
countries by the end of our 25th year (Inspired by John 21:11). By
the end of 2005, we were already in 134 countries. But to achieve
the goal, we needed to bring CFC to 19 new countries within the
first six months of 2006. The most number of new countries we had
established was 17 in a whole year, back in 1999. Now we needed 19,
in half a month’s time! This was a humanly impossible task.
But we simply went about our work. So
in February we added 2 new countries, 4 in March, 2 in April, 4 in
May. That made 146. But we needed 7 more new countries and we only
had a month to go.
On June 8 CFC was established in
Anguilla. We had one local couple, though there were others who did
not finish at that time because the CLP, which had started on May 9,
was interrupted, then resumed. The others who did not finish this
CLP will be added later. The mission team was Joe & Monina Duran of
Florida. Anguilla is our 147th country.
Joe & Monina moved on to another
country in the West Indies (Caribbean) and we established CFC in
Saba on June 10, with one couple, 2 singles, 7 handmaids, 1 servant
and 1 priest (13 persons). All are nationals except for the priest
who is Filipino. Saba is our 148th country.
Then CFC was established in Bratislava,
Slovakia, on June 11. There was a CLP, a Youth Camp and a Kids Camp.
Those who finished were 5 couples, 3 singles, 1 servant, 3 youth and
7 kids (24 persons). All are Slovakians. The mission team was from
CFC Vienna and from CFC Slovenia. They were Don & Cris Sarmiento,
Martin & Lubia Dilong (CFC Slovenia), Rene & Nel Santayana, Cocoi
Javier (our Euro missionary), Moises Evangelista, Mike Jaramillo,
Josie Cano and Lucy (HOLD), Manny Ocfemia, and the YFC team of Annes
Villanueva, Glenn Panti, Lawrence Jaramillo and Jona May Santos.
Slovakia is our 149th country.
And Joe & Monina were still on a roll.
They moved on to St. Martin and established CFC on June 12, with 3
handmaids, all nationals. St. Martin is our 150th country.
Then CFC was established in Jeremie,
Haiti (still in the West Indies) on June 18. There were 14 couples,
6 singles, 39 handmaids, 2 servants and 1 priest (total of 76
persons). All are Haitians. The mission team was composed of Joe
Duran and Romy Enage. Haiti is our 151st country.
Meantime a mission team from CFC
Australia and CFC New Zealand established CFC in Niue, an island in
Polynesia (Oceania). They had a CLP and a Youth Camp. There were 4
couples, 14 youth, 3 singles, 7 handmaids and 2 servants (total 34
persons). There are 30 nationals, 2 from Papua New Guinea and 2
Filipinos. The mission team was composed of Gordon Walsh and Tony
Kamus from CFC Melbourne, Jeremy Payton, Clark Laurente, Harry
Sadsad and Nereus Maranan from SFC Sydney, and Glenda Abrenio and
Michele Torres from SFC Auckland. Niue is our 152nd country.
And then, on the very last day of our
first 25 years, on June 25, CFC was established in Luanda, Angola
(in Africa). There were 40 couples and 2 clergy (82 persons). All
are Angolans. The mission team was our fulltime missionary couple
based in South Africa, Rollie & Malou de la Cruz. Angola is our
153rd country!
There is a very important lesson God
wants to teach us, at this the end of our 25th year. God has
constantly reminded us of this in so many different ways, but this
time He went about it in the most dramatic fashion. The lesson is
this: God is faithful. God has a plan for the life of the world, God
has called us to be His instruments in accomplishing this plan, and
God will provide whatever we need in order to succeed. And only one
basic thing is needed: we need to be faithful as well.
Silver anniversary
God really blessed us on our 25th
anniversary celebration. There were some outstanding firsts.
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The Pro-Life Congress on June
10-11 was outstanding. There was so much that was learned by
the participants, who are now so much better equipped to
move on with this ministry. |
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The GK Congress on June 17 was
awe inspiring. The heroes are being raised. The brethren
from other countries are inspired to start their own GK
work. |
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The International GK Build on
June 18, with over 1,000 participants including over 300
foreign delegates, was fiesta time while building the first
Int’l GK Village, which is to become the home to homeless
CFC members. |
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The International Gathering of
Clergy (and laity) on June 20 was a unique event that
gathered very many clergy, including a cardinal and several
archbishops and bishops, many of them from outside the
Philippines. Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, President of the
CBCP, affirmed CFC as being in line with Vatican II, and
asserted that we participate in the Church’s mission in our
own right as laypeople, and that we should not be deprived
of the exercise of our charism. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of
South Africa flew in and went directly to the venue to give
his talk. The day affirmed the critical role of CFC in the
life and mission of the Church. The final session with Fr.
Celsus of Dominica was powerful, with all present, clergy
and laity alike, receiving a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. |
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The Social Ministries Congress
on June 21 was another fiesta with lots of fun and
fellowship. |
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The International Mission
Congress on June 22 inspired all those present, especially
the foreign delegates, to pursue our work with greater
fervor. There was great appreciation for CFC. |
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- Tony Correia of India:
CFC is God’s answer for unity in India.
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- John Peter Vui of
Vietnam: CFC is “Emmanuel” for our people.
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- Greg Braum of South
Africa: evangelization in Africa must never exclude the
Filipinos.
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- Tim Brown of Fiji: CFC
is what the Catholic Church should be.
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- Mike Frigge of Iceland:
we need the evangelizing work of CFC for Europe to live
its Christian life
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- Tina Rodriguez,
missionary to Timor Leste: CFC (and GK) is the answer to
the conflict in this country.
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The first International Core of
Elders (ICE) meeting was held in the evening of June 22. It
was wonderful to have the top non-Filipino leaders of the
different countries coming together in fellowship and
discussion about the global work. |
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The Silver Ball on June 23 was
a blast. The Silver book was formally launched. The 2,000
attendees danced the night away. Brethren from all over the
world got to know each other. It was a grand family reunion
and party. |
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The CFC Musicale, “The Seppi
Chronicles,” on June 24 (also on June 18) was absolutely
fabulous. This is the story of CFC presented in a highly
entertaining and touching drama, with great acting, dancing,
songs, costumes, characters, movements, and most of all, the
dialogue that spoke to the heart of all those present. The
standing ovation was a fitting tribute to a great
production. |
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And finally, the CFC 25th
anniversary celebration on June 25 at the Luneta was simply
awesome. Notwithstanding the less than ideal weather,
100,000 CFC members came together as one big happy global
family. The exhibits and shows were great crowd drawers. The
Eucharistic celebration had about 35 clerics, including a
cardinal, 2 archbishops and 4 bishops. What a fitting way to
end 25 years of life and service in the Lord. |
CFC as ecclesial movement
Maribel Descallar, our Church liaison,
my wife Gerry and I were in Rome from May 31 to June 3 as official
delegates for the 2nd World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New
Communities, the meeting of ecclesial movements with the Holy
Father, pope Benedict XVI, and the Pentecost Mass with the pope.
There were about 300 delegates
representing over 100 movements during the Congress. There were also
3 cardinals, 10 archbishops and bishops, and 30 priests. The
congress was an affirmation of the important role of Ecclesial
Movements and New Communities (EMNCs), of which CFC is one of the
123 officially recognized by the Holy See. Consistent with the
posture of John Paul II and now Benedict XVI, the Church hierarchy
stressed that:
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EMNCs are an authentic
experience of being Church. |
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The pope is the founding pillar
of ecclesiality of EMNCs. |
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The vocation of EMNCs is to be
a healthy provocation in the world and in the Church. They
are to be a sign of contradiction. Thus we should be
courageous, go against the politically correct, and rebel
against false tolerance, which prevents us from being
ourselves. |
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Our missionary work is the
mission indicator of our maturity. There is no contradiction
between the institutional and charismatic dimensions. Both
are essential |
The hierarchy cautioned the pastors:
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Pastors must resist seeing the
EMNCs as just a pool of manpower for their own programs.
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Pastors must not impose their
own pastoral programs, as this will mortify EMNCs. |
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Pastors are to respect variety.
Unity is sought in diversity. |
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Diocesan pastoral plans and
structures at times put obstacles and limits to the work of
the Spirit through EMNCs. |
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Parish priests do not
understand the gift that is the EMNCs. |
The hierarchy encouraged the pastors
not to ignore but in fact to cordially welcome EMNCs, and to do so
with joy.
The hierarchy encouraged the EMNCs to
continue with their good work, so crucial for the life of the Church
and of the world. The laity are to take on the heart of St. Paul for
mission, as he said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.”
On June 3 the EMNCs met with the pope.
350,000 people, including CFC, packed St. Peter’s Square. The next
day was the Pentecost Mass with the pope, where 25 cardinals and
very many bishops and priests concelebrated. On both occasions we
were blessed to be right in the front row on the stage to the side
of the pope.
We are on the right track! CFC is one
of the EMNCs that were raised by the Spirit in order to help renew
the Church and bring Christ to the world.
The next 25 years
We are now starting on our next 25
years, and we are going for gold.
The next goal we are to achieve is
GK777. We know GK is God’s work, and we are convinced GK777 is His
plan. His plan can still be thwarted …. by us. But if we truly have
faith, and if we truly are faithful, then God will accomplish His
plan through us. What an exciting mission we have ahead of us.
In the next 25 years we will do more of
the same, because the 7 pillars are already in place, and we will
just run with what the Lord has given us. But we ought to do our
work with greater urgency and commitment.
We will go to all the other countries
of the world, beyond the 153.
We will raise hundreds of missionaries.
There are more requests for missionaries, especially from the clergy
who were with us over our anniversary week. Our singles have already
been responding. Now we are calling on the retired or retiring
couples. You may never have thought of this before, but consider
that one option for the 10 or more years of your productive life is
to be a missionary couple. I assure you: this will be one of the
greatest blessings in your life.
We will be bringing GK to many other
countries, while at the same time intensifying the work in the
Philippines, so that it will be a visible model to the rest of the
world as to how a poor troubled nation will become united, peaceful
and prosperous.
Are you excited for the next 25 years?
I certainly am.
Thank you for all your work and
sacrifice in the last 25 years. You know it has not been in vain.
And I hope you know you are in the best place where God intended for
you to be.
Onward CFC!
God bless you all.
In the service of Christ,
Frank Padilla
Int’l Mission Director
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GLOBAL UPDATE 05-59