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YEAR 2000: THE JOINT JUBILEE CONGRESS ON CATECHESIS
AND CATHOLIC EDUCATION
The Dream and the Planning
Great feats are never the result of improvisation or
chancy activities. Rather, they are the fruit of an
original intuition, painstaking development of that
idea, careful planning and consistent implementation.
Such was the "JOINT JUBILEE CONGRESS ON CATECHESIS
AND CATHOLIC EDUCATION" which was held at the Philippine
International Convention Center, Manila, on September
11-13, 2000.
The great architect and prime mover of that Congress
was Msgr. Gerry Santos who as early as November 1999
proposed first to the ECCCE Advisory Board and then
to the CEAP Board of Directors that the two Organizations
celebrate together the Jubilee of Catechists and Educators
in September 2000 by holding a joint Congress.
The idea, though attractive to both parties in its
overall intent, initially did not receive an unconditional
and enthusiastic approval. Various difficulties were
at the root of some reservations that were put forward.
One initial difficulty was the great difference of interests
and experiences of the major groups of expected participants,
namely the school and the catechetical contingents.
What common interest or idea could there be, aside from
the celebration of the Jubilee, to bring and keep together
for three days such a heterogeneous and huge gathering
of people?
The need was felt, both in ECCCE and CEAP, for a deepening
of the reasons why this congress should be held at all,
even before the proposed Joint Organizing Committee
could discuss a common theme, identify objectives and
come up with a series of activities to be carried out
during the event. The fact that such a joint Congress
had no precedents on which to capitalize was an additional
difficulty.
Paradoxically, it was precisely this last difficulty
of a lack of a precedent which led a good number to
conclude that it was about time that qualified representatives
of Catechesis and Catholic Education should come together,
pray together, listen and talk to each other, in order
to know each other better, and plan together for the
future. Besides, was not ECCCE the Episcopal Commission
on Catechesis and Catholic Education? The need for greater
collaboration between these two basic components of
Catholic life had long been felt, but not much had been
achieved so far. What better occasion than the Jubilee
Year to try to do what had never been attempted before,
i. e., bring Catechists and Catholic Educators together
in view of knowing and strengthening each other?
A major difficulty having become an asset, it was
now a question of venturing further and identifying
a topic and a theme capable of arousing the interest
of the two prospective groups of participants. The Great
Jubilee widely divulged "Five R's" and its
insistence on conversion and renewal seemed to offer
enough ground for the elaboration of a common theme
that would embrace more than the initial idea of coming
together to "celebrate the growth and vitality
of the local Church in the Philippines in the New Millennium
through the educational and catechetical apostolate."
Another difficulty was likewise tackled in the preliminary
meetings: What would make this Joint Congress different
from all the previous ones which had usually ended with
a series of "Recommendations" and "Desiderata"
to be carried out by institutions or groups, usually
other than the participants? What "novelty"
aside from the fact that this congress would be celebrated
during the Jubilee Year - would have convinced the prospective
participants that it would be worthwhile to travel all
the way to Manila, spending money for transportation
and registration? The solution was found in the proposal
that the Joint Congress should end not with a "Message"
or a set of "Recommendations" but with a specific
COMMITMENT to be taken by all the participants in behalf
also of the other members of the sectors they represented.
Gradually and imperceptibly, the Holy Spirit had led
the joint delegations of CEAP, ECCCE, and the Archdiocesan
Catechetical Ministry of Manila to realize not only
the opportuneness of holding the proposed Joint Congress
on the occasion of the Jubilee Year, but actually the
need for it. Its sense of "novelty" would
have not only captured the interest of the participants,
but insured its fruitfulness after the event.
Two major players were then identified in the persons
of Archbishop Legaspi, the ECCCE Chairman, and Fr. Roderick
Salazar, the CEAP President, who would conceptualize
the theme of the Congress and prepare a set of ideas
to be discussed in the Workshops which were expected
to be its most important activity.
Once again, the Holy Spirit must have been especially
active, judging from the result: a captivating theme
and sub-theme:
Living Church, Learning
Communities
Visions, Revisions, Remembrances. . .
and a set of objectives perfectly in line with some
of the main emphases of the Jubilee Year: "To examine
how catechists and Catholic educators can best fulfill
the thrusts of the Great Jubilee, and how we can work
together toward this Goal.
As individuals and institutions, we shall
- rejoice in the call and achievements of Catechesis
and Catholic Education;
- repent for our failures, weaknesses and shortcomings
as individuals and institutions engaged in catechesis
and Catholic education; and
- recommit ourselves to the mission of renewed evangelization
and integral education."
In line with these objectives, the "particular
thrusts" of the Congress, based on PCP II and "Ecclesia
in Asia" began to be elaborated through a progressive
interaction among the members of the Organizing Committee
on a "Suggested Framework for the Congress"
contributed by Archbishop Legaspi.
Committees were formed, and "target participants"
were identified in school administrators and superintendents,
representatives of faculty, non-teaching personnel,
parents and students, as well as religious education
coordinators, campus ministers, catechists, catechist
coordinators and formators, as well as directors of
diocesan catechetical centers. All in all some 3,500
participants were expected, 2,000 of whom would be coming
from the school setting and some 1,500 from the catechetical
setting.
Solicitation letters were sent to prospective corporate
and institutional benefactors, while the drafting of
the "Tentative program of Activities" began
its tormented journey, which would see changes at almost
every meeting of the Organizing Committee.
A logo of the Congress was also developed by Fr. Salvatore
Putzu, SDB with the concurrence of Archbishop Legaspi
and the group of artists of "Word & Life."
Having been approved by the Organizing Committee, the
Logo began to be circulated in all Catholic schools
and parishes, thanks also to a poster disseminated nationwide.
Almost at the same time, a "Recollection Module"
developing the three key words of the Objectives, namely:
REJOICE, REPENT and RECOMMIT, was prepared by the Religious
Education Commission of the CEAP with the collaboration
of representatives from several religious congregations
involved in teaching. The purpose of the "Recollection
Module" was to enable all the components of the
Catholic schools, including those who would not be able
to participate in the Congress, to prepare themselves
adequately for the great event by reflecting in a recollected
and prayerful way on the theme and specific objectives
of the Congress. Copies of the "Module" were
entrusted to all Regional Directors for proper dissemination
in their respective constituencies.
While these activities were going on, ECCCE was also
busy disseminating in all parishes and then retrieving
the Questionnaire of the Survey on the Catechetical
situation in the pastoral setting. The data yielded
were to be presented at the Congress as part of the
"Situationer" that would enable the participants
to reflect on the main features, needs and problems
besetting the catechetical ministry in the country.
At the same time, both the ECCCE and the CEAP Secretariats
were busy contacting their respective constituencies
and getting the names of the participants. Unfortunately,
and contrary to the initial expectations, the current
economic crisis seemed to be discouraging many of the
prospective participants.
The situation of uncertainty concerning the number
of participants was bound to have a negative effect
on the financial aspect of the organization of the Congress.
This was compounded by the very low amount of donations
from the corporate sponsors. The economic crunch with
the consequent financial constraints placed on the organizers
of the Congress repeatedly cast a dark cloud on the
preparation of the Congress. Hence the constant concern
on how to cut on costs, both in the food and the cultural
show to be broadcast live on Channel 7, which eventually
was cancelled altogether.
In the end, thanks to a very generous donation from
Sagip Ka 2000/ABS-CBN Foundation and a great act of
faith in Divine Providence, almost everything (except
the cultural show) went on as planned. And, as the last
days of preparation and the unfolding of the Congress
will show, Divine Providence did not let the Organizers
down. (cf. DOCETE, vol. XXIII, Nos. 102-103)
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