austraLasia
#1824
'My Family, My Home' FMA
Family CAmp in Philippines
MANILA: 21st April 2007 -- In response to an earlier call by the Rector
Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, in his 2006 Strenna - and knowing that this and the
current one (and, presumably, the one for 2008 as well) are all linked, the
Salesian Sisters from the Philippines province (they have one FIL province which
also includes presences in PNG), have just held their 2007 Educating Community
Family Camp, from 12-15 April.
The four day gathering was
a celebration and concrete expression of commitment to the call to give
'special attention to the family, cradle of life and love'. The
camp was organised by the Provincial Educating Community Core Group in
collaboration with the provincial team and the twelve participating FMA
communities from all over the Philippines. In fact the gathering was a
milestone for the province since it was the first family camp of its kind.
It involved more than 170 delegates, 24 families from various communities and
ranged in age from a five month old infant to an 86 year old
FMA!
Delegates at the camp were given a comprehensive
formation on the centrality and integrity of the family as a core event in
society, a school of formation for young people, and a system and vehicle for
proclaiming Christ's message of love and servant-leadership in the Church.
The 2006 Strenna and the Charter of Rights of the Family were
taken as documents upon which key issues and discussion were based. Sr. Alicia
S. Fulgencia FMA, provincial superior, formally opened the event and her
heartfelt insights and sharing of personal experience in her own family touched
the hearts of delegates. It has been the faith of her ailing mother which
has very much nurtured her own faith and continually inspired and strengthened
her fidelity to her vows, she said.
Working in
identifiable groups based on age range to begin with, delegates looked at the
Strenna's various levels and perspectives. This was then followed by a
session facilitated for all by four experts in family counselling from CEFAM
(Centre for Family Ministries) from the Ateneo de Manila (University). Through
fun and games, they explained the family system and expounded on parenting
skills. The CEFAM team also guided delegates in meditation, family prayer
experiences and processing feelings, insights and sample applications of
learning. Among these activities, the Structured Learning Experiences
(SLE) and family prayers were identified as most significant and meaningful for
the families. Naturally there was an evening concert in Salesian family
style.
The highlight of the family camp was the assembly
of delegates by community. The Sister animator for each community
facilitated the drafting of the vision-mission for the EC Family Ministry. This
final activity proved to be the most crucial because it will eventually
determine the direction of the EC as far as transmitting the camp experience and
learning to other families is concerned. The vision-mission statements
synthesised and explicitly established the desire of the Educating Community in
the Philippines to serve actively through the family ministry and to lead the
cause of defending life and integrity of the family.
The
next phase: local family camps and realisation of the family vision-mission
statements.
_________________
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