MANILA, Jan. 11, 2013— Catholic bishops and social action workers in Visayas will gather in Samar Island for this year’s national launching of Alay Kapwa, the Church’s Lenten evangelization program.
The Diocese of Catarman was chosen to host of the AK launching in the Visayas region on Feb. 13 to 15 with the theme “Challenges and Responses of Stewardship in the Year of Faith”.
The three-day activity will start with a concelebrated Mass at the Catarman Cathedral and will be followed with a Basic Orientation Seminar for Social Action Works for the Social Action Commissions.
The seminar will be led by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo who heads the National Secretariat for Social Action – Justice and Peace (Nassa) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
The second day will kick off with a caravan to Allen town, about 40 km west-north-west of province capital Catarman for the official launching of AK, followed by a tree planting.
Medical and dental mission, para-legal consultation and feeding of children are also in the string of activities.
The gathering will end with a Mass at the St. James the Greater Parish, Allen, Northern Samar on February 15.
Bishops, priests and representatives from their respective social action centers are expected to grace the occasion.
Alay Kapwa seeks to raise social consciousness about the plight of the poor. It is also the time of the year designated to raise funds for the Church’s social services and programs. (CBCPNews)
