MANILA, Feb. 25, 2013—The visits of Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to various schools within the Archdiocese of Manila should be a wake-up call for administrators to address the students’ need for an intensified campus ministry even inside a non-sectarian academic setting.
In an interview, Fr. Conegundo Garganta of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth said the Cardinal’s trip and meeting with students highlight the prelate’s interest to answer the youth’s various questions concerning faith, a commendable gesture especially during the ongoing Year of Faith.
“The visit of Cardinal Tagle becomes a venue for students and even the faculty to realize the spirit of the Year of Faith because it encourages active dialogue about issues concerning faith,” he said.
Garganta said that while Tagle’s campus tour is not new among bishops, he however encouraged other dioceses to replicate what is being done in the Archdiocese of Manila.
“This is a commendable activity that others should replicate: visiting and interacting with students. I personally hope that these would continue even after the year of faith,” he added.
The CBCP executive also stressed the importance of campus ministry in schools that are not run by Catholic parishes, congregations and institutions.
“Campus ministry strengthens the students’ activeness in school and in the parish. It significantly contributes to the students’ spiritual and social lives, especially as they are mostly in school than at home most of their youth,” Garganta added.
This is why he also urged administrators of non-sectarian and public schools “to establish a campus ministry office and sustain it.” (KB/YouthPinoy)
