MANILA, August 16, 2013—Around 200 lay mission partners and Salesians of Don Bosco gathered for a Congress on New Evangelization at the Lima Park Hotel in Malvar, Batangas last August 2-4.
According to the Salesians of the Northern Province, the congress is the Salesians’s response to the Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization and the conclusion of a process of pre-congresses held since last school year.
“The goal of the congress is to create an environment for the New Evangelization that leads to positive personal and social transformation,” the organizers added.
The output of the congress will steer the Northern Province towards New Evangelization and will also provide guideline for the planning of the different commissions.
The Salesian province is expected to come up with a handbook detailing the Philippine North Province journey to new evangelization together with an integrated pastoral plan for the new evangelization, which will serve as a present to St. John Bosco on his 200th birthday in 2015.
Fr. Eli Cruz SDB, Provincial Superior of the Salesians in the northern part of the country was the convenor of the Congress while Fr. Vic Cervania SDB, Vice Dean of Don Bosco Center for Studies (DBCS) and Fr. Renato de Guzman SDB, a peritus in last year’s Bishops’ Synod on New Evangelization served as the chair and co-chair, respectively.
Manila Archbishop-Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales celebrated the mass at the conclusion of the three-day conference.
Participants were representatives from schools, parishes, youth centers, seminaries and technical-vocational training centers run by Salesians.
Also invited as observers were Salesian priests from the Southern Province, Salesian Sisters (FMA), Salesian Cooperators, Don Bosco Volunteers, past pupils, the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), and an individual from a lay-covenanted community. (Fr. Donnie Duchin Duya, SDB/Jandel Posion)
