The CFC Mission Core Group held their annual weekend retreat last January 27 to 29, 2012 at Camp John Hay in Baguio. Over 2,000 leaders of CFC and its Ministries from Metro Manila and the provinces, Brunei, China, Macau, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, East Timor, Australia, Papua New Guinea, USA, Canada, the Middle East, Lebanon, and Qatar came to participate in the event, dubbed as the “Magnificat Weekend,” based on the community’s theme for the year, “Proclaim the Greatness of the Lord” (Luke 1:46). 



The retreat officially started on Friday afternoon, with the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass led by CFC’s Spiritual Director, Monsignor Allen Aganon. A new feature of the traditional annual retreat is the recitation of the Holy Rosary before the Holy Mass. The rosary will be recited prior to the Masses on Saturday and Sunday morning as well. 

The Friday session was devoted to fun and fellowship with the different MM sectors exhibiting their talents in the “CFC Goes GLEE” show choir competition. But GLEE had a different meaning that night --the show was meant to showcase the community’s “GLEE spirit,” i.e. to become “Godly, Loving and Exciting Evangelizers.” CFC Metro Manila Central A sector ended up winning first place, with West B and South B sectors gaining second and third place respectively. 

Read more: The Magnificat: CFC’s Song of Mission

China Bank turned over last January 28 a check for P1 million representing the bank’s donation to Couples for Christ’s Sendong fund. Alex Escucha, Group Head of Corporate Planning of China Bank (fourth from left) presented the check to CFC, represented by CFC ANCOP Tekton Foundation President Eric de los Reyes and (from the right) Bong Arjonillo, himself a China Bank executive, and CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca. Also present were CFC members who are (or were) China Bank employees (from left) Tony and Aileen Carreon and Bob Uyquiengco. According to Escucha, the P1 million represents the bank’s counterpart donation to the P1 million earlier generated from the bank-initiated campaign among its clients and employees.

The CFC Leadership Development Program was launched on December 7, 2011, at the Lay Force Formation Center, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati City.

Describing the program as a “a threshold of a new beginning in CFC,” Joe Yamamoto, a member of the CFC International Council and Head of the Leadership Development Program, explained that the program is a response to the clamor of CFC leaders who, in a formal survey held during the Evangelization and Mission Congress last June, 2011, sought the “review and updating of the leaders’ manuals and the establishment of the CFC Leaders Forum/Institute.”


One of the highlights of the launch was the lecture of Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite of the Society of St. Paul, on “Discovering, Affirming and Exercising Christian Leadership.” He emphasized that “Christian leadership is equal to empowerment to service. The call to leadership is a call to be empowered.”

Fr. Mario enumerated the essence of being Christian leaders.

He clarified that Christian leaders should have the “consciousness to being called and sent.” The initiative is always from God; it is God who calls and sends. Fr. Mario explained that God first says, “Come,” which means “learn from me,” not as a mere acquaintance, but as one meant to have a deep personal knowledge of Him.

Fr. Mario stressed that, “Every call begins with discipleship,”and only thereafter will the Lord tell us to “Go!” He commented that, “Ang malaking pagkakamali ng marami, pumupunta kahit hindi pinadadala (The greatest mistake of many is going without being sent.).

The second essence of a Christian leader is he is “empowered by the Holy Spirit for the service of the Church.” The empowerment is aimed to make the leader fit and ready for service to renew and build up the Church. “Pagkumita sa service o sumarap ang buhay, hindi ito service to the Church.” (If one benefits from the service or begins to enjoy a comfortable life, this is not service to the Church.) True leaders must continue to remind himself and others that “Ako ay may pwesto dahil iniutos sa akin na kayo’y pagsilbihan.” (I am in a position of leadership only because I was instructed to serve.)

The third is a “deep conviction of being unworthy and incapable.” Just like St. Paul who described himself as “the least of all the apostles,” then as “a servant of Christ Jesus”, and as “the worst of all sinners,” Fr. Mario emphasized that “the nearer you are to the sun, the darker becomes your shadow.” This simply means that those who occupy positions of leadership face the great hazard of being engulfed by the darkness of pride and sin. Fr. Mario explained that this is the reason why CFC, and any other religious organization or movement, must have a Spiritual director to ensure the continued flow of guidance and counsel.

The fourth essence is the “complete dependence on God for strength and reward.” Citing Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Fr. Mario said that, “The call is not to be successful, but to be faithful.” For “not everyone who does good, does it for the right reason.” Fr. Mario exhorted that “if your leader is no longer teachable, dapat bumaba na (he should step down). He will destroy your community.”

The fifth is that the Christian leader “suffers for being a servant and a prophet for God.” The leader knows that “right is right even if everybody is against it” and “wrong is wrong even if everybody is for it.” Power finds its greatness in him who accepts powerlessness and depends on the power from on High.

In his homily during the mass that he celebrated after the lecture, Fr. Mario enjoined CFC leaders to emulate the Blessed Mother, who as God’s servant was “never the bida (the star).” He reminded all that “as God empowers you, always keep close to Mary.”

The program concluded with a short workshop during which CFC leaders identified the topmost qualities of a CFC leader. Emerging as top desirable qualities were as: faithfulness, prayerful attitude, humility, obedience, servanthood and witnessing as a role model.

The lecture is the first in a series of offerings that the Program aims to bring down to the leadership.

The program is meant to “develop pastoral and corporate leadership capability to enable delivery of CFC global mission; develop the next generation of Christian leaders who will assume key roles in the transformation of society; lead  others along the journey to personal holiness (thrive as lay leaders in society at large); use relevant  corporate management skills to deliver evangelization and pastoral mission; review the training manuals for household heads (HH), unit heads(UH) and chapter heads (CH); enhance existing training tracks; and refine existing platforms.”

Top CFC leaders, including the members of the International Council, the Board of Elders, Metro Manila Sector Heads, Regional Heads, Provincial Area Heads and governance teams, the young and budding leaders in and from the Family Ministries, and non- CFC leaders who are eager and desirous to learn more about leadership, are expected to benefit from this program.  By Marivie Dalman

From November 16 to 24, 2011, a Couples for Christ (CFC) mission team, composed of Jose Sonny Aguiling, Regional Coordinator of CFC South America; Luis Paez, missionary for CFC (or Parejas para Cristo in Spanish) in South America; and Jorge Sarmiento, of CFC in Guayaquil, Ecuador; conducted a mission trip to Guayaquil as a “response to God’s vision of grace.”

About Guayaquil

Guayaquil (pronounced: [ɡwaʝaˈkil]), officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest and most populous city in Ecuador, with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as the nation's main port. Guayaquil is also the city with the highest rate of underemployment (about 40% of the economically active population) and unemployment (about 11% of the economically active population) of Ecuador. Guayaquil has city partnerships with Miami, Florida, USA and Houston, Texas, USA (1987).

The climate in Guayaquil, Ecuador is hot and generally humid throughout the year with little variation in average temperatures.

The Church and CFC in Guayaquil

Guayaquil has a cathedral and many Roman Catholic churches. Approximately 80% of Guayaquileños are Catholics. Couples for Christ (Parejas para Cristo) is privileged to have been officially recognized by the Archdiocese of Ecuador. 

 
The November Mission Trip to Guayaquil

On November 16, Sonny and Luis arrived in Guayaquil. Jorge had arrived one day earlier.

The team met with the Nuncio of North Guayaquil, Fr. Alfonso Aviles Perez, who gave them a list of parishes under his responsibility (over 50). Fr. Perez authorized the team to contact these parishes. Fr. Perez is also the pastor of Santa Teresita del Nino Jesus in Samborondón, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Samborondón is a suburb of Guayaquil and one of the cantons of Guayas province in Ecuador. It is one of the most exclusive residential and entertainment districts in Ecuador, boasting many gated communities (urbanizaciones cerradas), and several retail developments are located in the suburb. It is very close to Guayaquil itself (you get there by merely crossing a bridge).

Between November 18 and 20, a CFC Christian Life Program (Programa Vida Cristiana) was conducted at San Juan Bautista Church, Los Esteros, Guayaquil, Ecuador. We were blessed to have Padre Diego Solano introduce CFC to his parishioners. The Orientation night was attended by 100 parishioners, with 24 individuals completing the whole CLP, composed of seven CFC couples; four Handmaids of the Lord; four Singles for Christ; and two YFC members.

Prior to the CLP proper, Luis Paez taught the music ministry members CFC songs in Spanish. All the music ministry members (who were initially non-CFC members) were able to finish the CLP and also become community members.

The new set of leaders for the CFC community in Guayaquil are as follows: CFC - Carlos and Charito Jarrin; HOLD – Ibara Ruiz; SFC – Marjorie Pisco Acebo and Paola Sanchez; YFC – Francisco Vera.

CFC Guayaquil has Father Diego Solano as their spiritual adviser. Fr. Solano has approved the use of the church hall facilities of San Juan Bautista Church for future CFC CLPs, meetings and assemblies.

Aside from the CLP, the mission team members also met Auxiliary Bishop Marco, who represented Monsignor Antonio Arregui Yarza, Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador, who was not available at that time. Bishop Marco welcomed CFC to do its work with parishes in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The team also had a meeting at the Consulado de Filipinas (Philippine Consulate) with the Philippine Consul of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Corazon Oliva-Reyes, and her husband, Aurelio Reyes. We informed them of the presence of CFC in Guayaquil. There are very few Filipinos in Guayaquil.

It was truly a blessed time for the team members, who felt God affirming the earlier welcome message given by Msgr. Antonio ArreguiYarza, Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador throughout the entire trip: “Due to the approval of the Couples for Christ statutes from the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil is pleased to allow you to develop your charism among our faithful.” Truly, God is using CFC and its charism to touch the lives of people in Ecuador. Viva Jesus!  By Sonny Aguiling