The annual FSP Young Perpetual Professed gathering was held on July 27-31, 2015 at the FSP compound in Pasay City. The participants were Sr. Melissa Mancita, Sr. Lourdes Bagalay, Sr. Janith Tinong, Sr. Mary Ann Salvilla, Sr. Rhodora Alarcon, Sr. Ann Marie Nemenzo and Sr. Carmel Galula. They were with Sr. Gemma Ria dela Cruz, YPP Coordinator, and Fr. Raymond Ferraris, SSP, chaplain and resource sharer.
Sr. Catherine Bacay, FSP, provincial councilor welcomed the participants to the gathering. She reminded them that the “coming together” was a special moment for renewal, an answer to the need to improve and to grow, in order to become better persons, better Pauline apostles. Quoting from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, “when love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep…” she said that this will entail taking time to go back to the moment of being beckoned by God who is Himself “Love,” and that the process of renewal is possible only with the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Raymond Ferraris, SSP, presided at the celebration of the Eucharist on the second day. After which, he delivered a profound reflection on the theme for the gathering, Wake Up the World. He focused on finding “happiness with the Master… the joy of being a religious.” Fr. Raymond expounded on Pope Francis’ challenge for the Year of Consecrated Life which is “to wake up the world.” He said that “consecrated persons are to become authentic witnesses of Gospel values in order to wake up the world. Consecrated life to become a path to renewal and to wake up the world is not easy. It is filled with difficulties and struggles – but it will be a fruitful renewal and a discovery of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Consecrated men and women are reminded of their being evangelizers, signs of hope, holiness, and testimonies of faith. They need strength and vitality in order to manifest joy and happiness. It is important also to remember the testimonies of the past – the saints, martyrs, pioneer sisters, etc. The path of consecrated life led by the Spirit is a call to recognize and confess one’s weaknesses as well as to show the world the strength, joy, holiness, and vitality present in consecrated life. It is not about efficiency but about being what each radiates in one’s life: the joy and the beauty of living the Gospel, following Christ with joy and to the full. Consecrated people are to wake up and to wake up the world, to smile, to tell and show people that they are happy!
The young sisters spent time reflecting on Fr. Raymond’s talk and their experiences in ministry, and shared their insights with each other. These were precious moments of bonding together and deeper communion.
On the third day, the YPP sisters together with Sr. Gemma Ria, went around Pasay City to post vocation posters. They courageously approached pedicab drivers and jeepney drivers who happily agreed to have the FSP vocation posters in their vehicles. They also posted these on strategic walls where many, especially, young people, will be passing by and on the information corners of some parishes in the city.
The sisters then proceeded to one of the squatters area near Buendia Avenue to be with some families whose homes turned to ashes on May 25, 2015. At present, these families are temporarily sheltered under tents in a small vacant lot behind Buendia Avenue. Since that day was the feast of St. Martha, the sisters had “Lamesa ni Marta” with the families by sharing lunch and dining with them. Fr. Tootsie Flores, SSP, parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows, willingly supported the sisters’ activity and coordinated with the families concerned. A rich exchange of faith experiences also took place during the encounter. At one point, Sr. Gemma Ria asked them, “Sa inyo pong mga karanasan, lalong-lalo na ang pagkasunog ng inyong mga bahay at ari-arian, paano niyo po nararanasan ngayon ang presensiya ng Panginoon?” The members of the families replied, “Heto po, wala pong namatay sa amin sa sunog, wala pong nasaktan, araw-araw po may mga dumarating na tulong sa amin, pagkain, kagamitan at pinahintulutan din po kaming pansamantalang manatili dito, napakarami po naming biyaya sa kabila ng lahat.”
The YPP sisters ended the day by thanking the Lord for the grace-filled experiences they had. They joined the parishioners of the Our Lady of Sorrows at the evening Mass and rendered the “Harana sa Parokya.” Before the final blessing, the sisters serenaded those present with three songs: Wake the World (the theme song for the Year of Consecrated Life), Stella Maris (a hymn to the Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of Good Vocations), and My Grace is Enough for You (taken from the letters of St. Paul).
