30/08/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish (VMMP) officially launched the National Evangelization and Catechetical Month 2026 this Sunday, bringing together catechists, families, children, and the entire parish community in a celebration centered on listening to God and serving His people.
Carrying this yearโs theme, โDumngegโ (Listen): Synodal Journey for One Mission,โ the celebration emphasized that catechesis is more than teaching prayers and doctrinesโit is helping people learn to listen to God, discern His will, and live according to the Gospel.
At the heart of the celebration was the Holy Mass offered especially for the parishโs dedicated catechists, who continue to accompany children, young people, and families in their journey of faith.
The celebration was thoughtfully planned and organized by Sister Antonina Bautista, head of the Parish Commission on Evangelization and head of catechists through the collaborative effort of the entire commission and its dedicated team.
The preparation itself became a beautiful expression of synodalityโmany hands, one heart, one mission.
Particularly noteworthy was the tireless effort of Bro. Jerome, who worked closely with the parish team in preparing the Holy Spirit Mass. He also created a beautiful banner featuring the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which was solemnly processed before the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
The giftsโWisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lordโserved as a powerful reminder that catechists do not fulfill their mission through human strength alone. They need the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Bro. Jerome also prepared stickers bearing the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which were distributed to churchgoers after Mass, allowing the celebration to extend beyond the church walls and into the homes and lives of the faithful.
Catechists: Teaching People to Think According to God
In his homily, Parish Priest Fr. Jerry connected the mission of catechists with the Gospelโs powerful challenge of Jesus to Peter:
โYou are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.โ
For the parish priest, these words capture the very heart of catechesis.
A catechist, he emphasized, does not simply teach children how to pray. A catechist teaches prayers, commandments, sacraments, Scripture, and the teachings of the Churchโbut the deeper mission is much greater:
A catechist teaches people how to think according to God.
And this mission has become particularly crucial in the present situation of the country.
In a time when truth can easily be distorted, when personal interests can overshadow the common good, and when moral values are constantly challenged, the Church needs men and women who can help form consciences according to the Gospel.
The challenge is simple to say but difficult to live:
โPanginoon, hindi ang gusto koโkundi ang gusto Mo.โ
Perhaps, Fr. Jerry reflected, this is the most difficult lesson in catechism.
But it is also the lesson that can save us.
Because a nation that learns to think according to God cannot easily be drownedโeven when the floods rise high.
A Mission That Deserves Our Gratitude
The celebration also became an opportunity for the parish to affirm and appreciate its catechists.
Behind every catechist is a story of sacrifice.
There are weekends given up.
There are lessons prepared after a long day.
There are children who need patience.
There are questions that require understanding.
There are moments when attendance is small, yet the catechist still comes.
There are times when nobody says โthank youโโbut the catechist continues.
They may not always stand in the spotlight, but they are quietly shaping the future of the Church.
They plant seeds whose fruits they may never see.
They teach children who may one day become parents, teachers, priests, religious, community leadersโand faithful Christians.
Their ministry is therefore not merely a parish activity.
It is a ministry of moral and spiritual formation.
It is a ministry of hope.
It is a ministry of nation-building.
It is a ministry of the Gospel.
As a visible sign of their commissioning and renewed mission, Fr. Jerry gave the catechists their Catechist IDs and blessed them symbolizing the parishโs trust in their vocation and their commitment to serve as witnesses and teachers of the faith.
The ID may be small, but what it represents is enormous:
They are sent.
They are trusted.
They are commissioned.
They are missionaries of faith.
And perhaps most importantly, they are not alone.
They go with the prayers of the parish, the support of their families, the guidance of the Church, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
ONE MISSION, MANY HEARTS
The launching of Catechetical Month at VMMP was more than the opening of another parish program. It was a reminder that the work of evangelization belongs to everyone.
The catechist teaches.
The parents continue the teaching at home.
The children receive and live the faith.
The parish community supports the mission.
And the Holy Spirit gives strength to them all.
This is what โdumngegโListenโ calls the parish to do: to listen together, walk together, and serve together for one mission.
To the catechists of Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish:
Thank you for saying yes.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for teaching.
Thank you for patiently repeating the lessons.
Thank you for loving our children.
Thank you for planting faith in young hearts.
Thank you for becoming instruments of the Holy Spirit.
You may sometimes wonder if what you are doing matters.
It does.
Every prayer you teach may become a prayer whispered by a child in a difficult moment.
Every Bible story you share may become a light that guides someone years from now.
Every lesson about Jesus may become a memory that brings someone home to God.
You are not merely teaching children about God.
You are helping children discover that God has never stopped loving them.
And that is why the parish is proud of you.
Mabuhay ang mga katesista ng Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish!
May the Holy Spirit fill you with Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
And as we begin this Catechetical Month, may we remember:
Kapag natuto tayong makinig sa Diyos, matututo tayong magmahal.
Kapag natuto tayong magmahal, matututo tayong maglingkod.
At kapag sama-sama tayong nakinig, nagmahal, at naglingkodโ
hindi lamang tayo magiging isang parokya.
MAGIGING ISANG SIMBAHAN TAYO.
ISANG PUSO.
ISANG MISYON.
PARA SA DIYOS, PARA SA SIMBAHAN, AT PARA SA BAYAN.
Dumngeg tayo. Makinig tayo. Maglakbay tayo. Maglingkod tayo.
ONE MISSION. ONE CHURCH. ONE HEARTโLISTENING TO THE SPIRIT, AND SENT TO THE WORLD.
Mabuhay ang ating mga catechists! We pray for you, we appreciate you, and we thank God for your โYES!โ
