Region 24, the Diocese of the Queen of Angels, is the international youth body of the Apostolic Catholic Church mandated to promote strong and active youth participation in the Organizational, Pastoral and Cursillo affairs of the Church. From a lay organization since the 80’s, it was officially founded into a full-fledged Diocese in the year 2005 ~ known then as Region 13 ~ upon the auspices of Hi
s Holiness Founding Bishop, Patriarch +John Florentine L. Teruel, P.P., whose members include full-fledged young ACC members sealed as Cherubim, Seraphim, Hijas de Maria (Daughters of Mary), Angelitos and Angelitas regarded as the “hope and future” of the Church. In the words of Patriarch John Florentine, the young people of ACC were, thus, given duties and responsibilities that are “co-equal, co-demanding and co-challenging, if not more, with the rest of the various Dioceses of the Church,” a divine mandate which he thanked the Youth for accepting and believing with “filial love, trust and faith.”
Devotion to the Blessed Mother
In 2012, the group founded the Cofradia dela Reina delos Angeles or the Confraternity of the Queen of Angels to promote devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary among the younger generation. Membership to the Confraternity is open to all Marian devotees of all ages, whose primary mandate is to foster consecration of persons and families to the Holy Rosary via the Queen of Angels Block Rosary Movement (BRM) now prevalent in various mission areas all over the country. The Feast of the Queen of Angels is celebrated every fourth Sunday of August where Hermanos and Hermanas, Confraternity Members as well as Block Rosarian Movers convene after a nine-day Novena. Its series of activities include fun and educational “fiesta-like” events that provide an enjoyable platform for learning and participation among young people including the little children. The life-sized image of the Blessed Queen of Angels is among the major features of the ACC’s Annual International Marian Festival and Founding Anniversary held every 13th of July. Saturday Devotion
The Auxiliaries, as the young people are collectively called, regard Saturday as a day of obligation or “ganapan,” a chosen appointment day where they, from the national, diocesan and community levels, commit to come together for Bible reflection and sharing, Marian and religious studies, Catechism and communal prayers to grow in faith, service, values and full understanding of their charism with proper guidance by the Church though the members of its Holy Orders, as well as the care of the Marias and the rest of the lay community, following the principle that “it takes a village to raise a child.”
Youth Camps, Lenten Retreats, Recollections, Youth Encounters and Colloquio likewise form part of their spiritual formation and moral development, including leadership training programs and Junior Cursillo classes and Ultreya for young Cursillistas. Events and Conventions
An Annual National Youth Convention (NYC) is held every February in celebration of the Diocese’s founding month. The event provides an opportunity for members to come together for continuous education on key spiritual and social issues that are vital to guide them in being productive units of the church and society, in accordance to the charism granted to them as young sealed-servants of the Holy Spirit, Beloved Ingkong. The Convention also serves as an opportunity to evaluate the successes, achievements and challenges of the previous year as an effective springboard for planning the national, regional, and local agenda of the Youth for years to come, mindful of the ever-changing landscape that young people are in now. The youth has also embraced alternative modes of ganapan such as the online and social media and other interactive means of information dissemination, including online, digital and print publications. In 2019, the group launched its quadrennial Grand Alumni Reunion as a convergence of generations of past and present Auxiliaries united in a common and unified vision to help the ACC fulfill its mission into the future. Diocesan Cluster Youth Conventions (DCYC) have also been recently introduced as a training ground for leaders while taking a “plan is national, implementation is local” approach. Preparing them for the Future
In support of the over-all vision of the ACC, its young people are encouraged to commit themselves to the various ministries of the Church from being Altar Servers, Choir Servers, Lectors and Commentators in the Holy Mass, Prayer Warriors, Apostolate Workers, Outreach and Community Services Volunteers, Catechists, Lay Preachers, Community Organizers, Ecumenical Movement and Inter-faith Cooperation delegates and coordinators, as well to activities that raise awareness, appreciation and preservation of Filipino traditions, culture, education and the arts. The dynamism of the youth has, thus, contributed immensely to the various ACC functions providing the younger generation a platform to hone their God-given wisdom, artistry, talents and love of service.
“Purity before Marriage and Fidelity after Marriage” is a major foundation for the spiritual, moral and values formation of the ACC-Youth, inspired by St. Paul’s letter to the young Timothy which says, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Setting out as young missionaries called to serve, “hope of the people of God in heaven and on earth,” the ACC’s Auxiliaries are thus admonished, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” (Jeremiah 1:7)
