6th Fondacio Asia Pastoral Gathering

The participants of the Pastoral Gathering with Bishop Joel Baylon, IFFAsia Chairman of the Board.

The 6th Fondacio Asia Pastoral Gathering was held last October 26 – November 5, 2012 at the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Formation Center in Quezon City, Philippines. The event brought together 55 participants from 10 different countries to build communion with one another, to understand the call and challenges of mission on the ground, and to encourage co-responsibility and commitment among each one to build and sustain the one mission together.

The participants were members and friends of the different Fondacio communities and missions in Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. Maddy Edwards of Fondacio UK was present to give a session on developing project proposals; she was accompanied by two youth leaders, Michael and Roisin, who participated actively and shared about their desire to continue to collaborate with the Asian community and help in the missions in the region. Priest friends from Japan and China, who were meeting Fondacio for the first time, also attended the event to participate, support and see how to collaborate in the future.

Reflections from Nacho Rosselot and Francois Prouteau.

Fondacio President Nacho Rosselot, Vice President Francois Prouteau, and Council member for Asia Charles Bertille provided valuable input on sustaining the call and mission by reinventing the community and putting in place new structures of working together. They challenged everyone to make this paradigm shift, and invited each one to be in an attitude of trust and faith so that Fondacio can fully respond to the mission needs in Asia and work more effectively with one another.

This paradigm shift involves creatively integrating the principles of mission with others, path of transformation and communitarian dimension in all the programs and activities of the community. These three are essential for both common and personal missions to flourish, and should be given equal importance. In front of this paradigm shift, each one is called to be Christ's co-creator in Asia.

Having fun during the community feast.

With the call of the Council to develop and implement missions to help the poor, each country looked at the different mission projects in its landscape, and started to develop a plan which will help particularly in raising needed funds for the sustainability of these projects. For the participants, the exercise was a way of concretizing “dreams”, and developing a more pastoral vision and new skills to be effective in the mission. Projects that were developed included, among others, training and social service centers and meeting places for out-of-school youth, gift shop, pre-school, English and cooking classes.

During the send-off mass, Bishop Joel Baylon, IFFAsia Chairman of the Board, challenged each one, as Jesus challenged his disciples, to exert more conscious effort to be more outward-looking, that is, being less concerned with ourselves and our members, but giving more love for our neighbors. With this admonition still ringing in everyone's ears, members of each sub-region were prayed over and sent off to the missions that are waiting for them in their own countries.

Each sub-region was sent off during the final Eucharist celebration.

Though it was a long-stretched gathering, each one actively participated, and came out feeling refreshed, encouraged, inspired and empowered. There was an experience of the sense of community and understanding more who Fondacio is. Each one felt motivated to go on and continue living this “one mission of Jesus”.

Some of the participants' testimonies after the Pastoral Gathering:

“I was inspired by the mission experiences of the other participants. I feel that our community needs to stand up by ourselves, but to open to the others.” (China)

“I can see clearly my personal call and that of my community, to move forward and meet the need in my local Church.” (Myanmar)

“It was a learning and inspiring gathering. I know more clearly Fondacio’s mission in the Asian Church and society. So, I can better take part in the mission and respond to the call.” (Cambodia)

“We are not alone in the mission; we are together with the others as one community in the one mission. I see hope for the future of laity in Asia.” (Vietnam)

“What was planted in my life is this imitation of Christ who is always on the move – searching, touching, loving everyone. A missionary is another Christ in the world. The Philippine community has opened its eyes to this.” (Philippines)

“It was the beginning of unity between East and West Malaysia, bringing hope to the community, walking towards one mission in one country. There is also a better structure that will take care of the growing community in Asia.” (Malaysia)

A time for each sub-region to come together and plan.

IFFAsia: A New Door Opens for Lay Pastoral Workers

Exchange of MOA between IFFAsia and Xavier University. Front row, left to right: Dr. Ignacio Rosselot, Fondacio President; Mr. Charles Bertille, Fondacio Council member for Asia and former Director, IFFAsia; Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, President, Xavier University, Philippines; Dr. Dulce, Dean of Arts & Sciences, XU. Back row, left to right: Dr. Sealza, Dean of Graduate Studies, XU; Ms. Alice Tan, Acting Director, IFFAsia.

Starting schoolyear 2013, the Institute of Formation, Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia) partners with Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan to undertake a common mission of collaboration for the formation of youth and laity, especially from the emerging churches in the Asian region.

To seal this partnership, both institutions came together last November 5, 2012, to sign a Memorandum of Agreement. This event was held at the campus of Xavier University, a private Jesuit institution located in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

This help in building up capable lay leaders who can participate to bring about changes is IFFAsia's response to the call of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) for a renewed church and society.

This partnership responds to both formation and academic needs of the students of IFFAsia. In this program, the student can earn a Certificate or Diploma in Pastoral Leadership, or a Master's degree in Development Leadership. The program accreditation is granted by the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines.

Included in the IFFAsia formation program is a skills training focusing on micro-finance and entrepreneurship at the South East Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute (SEARSOLIN), of Xavier University.

Bishop Joel Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi, and IFFAsia Chairman of the Board, calls the formation at the Institute an "experience lived in the context of a community and missionary spirituality".

Wilfred James of Sabah says, "What I learned in IFFAsia four years ago – Christian values, the spirituality of Fondacio, the formation of the human person – is really sustaining me in my mission, and transforming my attitudes towards relationships and work."

Since its launching in May 2006, IFFAsia has produced almost a hundred young pastoral workers, eighty five percent of whom continue to serve full-time in their local dioceses, parishes and other church organizations. Their areas of ministry include children and youth, basic ecclesial communities, evangelization, community building and social development. Graduates have come from Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

IFFAsia Mission Project 2012

Trusting in the Divine Providence of God with the spirit of going beyond...

Dear Friends,

Greetings to you all and Happy Valentine's Day!

We would like to share with you what’s going on in the current IFFAsia Mission Project 2012, here at SEARSOLIN, College of Agriculture of Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro.

SEARSOLIN stands for South East Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute. It is one of the outreach units of Xavier University and a training center dedicated to the formation of socially committed and competent leaders in the struggle for poverty alleviation and holistic human development. As an international center of learning, it caters to a wide range of diverse cultural and religious traditions in Asia, Pacific and Africa. It further aspires for a just social order, where respect for human dignity, deference of various religious beliefs, equitable distribution of wealth and care of the bounty of the earth prevail.

IFFAsia students and interns at SEARSOLIN, with Ms. Rachel Polestico, SEARSOLIN Executive Director (4th from right, front row), and Mr. Abraham Chongo, IFFAsia Mission Project Coordinator(1st from left, front row).

The students and staff of IFFAsia arrived in Cagayan de Oro on February 4, 2012 for their Technical and Skills Training. This is being done through classroom sessions, lectures and inputs from various practitioners within their own fields of expertise. A big part of these inputs are very much grounded in visits and exposures/immersions to various community initiatives in the area. Students and staff had an opportunity to visit the victims or survivors of the SENDONG typhoon, in the places affected. They also went to the relocation sites where these people have been provided with temporary shelters/tents. At this point in time, we can only say, it has really been a God-filled experience of last week.

One may want to ask, why Cagayan de Oro, and particularly SEARSOLIN? As we have mentioned earlier on, we have been moved by the Leadership Training Program of SEARSOLIN. It is a program which facilitates change and promotion of the welfare for the emerging rural communities. As a school of discipleship for young adults and professionals in Asia and society, IFFAsia regards itself as being at the service of local churches and communities. It strives to form the young adults/professionals as leaders for a renewed Church in Asia to become actively involved in the affairs of the church and civil society. IFFAsia envisions itself to be a hub of formation for laity in Asia. Its mandate is to transmit the needed knowledge and skills for effective ministry. At the same time instilling values and attitudes that can help to empower young adults and pastoral workers to become responsible leaders, capable of taking on initiatives for church renewal in Asia. Concretely, it simply means putting in place measures that put focus on quality program for excellence.

Having looked at the vision and programs of SEARSOLIN against that of IFFAsia, it became evident that these can be mutually enriching for both institutes. With this in mind, a program (Module) was designed with the theme or focus on: Building Entrepreneurship for Social Pastoral and Development Practitioners. The module aims to equip students and staff with the knowledge and skills needed in the promotion and development of micro-enterprise, marketing, management and micro-finance.

Students and staff, on the banks of the Cagayan de Oro River, offer prayers for all those affected by the Sendong typhoon, which caused massive flooding in a large part of the city last Dec., 2011.

At the end of this intensive course, students are expected to come up with two major outputs. The first is the Business Plan for a particular community (where they are being exposed), stipulating what steps they will take to initiate and implement this business venture. The second is the Social Development Action Plan (SEDAP). This is a proposal plan which will address the question of “what” each of the students intends to do when they go back home to their own countries and “where” (specific place) they intend to carry out these projects.

So far, the students have started exploring self-help financing schemes in support of new or existing micro-enterprises and other income-generating projects within the community. As part of a measure and strategy that help the learning groups to experience and see in action how enterprising people can be, the students were exposed to the present situation of the recent SENDONG calamity that took place in Cagayan de Oro. To help IFF Asia students and staff have a hands-on-experience of the impact of the tragedy, a “Sendong Tour” was organized. This tour gave students a wider perspective of how enterprising people can be even times of great calamity like, people have found a reason to strive more for a meaningful life. Micro-enterprise and Micro-finance are indeed a strategy and modality for survival and livelihood for communities in a recovery situation.

With this in mind, we invite you to journey with us as we continue to learn from local people and the SEARSOLIN community on what it means to be Social Development and Pastoral Micro-finance Entrepreneurs. We ask for your prayers, support and contributions in any way you can toward this year’s mission project. This is a big contribution to our formation program cost. It is also our way of sharing and being in solidarity with our local people out here.

The group having fun after finishing a community survey in Cabula (a local area affected by the recent flooding in the city), part of the requirements in their course.

We will be updating you on a day-to-day basis about the wonders the Lord is doing in these young people from all parts of Asia. God bless you and make you fruitful, generous and cheerful givers of life.

Abraham S. Chongo
Mission Project Coordinator, IFFAsia

We continue to appeal for your support for the project. For financial contributions, please email us at ifa.fondacio@gmail.com.