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2012 FIL-MISSION SUNDAY CELEBRATION

The Catholic Church in the Philippines celebrated the annual Fil-Mission Sunday last July 29, 2012, the last Sunday of the month. This Sunday has been earmarked by the CBCP as a Sunday of remembering the Filipino missionary priests who belong to the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP).

The MSP Mission Promotion Directors, led by Fr Gerome Hernandez MSP, organized some programs for this celebration. The Scholastics or the MSP seminarians studying theology were asked to do missionary awareness campaigns to various parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila, Diocese of Paranaque, Diocese of Cubao, Diocese of Novaliches, as well as in the Diocese of Imus (Cavite) and the Diocese of San Pablo (Laguna). They had done that for six consecutive weeks prior to the Fil-Mission Sunday celebration.

To further promote this, there were interviews for print media: Fr Gerome Hernandez (Greenbelt Chapel Newsletter) and Fr Patrick Casino (Don Bosco Parish Newsletter). Moreover, three days prior to the Fil-Mission Sunday, Fr Casino was invited to celebrate mass on tv (ABS-CBN Davao) and this was locally aired in the morning of July 29, 2012.

On the Fil-Mission Sunday proper, the Mission Promotion Directors organized missionary appeals to various parishes, and the members of the Fil-Mission Auxiliary Association (FMAA) and the Filipino Youth with a Mission (FYM) collaborated, particularly in the distribution of mission envelopes. In Davao City, Fr Ramil Hamil was helped by Fr Jun Tacaisan, Fr Peping Estaniel and Fr Doods Bugas. In Cebu City, Fr Benjie Pelias was aided by Fr Willy Borces, Fr Rollie Detera, Fr Nilo Pacuribot and Fr Nilo Resco. In Manila area, Fr Gerome Hernandez held missionary campaigns in seventeen (17) parishes. All seminarians, both Scholastics and Collegians, came to Manila for this purpose. Other MSP priests who helped were Fr Fredy Permentilla, Fr Regie Lavilla, Fr Patrick Casino and Fr Ernie Ablaza.

It was raining the whole day though, but nevertheless, the celebration went as set. The MSP is forever grateful to the Catholic faithful who were moved to offer spiritual and material support to the priests of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), the main and official missionary arm of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

The MSP is now 47 years old, and is serving in twelve (12) countries, namely: Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, Tokelau, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the USA and Guyana in South America.

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