Beautiful PREX seminar

The first Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) seminar in the Archdiocese of Davao was held in November 1999 in Sta. Ana Shrine parish. After several years, the seminar was conducted to different parish (Redemptorist, Calinan, Agdao, Peñaplata, Panacan, Toril, Bangkal, Baguio district, and Marahan). But PREX-Sta. Ana will always be the mother church of PREX in the archdiocese.

Anyway, the journey of PREX-Sta. Ana was not always smooth. There were rough sails and rough roads. Some parish priests were supportive while the rest were indifferent. Because I belonged to batch 3 (February 12-14, 2000) I am considered to be one of the elders. But it is always Ate Susan Tusoy and Kuya Edgar whom I look up to when it comes to PREX leadership. There were several times that PREX seminars were suspended but Ate Susan continued to lead the group.

Today, after 19 years of existence, PREX-Sta. Ana is experiencing another rebirth. Last November 30 and December 1 was the PREX seminar for batch 130. More than a hundred (168 for the first day) attended the seminar. It was a rebirth for PREX-Sta. Ana (and a beautiful rebirth at that) because of the following reasons:

First, the group has suffered several setbacks due to the suspension of seminars plus there was no support from the parish priest for almost 4 years. Though there was the attempt to hold seminars but the parish priest was very much against it. So, the 130th batch was a spring in the desert. All elders were excited. We were so hungry and thirsty of PREX seminar that when Fr. Junar announced the holding of one, we became ecstatic.

Second, the seminar was collaborative. Never in my wildest dreams that other groups in the parish would assist the PREX people. We always work in isolation. PREX logistics, PREX funds, PREX preparation. But this time around, Fr. Junar led the preparation. He was hands-on in the planning and preparation stage. He tapped other groups to assist the PREX people. Catechists were assigned to Food Committee. The pastoral ministry took care of the logistics. The parish shouldered the expenses for the snacks and meals. And most especially, the parish paid for the rental fee of the venue which was held at the 7th floor in the conference hall of Holy Cross of Davao College.

Third, the seminar was GKK-based. For more than 3 months the pastoral team led by Fr. Junar conducted house-to-house GKK visitation to bring the parish/Church to the homes of the parishioners. And their visits paved the way for the Binyagan ng Parokya (free baptism) and Kasalan ng Parokya (free weddings). The only requirement for the binyagan and kasalan is for the participants to attend formation seminar by the name of PREX because the pastoral team hopes that in 2019 (in time for the 70th parochial fiesta) the parish is truly renewed with new breed of parish leaders.

Finally, I know in my heart that no other parish in the whole Philippine archipelago has done what the Sta. Ana parish has done. May this be a challenge to other parishes. The GKK people are waiting to be visited; waiting to be invited. All the parish has to do is to bring the Church to the homes of every GKK family especially those who are not wed in the church or whose children have not received the sacrament of baptism due to scarcity of funds. Then, tap the PREX (Parish Renewal Experience) to lead the renewal seminar.

The PREX seminar batch 130 was beautiful and memorable. Thanks to Fr. Junar and his pastoral team, namely: Sr. Josie Moran, Sr. Lydia Sumampong, and Sr. Nancy Bacan all from the Franciscan Order; special mention also to Rey Secuya (parish pastoral coordinator), Glacing Sismar, and Juliet Cabije-Ampo. These people toiled night and day just to bring the parish closer to the homes of the GKK people.