Holy Cross Academy, Digos City hosts the Annual Diocesan Convention of the Ministry of altar servers

The two-day event was attended by some 700 boys coming from the different parishes in the diocese of Digos. Sta Cruz sent 56 boys combined from St Joseph Parish (main) and St John Paul Parish (subParish). The activities included the visit to the Holy Door, socio cultural presentations, outreach to the hospitals and orphanages and the plenary session which had almost everyone very eager to speak about their experiences.

This year’s convention was different in nature compared to what they had the previous years. After series of deliberations from the organizers and moderators, they decided to make this year’s convention into more like a liturgical gathering. They decided to do away with the sports festival also in response to the call of the diocese to refrain from soliciting and or receiving financial help from the politicians to support a clean and an honest election. Indeed it worked well with the boys. They had a solidarity night wherein the different parishes come to stage showcasing the best talents they have whether as a group or individual representation. Some presentations include modern dances, choral rendition, cultural dances short clips and the El gamma Penumbra-like presentations.

The special talks were coming from Rev Fr Alan Joie Nunez, the diocesan moderator of SocCom who talks about the importance of the holy Eucharist and the lasting effects it leaves you as a boy, in your respective family, a servant of the church and a good citizen of your town. The bishop, Most Rev Jimmy Afable, also talked partly about his childhood, how he started as an altar knight that shaped him to become a priest, now a bishop. He emphasizes that being an altar server is a vocation that should remain and keep you still in the service as you grow old. He hopes for the boys to remain faithful in serving the Lord while they’re growing up.

The immersion programs that they incorporated into their daily activities which was the visit to Camillian sisters’ home for the aged (for the elementary boys) where they had a close encounter with the old ones who’s about the age of their own grandparents. There was also a visit to the “Heaven of Hope” (for the High school and college levels) where they get an encounter with the victims of child abuse, hostility, and those who completely lost their families and are growing up alone. The boys had come to realize that they are so blessed to have their family supporting them, It led to think of others more and think about themselves less. The 2 day program ended with the celebration of the holy Eucharist which had all the boys wear their prescribed cassock and surplice from their respective parishes.