Pastoral Statement of the First Mindanao Conference on New Evangelization

We the ninety (90) participants of the First Mindanao Conference on New Evangelization, held in the Rivier Retreat House in Davao City on October 15-19, 2018, composed of key diocesan pastoral agents of renewal, Bishops, Priests, Consecrated persons, and Lay faithful, together with some representatives of new ecclesial communities and movements, joyfully and gratefully express our praise, honor and worship of the Triune God, for having providentially given us the time of grace and renewal of faith and mission during these Spirit filled days of the Conference.

We acknowledge also, with humility and repentance, our shortcomings and sins of omission, in our task of renewed integral evangelization in our own respective areas of pastoral engagements. But above all, we place our hope in God’s love and mercy, assured always of His forgiveness for the humble and contrite hearts. O Lord, have mercy on us.

Mindful, once again, of the call and challenge of the Mindanao Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC) and the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) for a Church always in Renewal, particularly in the most important area of renewal, which is renewed catechesis, WE RECOMMIT ourselves with greater confidence and urgency, to become zealous and courageous Evangelizers, missionary disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) of Pope Francis shall find fulfillment in us ànd through us evangelizing every person of goodwill we meet, and in turn, they become evangelizing disciples.

We shall further endeavor to permeate our respective pastoral programs and activities, as well as our structures, methods and procedures with the evangelistic spirit – new fervor, new methods, new expressions. We shall animate our basic ecclesial communities, pastoral workers and our Church organizations and movements to become evangelistic. We invite and encourage communities of Consecrated persons to walk together with us in the shared challenge to pastoral conversion.

We appeal to all our mission partners, specially our Bishops with their Priests, the Consecrated persons and the lay missionary disciples, that they take to mind, heart and soul the New Evangelization, so as to zealously fulfill the great missionary commission – Go, make disciples, of all peoples, baptizing, teaching, look I Am with you. (Mt 28:19-20). As we continue to prepare for our great jubilee of the 5th centenary of our Christianization in the year 2021, we respectfully recommend and ask that the 21 dioceses/prelatures/apostolic vicariates in Mindanao to singly and collectively adopt and live out the Vision of Evangelization 2033 – the greatest of all Jubilees in our renewed evangelization efforts.

Finally, we entrust to the maternal care and guidance of Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, this our Era of New Evangelization towards 2021 and to 2033, with a truly renewed Church, where every Christian is alive, alert, and enthusiastic in Communion and Mission.

Issued on this 19th day of October, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2018 at the Rivier Retreat House, Davao City.

With the Conference participants,

Guillermo D. Afable, DD
Bishop of Digos
MRCM Bishop in Charge