Becoming Light for Others

Finally after the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, around one thousand five hundred altar servers from the Archdiocese of Davao gathered last February 25, 2023, to celebrate the Annual Altar Servers’ Convention with the theme, “Altar Servers: nakigduyog sa hiniusang misyon, komunyon, ug partisipasyon sa Simbahan.” This special event was held at St. Francis Xavier College Seminary.

The event began with a Holy Mass, which was presided over by Msgr. Paul Cuison and concelebrated by eight priests. In his homily, Msgr. Paul stressed that the mission of the altar servers is to become the light for others, that they should be aware of the evil things around them, and that they should not be lost in the battle of the evil one. Christ is the light in their lives because they receive Him in the Eucharist. He ended his homily by sharing the call of Levi: that God always intervenes in our lives, and through this, hopefully, we can also see the call of God and respond to it.

After the Holy Mass, Fr. Ronald Arcillas facilitated a talk. His inputs focused on the theme of the mission, communion, and participation, as well as updates about the Davao seminarians. He ended his talk by challenging them that before they end the day, they should thank those who helped them financially, especially their parish priest, their benefactors, and their sponsors. After his talk, Fr. Ronald conducted a vocation campaign for the grade 10 to grade 12 students, which served as a good opportunity to encourage them to enter the seminary.

The program continued with a “sharing” facilitated by the XACOSE seminarians and the socio-cultural program, wherein every vicariate, school, and congregation showcased their own and unique talents to the community. Indoor games, outdoor games, and parlor games were also conducted. The event culminated with the awarding of the winners. (Bro. Ranie Boy Pamplona)