Our GKKs

It was here in Davao at the Cursillo House, now MIC Retreat Center, sometime in 1971 that the First Mindanao-Sulo Pastoral Conference (MSPC) was held and led by its originator and founder the brilliant, witty and inimitable Archbishop of Zamboanga Lino Gonzaga.

It was here that the Conference decided to adopt the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) or Gagmayng Kistohanong Katilingban (GKK) as the official pastoral priority of the dioceses, prelatures and apostolic vicariate in Mindanao. This noble aim inspired by the Second Vatican Council was supposed to be achieved through the building of small or basic communities that are self-nourishing, self-sustaining and self-governing.

‘Self-nourishing’ would refer to the growth of the Christian faith life as a primary responsibility of all the members of the community. ‘Self-sustaining’ would focus on the community’s ability to generate its own material and financial resources. And ‘self-governing’ would focus on the able leadership of proven and trusted individuals elected and supported by the community to carry out its self-nourishing and self-sustaining pastoral thrusts.

As the archdiocese prepares for the GKK convention to study its New Guidelines or Norms, it might also be advisable and pastorally helpful to revisit the history and the present situation of our GKKs, and re-examine them from the perspective of the tripartite thrust of self-nourishing, self-sustaining and self-governing nature.

We are grateful to our priests, past and present, who inspired, supported, guided our GKKs over the years.