The BECs of John the Evangelist Parish, Dagupan City
1. Community Description :
- more or less 1020 families
- 30 % very poor - more or less 306 - live in hovels ; no permanent jobs ; no appliances ; squatters and seasonal workers
- 60 % Poor - more or less 602 - houses are made of light materials ; squatters of public /private lands ; posses simple appliances ( gas stores, plastic chairs, etc.) ; market vendors : itinerant vendors ; live at the expense of family members ; tricycle driver, jeepney driver, mechanic
- 10 % Middle income group - more or less 85 family members - concrete houses; with permanent jobs/ small entrepreneur/ small landowner / OFW family members / several appliances ; even car owners
2. Organizing Process :
- Census taken in 2000 at Pilot Barangays
- Orientation in the formation of Bible block rosary cells composed of 15 families each
- Basic Bible Seminar (BBS)
- Organizing and graduated education / spiritual formation sessions
- Weekly pastoral visit of all BBR cells and daily "kumustahan" visist of Pastorelli sister Parish worker (Sr. Mel Ababa)
- Seminar/Recollection for all members and separately for coordinators and officers
3. Story :
St. John Evangelist Parish in Dagupan City began the formation of BEC in May 2000 by Parish. It conducted census taking the three Pilot barangays : a.) Pantal Guibang, b.) Pantal Muyang, c.) Bacayao Sur
The Census was taken in order to find how many families would like to agree to form cells and start to pray the Bible Block Rosary (BBR) in the Puroks of the three Pilot Barangats. A cell is composed of 15 families (they are neighbors) :
Five (5) cells were formed in Bacayao Sur
One (1) cell in Pantal Muyang
One (1) in Pantal Guibang
4. Reasons for Success :
the full support of the Parish emerging leaders from the grassroots level of the BBR cells development of children spirituality dedicated upper level leaders full time Pastorelli Parish workers
5. Learnings and Insights from the Experience :
There is a vast area of evangelization right in the neighborhood BEC in urban areas is more difficult to organize due to apathy and presence of modern distraction (e.g., TV, CPs, PCs, Video games, entertainment, vices, gamblings) Parish MOs seldom bondage out of their respective groups ; they are however, a potent agent of organizing.
Contact Person :
Sr. Camelita Ababa, SGDP
BEC In-charge
Sr. Carmen "Baby" Olpindo
BEC St. John Parish Coordinator
Archdiocese of Lingayen – Dagupan (Pangasinan)