Lay Missionaries

I just got back from Iligan after conducting a missiology seminar in Iligan City for those undergoing training as Redemptorist lay missionaries. There are nine of them at present under the Alphonsian Lay Formation Institute. There are six male and three female trainees - most of them are in their mid-twenties. They are all college graduates - social work, agriculture, education, nursing. After their one-year training they will be assigned to the 4 Redemptorist mission teams in Visayas and Mindanao. At present there are over 30 lay missionaries working with Redemptorist priests and brothers. We depend on our lay missionaries to continue our missionary work as Redemptorists. I am amazed at their dedication and commitment. But we have to make sure that we provide them with adequate training and formation so that they will become competent and effective missionaries.

These are the topics I covered in four days of intensive seminar:
1. Mission ad Intra & ad Gentes
2. Trinitarian Foundation of Mission
3. Ecclesiological Foundation of Mission
4. The Goals and Paths of Mission
5. Dialogue and Mission
6. Mission and Inculturation
7. Evangelization - Proclamation and Witness
8. Building up the Local Church/Christian Community
9. Mission and Human Promotion & Development
10. Redemptorist Missions in Souther Philippines (Historical/Missiological Perspective)
11. Building Basic Ecclesial Communities (Missiological/Strategic Framework)

I am also teaching this course to Redemptorist major seminarians here at the St. Alphonsus' Theologate in Davao.