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Church Celebrates 20th Migrants' Sunday
03 March 2006 -- The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will spearhead in the celebration of the National Migrants' Sunday (NMS) on March 5, 2006 at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Now on its 20th year, the event focuses on the theme "Migration, An Occasion for Evangelization," which emphasizes the important role of Filipino migrants in spreading the good news and Christian values all throughout the world.
The Archdiocese of Pampanga was chosen to host this year's celebration because it holds the record of having the most number of overseas workers ministered by the ECMI. It also ranked no. 4 with the most number of OFWs nationwide.
Major Celebrations
The ECMI is facilitating the NMS events in different ecclesiastical jurisdictions nationwide.
A procession will start 7 am from the San Fernando Metropolitan Cathedral to the University of the Assumption. An estimated 5 thousand participants, mostly OFW family members, are expected to attend the celebration.
The activity will also feature inputs and sharing on the migrants' ministry and fellowship among OFW families. It will end with a Eucharistic celebration at 11:00 am that will be presided by Most Rev. Paciano Aniceto, Archbishop of Pampanga.
Other dioceses are also encouraged to celebrate Migrants' Sunday in their own special way.
In Luzon, the Diocese of Manila will hold a mass 7 am, at the Ermita Shrine to be officiated by Cardinal-elect Gaudencio Rosales. The diocese of Bayombong will also hold a whole-day gathering and fellowship of around a thousand OFW family members.
The Archdiocese of Lipa, meanwhile, will hold a two-day activity starting tomorrow at the Batangas Provincial Complex with an estimated 8 thousand participants. Other dioceses, which will celebrate the NMS, are Antipolo, Tuguegarao, Alaminos, Abra, Novaliches, Caloocan and San Fernando de La Union.
In the Visayas, big celebrations will also be held in Cebu and Davao.
Annual Event
The NMS is a yearly activity of the Catholic Church in the Philippines celebrated every First Sunday of Lent.
The first NMS celebration was held on March 8, 1987 and has been marked since then through the effort of the ECMI, the service arm for migrants of the CBCP.
The ECMI is mandated by the CBCP to provide and coordinate pastoral and social services to the migrants and their families especially those who are in distress and facing complex problems because of migration.
ECMI assists parishes and Dioceses in organizing the ministry to migrants and their families. Today, ECMI already have reached out and organized 30,000 OFW families. It also coordinates 563 chaplains and pastoral workers in 42 countries. *
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