CT – CEBU’S HIGHLIGHTS ON THE CLOSING CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF FR. FRANCISCO XAVIER BUTINYA, SJ (2014-2015)

Community-Taller Cebu had celebrated the Closing of the Year of Fr. Francisco Xavier Butinya, SJ (2014-2015). It was marked with simplicity and uniqueness in its provincial context and reality.

Earlier, on November 5-8, 2015, the whole community of the Talleres de Nazareth Cebu together with the SSJ co-workers flew to Manila. They actively participated in the WORKERS’ CAMP and celebrated with Talleres de Nazaret Quezon City its 25th anniversary of continuous realization of Fr. Butinya’s Dream.  For some time now this Dream has also gradually enveloped and enkindled the fire of living and witnessing the Nazareth Spirit in our TDNC workers to the clientele we serve here in Southern Philippines and outside the country.  The  memorable event in November  has  continued challenging us  to shine as sharers of the Good News of Work, radiating with joy and life  in our prayer/work that “Love is the best teacher of all that is good”; that “The Poor are the Representatives of Christ “and that ”Only a Transformed Person can Transform Society”.

On December 12, in preparation for the closing of the Year of Fr. Butinya and of the celebration of Christmas, the sisters facilitated a half-day formation session for the TDNC workers which took the form of an Advent Recollection.

The Triduum/Para- Liturgy prepared with the preceding themes from the 15th-17th of December, 2015 in celebration of the 116th DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF FR. FRANCISCO BUTINYA, SJ had been well- reflected themes with the collaboration and sharing of the different clusters. It was a unified celebration for Holy Family Province. 

On the second day of the Triduum, we invited the poor vendors (the “puso”- cooked rice wrapped in coco leaves vendors) from the public market of Barangay Punta, Cebu City to share their lives amidst difficulties and their work experiences with our TDN co-workers. Some of them have been emotional as they touched base with our co-workers. It had been an enriching experience and interaction between our TDNC co-workers and the invited women vendors. Breakfast was served to our guests and we shared with them some Christmas bags. Our elderly- couple friends also came to join the group. Lolo Filomeno shared his life as a scavenger even in his old age.

On December 18, the Feast Day of our Father Founder we had the Celebration of the Eucharist at 7:30 am, presided by Fr. Alfonso Heredia, RCJ. During the Mass, Sr. Maria Nguyen Thi Kim Thi renewed the evangelical vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. The Renewal of Vows was received by Sr. Estela C. Estorninos, SSJ as Local Coordinator and was witnessed by Srs. Felicisima and Catalina. In attendance were the aspiring Lay Josephines, the TDNC co-workers, and the classmates (Scalabrinian- brothers) of Sr. Kim Thi at Rogationist College Seminary.

After the Mass, our SSJ sisters caroled our guests, neighbors and co-workers with our original SSJ Christmas songs as an expression of our gratitude to all of them.  A simple breakfast was served as a prelude to our pre- Christmas celebration 2015. The invited guests were also asked to judge the Christmas Lanterns which is one of our projects to cut off a lot of trash being thrown away as residuals. 

The Christmas Lantern Making made them more ecology-conscious and truly caring for the environment giving justice to climate change.

In spite of his busy schedule, Fr. Alfonso, RCJ our Confessor came over to our workplace on the 21st of December for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

On December 23, last day of work at TDNC we had a simple Para- Liturgy to celebrate Jesus’ special coming to our hearts this CHRISTMAS 2015. 

The take- home pay and other surprises of the season were welcomed with much joy in their faces as we greet each other- “MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY GRACE-FILLED NEW YEAR 2016!”, and bade each one farewell because we will not see our workers until the work resumes on the 4th of January, 2016. Some of our workers will have their holiday in far places where they come from like Samar, Leyte , Bohol , Iloilo, Camotes Islands and Zamboanga.