BUILDING BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES
Process/Experience/Evaluations

By Fr. Rafael S. Magno, Jr.

I. Introduction

The Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly (APA) held in 1996 promulgated the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan. (cf. APA Documents, Appendix C.). Among the programs of the Pastoral Plan is the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) in the Archdiocese. (cf. APA Documents, p.12). To begin implementing this program, The Archbishop, through a Circular Letter (n.17, 1997) sent a group of priests and lay faithful from the Archdiocese to the Prelature of Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur, to undergo a BEC FORMATION-EXPOSURE from November 24-30, 1997. The group was composed of the Vicar General, the Vicar Forane and two lay representatives from each of the Vicariates.

II. BEC Basic Orientation Seminar (BOS) on the Vicariate Level (Vicariate III)

In conformity with the Circular Letter of the Archbishop (n.21, 1997), the Vicar Forane of Vicariate III with the Vicariate BEC team members with practicum in the Prelature of Ipil conducted the BOS at the Parish Center in Mangaldan on January 23, 1998. The participants of the seminar were the diocesan and the religious clergy holding parishes in the Vicariate. The speakers during the seminar were the Vicar Forane and the Vicariate BEC team who talked on “WHAT IS BEC?”, “WHY BUILD BEC?” and  “HOW TO BUILD BEC”? The contents of the talks were based on the BEC Manual of the APA. (cf. APA Documents, pp. 57-77).

III. BEC-BOS on the Parish Level

Also following the above Circular no. 21, the Vicar Forane and the Vicariate BEC team, after the BOS on the Vicariate level, went to the different parishes of the Vicariate to give the BEC-BOS. This was the basic procedure followed in each seminar: 1) The Vicar Forane started with the introductory remarks. 2) This was followed by the talks on “WHAT IS BEC?”, “WHY BUILD BEC?” and “HOW TO BUILD BEC?” After the talks, there was an open forum. Each seminar started with the opening and closing prayer.

Pursuant to the directives of the Circular Letter, those who attended the seminars were the respective parish priests, the Parish Pastoral Council officers and the members, the Barangay Pastoral Council officers and other lay leaders invited by the parish priest.

The seminars were conducted on Sundays. The first seminar was given on February 7, 1998 and the last on March 22, 2000, each lasting from 9 to 12 AM. The total number of participants was 180. From the participants the Parish BEC core teams were formed and the Vicariate BEC core team gave them further training in Manaoag on March 29, 1998.

IV.  BEC-BOS on the Barangay Level (San Fabian)

A. FORMATION

When the parish priest celebrated the regular Masses in the barangays, he announced the Archdiocesan Program about BEC. He told the people that the parish core team would conduct the BOS in the barangay chapel and invited them to come. The parish core team conducted the BOS at the appointed time for those who were present.

B.  ORGANIZATION

Since the BOS participants did not come from the same neighborhood, the BEC core team concentrated on the group living close to each other and organized them into the first BEC’s. The first BEC prayer sessions were held in one of the homes of the community members. The other participants were asked to attend the prayer sessions and the other activities of the organized community. From this time on, the members of the community took turn in hosting the prayer sessions.

The participants who were not members of the organized community began to inform the people of their neighborhood about the BEC and soon asked the core team to also give the BOS in their neighborhood in order to form their own community. In this way new communities were formed. Again, there were participants in the activities of these communities who did not live in the neighborhood who soon requested that the BOS be given likewise and that a BEC be organized in their locality. In this way, the BEC’s multiplied.

The number of BEC’s also grew by dividing the big BEC’s.

At present, there are 42 BEC in San Fabian. About 20 neighboring families/households are represented in each community. Each BEC has its own set of officers namely: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The total of approximately 800 people attend the weekly prayer sessions as can be gauged by the number of weekly prayer session guides printed weekly.

BEC in San Fabian (as of July 2000) has a total of 42 communties.

The forty-two BECs are divided into five zones, each zone under the supervision of two parish BEC core team members. The core team members are regularly reshuffled to supervise the different zones.

C. ACTIVITIES

The BEC’s meet regularly every week at a day (usually Saturday and Sunday) and time decided by the group.

The members gather together to hold their weekly prayer sessions and other acts – like the discussions of their local social problems, evaluation of the situation of their BEC and planning/scheduling of their activities – in the homes of the member-families. As noted above, the member families take turns in hosting the prayer sessions. The parish BEC core team publishes a weekly complete guide (like a Missalette in Pangasinan and Ilocano) for the BEC prayer sessions. Below is the format of these sessions.
 
 

Format of the BEC Prayer Session (San Fabian Parish) 1. Opening Song – Community 2. Introduction – Servant Leader 3. Introductory Prayer (Opening Prayer) – Owner of the house 4. Readings (Sunday) a. First Reading – member b. Responsorial Psalm – member c. Second Reading – member 5. Gospel – Servant Leader 6. Reflection on the Gospel and the Readings – Servant Leader 7. Sharing of insights/experiences (about and related to the readings) – Community 8. Profession of Faith – Community 9. Prayer of the Faithful – Community 10. Offertory 11. Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) – Community 12. Sign of Peace 13. Communion – EEM 14. Concluding Prayer – Servant Leader or the Owner of the house 15. Catechism – Catechist 16. Reports – officers 17. Evaluation – Community 18. Discussion on social issues – Community 19. Planning/ Scheduling – Community 20. Closing Song – Community

In the beginning, the prayer sessions were conducted by the parish BEC core team members because the BEC members were shy. But as they became more and more confident, they now conduct the sessions themselves. Although the core team members make it a point to attend the sessions, their functions are merely supervisory.

Aside from the regular prayer sessions, the BEC also meet for prayer sessions on special occasions such as on birth and wedding anniversaries and during the sickness or funeral of the members. The BEC in two zones started to hold a regular monthly common prayer session in the chapel that they had agreed upon.

Several of the parish BEC core team members are also parish catechists and help in catechizing the children of the BEC members.

Some of the parish BEC core team members are also family life apostolate workers and attend to the parents/couples/youth of the BEC.

During the two Christmases all the BEC members had a general reunion at the Parish Center.

The BEC members attend Parish, Vicariate and Archdiocesan religious functions.

The BEC are also involved in fund raising activities, like Bingo, raffles, etc.

There had been mass Baptisms and mass weddings of BEC members in 1999.

All the BEC leaders meet regularly every month at the Parish Center for further training and formation by the parish BEC core team.

D. EXPERIENCES/EVALUATIONS

1.  Positive Observations

The following positive observations sustain the interest of the BEC members and keep the program alive in the parish.

(1) In the BEC, leadership roles are given to many of the lay faithful and therefore, they are given the opportunity to lead, serve and develop their God-given talents.

Through their activities, the BEC members get to know each other more intimately. Their personal relationships are improved. Many instances of reconciliation among the members are recounted during the sharing of experiences and thoughts in their prayer sessions.

Participation in the BEC activities gives the members an increased sensitivity to the needs of others.

Unity among the BEC members is visibly strengthened.

There is also a heightened sense of belonging to a community and responsibility among the members.
Through the BEC, discussion and explanation of the truths of faith and Church doctrines is in a more personal way.

The BEC members are gradually made aware of the role that they have to play as members of the Church and there is a deepening of their faith in God.

(2) The BEC program gives the priests the opportunity to visit many homes in the parish and therefore, get to know more of their parishioner.

Finally, the BEC provide a speedy means of communication from the diocesan and the parish level to the grassroots level.

 2. Difficulties

The following difficulties are recounted in the BEC program:

There is an inconsistent attendance at the prayer sessions of the BEC members.

The absence of males from the BEC activities is conspicuous.

It is difficult to find real leaders from among the BEC members to keep their community self-sustaining, self-nourishing and self-supporting.

The BEC leaders also find difficulties in handling some problems of the communities.

At times, there is also a lack of commitment on the part of some members of the Parish BEC core team members.
 

V. Conclusion

Like biological cells, BEC multiply by themselves.

It appears that the growth of the BEC is a process. It is not very clear though how this process will turn out to be.

It seems that the BEC program thrives and develops better and is more acceptable to people in the countryside.

The success of the BEC will greatly depends on lay people who are committed to work for the BEC program. Alone and unaided by determined workers, it is impossible for the priests to carry on the BEC program.

Compared with our experiences with some religious organizations and movements which have usually many members in the beginning but whose number dwindle with time, the opposite is true with the BEC whose membership has grown with time. This is a sign that the people are interested. The BEC may well be the new way of being Church.