CEBU (Radio Veritas Asia): The Archdiocese of Cebu in the Philippines, approved the creation of a service centre in every parish to cater to the concerns of the parishioners, especially the poor.
Archbishop Jose Palma said on April 24 that ‘Parish Caritas’ aims to localise the creation and implementation of programmes based on people’s actual needs, saying that parishioners are in the “best position” to identify which programmes can truly address their concerns.
“Through this process the lay [person] in the parish can be truly empowered to formulate concrete and doable solutions that are relevant and responsive to their needs,” Archbishop Palma wrote in his decree.
He said that Parish Caritas will particularly carry programmes on humanitarian, developmental, and justice and peace. The archbishop explained that while the ministry is parish-based, its activities and projects will still have to be reported and coordinated with Caritas Cebu.
The creation of Parish Caritas was formally announced during the closing Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral of the celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines.
“May the gift of faith we receive be translated into action for we are gifted to serve the Anawim—he lost, the last and the least,” Archbishop Palma said.
In November last year, the archbishop also encouraged the establishment of a Parish Ecological Ministry in all the parishes to lead efforts at environmental conservation.
