Dr Paul Hwang / Director of ALL Forum
Time: Oct., 17-21, 2022
Facilitators: Mr. Enrique Batangan, Fr. Diarmuid O’Murchu, Mr. Paul Hwang
The first part of the program is dedicated to “Community Building” in relation to prayers, meditation, bible reflection mixed with Catholic social teachings. The synodal process within the church should never be limited to the church itself. Rather the synodality should be playing a role of “prophetic dialogue” between the church and the society for the earth through which we should continue the reformation of the church as human institution and the society as well.
In the second part we empower laity-centered small communities with special attention to Agape celebration of the Eucharist, Adult Faith Development process, Ecological Conversion as change of worldviews in reflecting especially Laudato Si. For this we invite Fr. Diarmuid O’Murchu as facilitator who explains this seminar in his own words as follows:
“Throughout history there has been tension between Church as institution, with power from the top down, and the church as community, sharing its life and resources in an empowering way. While Vatican Two encouraged an understanding of Church as “the People of God”, empowering from the base upward, most people hold on to an understanding of the Church as a power structure controlled from the top by Pope, Bishop, and Priest. Sacraments, therefore, are widely understood as the preserve of the priest, when in fact they are meant to be understood as belonging primarily to the people, with the Priest serving the people’s needs. This has very serious implications for our understanding of Eucharist, as will be reviewed in this program.
My goal in this program is to facilitate a process of discernment (listening more deeply to God’s Spirit), involving input, time for reflection, small group sharing, and a lot of interactive dialogue. I believe the Spirit works best in a climate wherein we learn together, in a reflective dialogical way.”
Arrival (Oct. 16)
Day 1(Oct 17): Workshop 1: Empowering Laity by Building Communities in Synodal
Process for the Rapidly Changing World
-Morning session: Empowering Laity in Building and Organizing Communities based on Faith & CSTs in the Changing World (Mr. Enrique Batangan)
-Afternoon session: Empowering Laity-centered Communities Dedicating to Prophetic
Dialogue the Church and the World (Mr. Enrique Batangan)
Day 2(Oct 18): Workshop 2: Empowering Laity by Promoting Synodal Church for the
World
-Morning session: Empowering Laypeople by Promoting Synodality as Walking & Collaborating Together with the Peoples in the Margins for the Better World (Mr. Paul Hwang)
-Afternoon session: Free Afternoon; Outing in groups
Day 3(Oct 19): Workshop 3: Agape Celebrations, an Alternative Way of Celebrating
Eucharist in the Absence of a Priest
– Morning session – Understanding History of Agape Celebration Close Enough to What Went on in the Early Church When Eucharist first Evolved without Priests (Fr. Diarmuid O’Murchu) –
-Afternoon session: Examining Theology behind the Understanding of Agape Celebration fully Eucharistic as seen in Double Epiclesis (invocation of the Holy Spirit) (Fr. Diarmuid O’Murchu) –
(*** Each session is be followed by group discussion)
Day 4(Oct 20): Workshop 4 – Agape Celebrations, an Alternative Way of Celebrating
Eucharist in the Absence of a Priest II
-Morning Session: Practical ways of doing it can be explored and Practiced in Person at the Spot (Fr. Diarmuid O’Muchu)
-Afternoon session – How people on the Ground to Take it on Board and Begin doing it for themselves: One of Difficult Parts to Be Practiced (Fr. Diarmuid O’Muchu)
(***Each session is be followed by workshops in groups)
Day 5(Oct 21): Workshop 5–”Adult Faith Development” to Support SCCs or BHCs
according to Stages of Person’s Life Cycle
-Roundtable; How to Empower Local Communities or SCCs not only by Agape Celebration but Less Controversial Issues Like Developing an Ecological Spirituality and others (Fr. Diarmuid O’Muchu)
(***After the workshop 4 plenary session will be followed.)
-Afternoon Session- Free afternoon / Visitation/Cultural Exploration (Ms. Felicia Dian)
Evening – Cultural Night
Departure (Oct 22)
