17 IFFAsia Graduates Sent Off For Mission

By DS

Good Shepherd's Cathedral

Quezon City :   17 young adults and professionals from 8 countries across Asia had successfully completed a full year of formation, (January - November 2013) for Christian leadership at the Institute of Formation, Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia). The sending off for the graduates was held on Saturday 23rd November 2013 at the Good Shepherd's Cathedral, (the mother Church of the Diocese of Novaliches) Fairview Park in conjunction with the Feast of Christ the King.

Rt Rev Antonio Realubin Tobias, Bishop of the Diocese of Novaliches presided over the mass. In his homily, the prelate called on the young people of IFFAsia, 'Go forth and bring back the Kingship of God in the universe. You are to make God, the King of all creation. In line with 'New Evangelization', you are to go and declare wherever you are, in your sending organization, home parish, diocese or nation that 'Christ is the King'.

Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries”, but rather that we are always “missionary disciples” - 120 Evangelii Gaudium.

Evelyn Doikin (3rd left) of Kota Kinabalu and Sunday Samuel (4th left) of Sandakan 

The graduates took their pledge of faith and service before the presider, witnessed by the congregation. The breakdown of the graduates; one each from Laos and Cambodia, two each from Malaysia, Thailand and Mongolia, three from the Philippines and six from Vietnam. The candidates from Malaysia, both from Sabah are Evelyn Doikin of Kota Kinabalu and Sunday Samuel Worok of Sandakan, send and sponsored by the Good Shepherd's Welfare Centre, Kota Kinabalu and St Mary's Cathedral Sandakan respectively.

After the sending off mass, staff, graduates and partners of IFFAsia, representatives of the sending organisations, the youth from Ina Ng Lupang Pangako Parish of Payatas, members of the Philippines Fondacio Community and Bishop Tobias attended a dinner reception at the Cathedral Parish Hall.

Alice Tan, the Director of IFFAsia welcomed all who had spared the time to attend the event. She extended her appreciation to all parties who had contributed in one way or the other in ensuring that the students of Batch 7 received their scrolls from IFFAsia. She hoped that the young bearers of hope will apply whatever knowledge and skill acquired in IFFAsia, on ground while back at individual's parish / diocese. She thanked the sending organizations for the trust and particularly to Bishop Tobias for the continuous support rendered to IFFAsia. 

The colourful presentations by graduates of each participating countries projected the slogan 'unity in diversity' as in 1 Cor 10 : 17 'We though many form one single body'. The Church is but a community of communities making Christ real. Love is to be the characteristic of the Christian community.

10 lay faithful from Sabah (9 from the Diocese of Sandakan and 1 from Kota Kinabalu) attended the event, lending support to the two Malaysian graduates.