OSB: Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of the Eucharistic King

Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of the Eucharistic King – AM

1. Internal situation:

(updated: January 08, 2008)
Internal situation:

Character: OSB-BSEK Biblical Pastoral Ministry

Contact person: Sr. Miriam R. Alejandrino, OSB

Email address: miriam-osb@yahoo.com

Postal address: St. Benedict Solitude

Tectec, Sindol, San Felipe, Zambales, Philippines

Personnel: Temporary and perpetual professed members of the Congregation

Activities:

- The daily horarium of the Community provides an half- hour

individual lectio divina.

- Every Saturday evening, Community bible study on the Sunday gospel followed by small group bible sharing.

- Once a month, big group bible study followed by small group bible sharing with oblates of the Benedictine Nuns in Cogon, Digos City and oblates of the Benedictine Sisters in Ulas, Davao City

- Sisters working in the Diocese of Iba, Diocese of Digos, Archdioceses of Nueva Segovia, Davao City and Zamboanga City are giving Basic Bible Seminar, followed by Basic Facilitators Seminar to pastoral leaders and some interested groups.

- Sister Cecile and Sr. Miriam have given Bibliodrama seminar workshops to several groups, including communities of Nuns and Sisters in Vigan, Mindoro, Davao City, Tagaytay, General Santos City, and Redemptorist Seminarians in Davao City.

- Student-catechists of Saint Benedict Institute are given solid biblical formation and pastoral immersion.

- Sr. Miriam has introduced seminarians of Saint Alphonsus Theologate (SAT) and Regional Major Seminary in Mindanao not only to exegetical methods but also to Asian/Filipino Hermeneutics. Their exegetical studies were coupled with pastoral concerns. At the end of the semester, part of the requirements was to make modules for recollection for different groups, short courses for high school and college students as well as for the uneducated and professional groups. They also composed songs and poems, based on biblical stories or verses. The first year theologians of SAT produced a musical play “Joseph the Dreamer” based on the Joseph stories in Genesis 37-50; the second year theologians of SAT produced another

musical play on the Passion Narratives according to John (chs. 18-19) and a musical interpretation of the book of Revelation of John.

- On-going translation of the 4 gospels from Greek to Cebuano by a group of Cebuano speaking exegetes (Frs. Carmelo Diola, Senen Javier, CSsR, Rene Repole, SJ, Manolito Montesclaros, SJ, Henry Escasinas, Gilbert Nesataya, and Sr. Miriam R. Alejandrino, OSB). The target date for its publication is May 2009. This project is under the auspices of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu City.

- Participation in the activities in the national as well as parochial levels during the celebration of the annual Bible Week.

Publication in 2007: A seminar-workshop paper entitled “Biblical Responses to the Poor and the Marginalized According to John” presented by Sr. Miriam Alejandrino, OSB, during the annual convention of members of the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines.

Projects for the coming year:

- Biblical Institute at Tectec, Sindol, San Felipe, Zambales, at the request of the Bishop of the Diocese of Iba. Courses to be offered on April 14-22, 2008 are: (1) Introduction to Sacred Scriptures, (2) History of Salvation: Old Testament; (3) Creation Spirituality. Participants are catechists and pastoral lay leaders who have already undergone the Basic Bible Seminar and the Basic Facilitators Seminar.

- Intensification of Basic Bible Seminar, Basic Facilitators Seminar, and Bibliodrama seminar workshops for the faithful in farflung areas, especially for the farmers, fishermen and indigenous people.

- Manual for basic and advanced bible study for pastoral leaders and catechists.

- A book on “The Significance of Women in the Bible for Asian Women.”

Reflections: In spite of the activities mentioned above, much still needs to be done so that the Word of God may reach the hearts of men and women of all walks of life. There is a basic hunger among the people for the Word of God. There is also a need for more “apostles of the Word.”

In bible study, there is a need to develop a method which is centered on the biblical text itself, not so much on commentaries. From experience, we saw that the biblical text becomes meaningful to the readers when it is read in dialogue with ones culture and situation in life.

Our community lectio divina and group bible study serve as springboards and helps in having a common goal and concerted effort for our biblical apostolate. The Word of God indeed is the foundation as well as the unifying factor in building basic ecclesial communities.

Prepared by:

Sr. Miriam R. Alejandrino, OSB

Report on Biblical Apostolate by the

Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of the Eucharistic King

For the year 2008

Activities within the Congregation:

-          May 27-30: Modular course on women in the Bible for the community in Ulas, Davao City

-          August 11: Recollection on “Breaking the Word of God for the Poor,” for the community in Ulas, Davao City

-          October 13: Recollection on “The role of thanksgiving prayers in Saint Paul’s mission” for the community in Ulas, Davao City

-          Every priory has a weekly Bible sharing (usually Friday evening)

-          As part of their exposure program, our novices organized Bible sharing groups in the neighborhood.  One of the problems they encountered was the lack of Bibles in the families.  So they went caroling during Christmas and were able to buy 200 Bibles to give as Christmas gifts to those who were faithful in their Bible study and sharing.

Activities outside the Congregation:

May 8: Recollection for 180 Eucharistic Lay Ministers for Saint Joseph Vicariate, Olongapo City, on “The Eucharist and Care for Mother Earth” facilitated by Sr. Miriam using Bibliodrama elements.

-          July 21: Sr. Miriam delivered a talk on “Breaking the Word of God for the Church of the Poor” on the occasion of the silver jubilee of Don Bosco School of Theology at Don Bosco Parish, Makati.

-          October 10-12: Basic Bible seminar to 24 Faculty Members of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Talomo, Davao City, facilitated by Sr. Julie Lobetos, OSB and Sr. Miriam Alejandrino, OSB.

-          November 29: Sr. Miriam gave a half-day conference on the history, organizational structure and work of the Catholic Biblical Federation to the members of the Old Testament group of the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines at Tagaytay; it was also attended by the students of the Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay.

-          Sr. Cecile Lanas, OSB is the coordinator of the Biblical-Catechetical Apostolate in the Diocese of San Fernando, La Union.  She gives on-going formation to the diocesan as well as parish workers, retreats to schools and Basic Bible seminar to different groups in the diocese.

For the year 2009

Activities within the Congregation:

-          May 19-23: Modular course on “Women in the Bible” for the community in Damortis, La Union

-          May 26-28 Modular course on “Women in the Bible” for the nuns in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

-          Every priory has a weekly Bible sharing (usually Friday evening)

Activities outside the Congregation:

-          January 24: During the annual Religious Life Week at the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia at Tandang Sora, Quezon City, Sr. Miriam gave a conference on “Jesus, the Living Word of God, and Prayer of the Religious Community.”  This was attended by almost 600 women and men religious, priests, and lay.

-          February 2-6: Sr. Miriam gave a modular course on “The Poor in the Bible” at the East Asian Pastoral Institute, Quezon City, to 67 participants from 18 countries

-          March 6-8: With the New Testament group of the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines, we gave a three-day symposium on Saint Paul to high school (first day) and college students (second day), and professionals/religious and priests (third day) at Bacolod City, at the invitation of the Augustinian priests who run the University of Augustinian Recollects, the venue of the symposium.

-          April 14-17: Summer Bible Institute for Mindanao region attended by 98 biblical pastoral workers; this was organized by the Paul VI Biblical Center.  The topic was on the Infancy narratives; the venue was at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao in Catalunan Grande, Davao City.

-          April 29:  Sr. Miriam gave a seminar on “Making the Word of God alive in our life, family, and community” to 80 pastoral workers of the Archdiocese of San Pedro, Davao City, at the request of the parish priest, Bishop George Rimando.

-          June 18-27:  A crash course on the History of Salvation as preparation for the Philippine Catholic Lay Missionaries for their mission exposure, facilitated by Sr. Miriam.

-          August 1: One-day Symposium on Saint Paul by the students of Saint Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute, attended by 80 GKK and youth leaders and some religious Sisters.

-          October 20-24: Semestral Bible Institute for Mindanao region attended by 112 biblical pastoral workers; this was organized by the Paul VI Biblical Center; the venue was at Crystal Inn, Iligan City.  The topic was on the Passion, Death and Resurrection Narratives with an introduction on the Galilean ministries of Jesus.

-          October 25-26: National Retreat for 57 Catholic Faith Defenders at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, Ozamis City, using Bibliodrama elements.

Projects:  Biblical courses of the students of Saint Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute include bibliodrama elements and at the end of every biblical course, they are expected to come out with a project which would be of use in their assigned pastoral areas.

-          For the first semester, the first year students of History of Salvation produced a musical drama entitled “Jonah: the Missionary Church in Asia,” depicting the big challenge for the Catholic Church in Asia to dialogue with the different world religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.  The second year students of Johannine Literature also presented a musical play portraying the great battle between the good and evil forces in the world as their contemporary interpretation of the Book Revelation.  They invited leaders of the different parish groups, including the youth and Sunday school children.  The feedback they received was very encouraging: the audience came to appreciate that the Word of God is alive in their daily life.

-          For the second semester, part of the students’ course requirements in Pentateuch, is to come out with an Asian biblical exegesis and hermeneutics of each book of the Pentateuch, highlighting stories/verses which have great significance for Catholic faith and morals.  They will submit their work by the end of March 2010.

Celebration of the National Bible Week: January 25-31

Saint Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute, with a population of 37 students from 7 countries in Asia and Africa, have the following activities:

-          Bible enthronement at the 6a.m. Holy Mass in the parish of Mother of Perpetual Help in J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City.

-          Bible exhibits: How the Bible is inculturated in different countries; different Bible translations; history of salvation, etc.

-          Bible games and quizzes for the children, youth and adults.

-          Symposium on the theme “That they may be one” for parish leaders and parishioners of the parish of Mother of Perpetual Help.

Reflections:

-          There is a need to develop among Asians an appreciation for an Asian Biblical Hermeneutics; as the post-synod document Ecclesia in Asia states firmly that the Church in Asia has to rediscover with greater awareness “the Asian roots of Christianity” (n.4).

-          There is really a hunger for the Word of God among the Faithful, but we have few trained biblical scholars who could reach out to their needs, for one reason or the other.

-          The members of the Catholic Faith Defenders are zealous to defend the Catholic Church, but through debate on the Word of God, which is not ecumenically and pastorally correct.  They could be good resources if they are willing to modify their approach.