How stewardship began in the Philippines

When I left the Philippines in 1972, I knew I would return from time to time, to visit, to become what our people call a “balikbayan,” an expatriate returnee. Never in my wildest dream, however, did I think that I would go back to my native land as a missionary – one who is sent to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ. In fact, that’s what I was these last few years – a missionary for St. Thomas More Parish promoting stewardship as a way of life – a life of thanksgiving for all of God’s blessings. I never planned to become a missionary. Honestly, I have become comfortable with my life in the United States – taking care of my family, earning a living working for the Church and doing some community work.

Since the 1995 World Youth Day, however, I had this longing to reconnect with my past, my heritage, and decided to create a foundation reconnecting fellow expatriates to engage in “Diaspora philanthropy.” Knowing the many needs in my hometown, I thought leaders would be banging at my door to request for help. Somehow, however, I felt they were not taking us seriously. The adage “no one is a prophet in his or her hometown” seemed true. Still, I wanted to reach out to my hometown.

During a short visit to the Philippines in December 2000, I asked the Prelature of Infanta’s Carmelite Bishop Julio Labayen if I could speak to his clergy to inform them of a foundaionexpatriates have created and how it might help them. At the meeting, I described not only the foundation but also my own work for the church, teaching stewardship as a way of life. In fact, seeing the fruits of stewardship was the reason I created the foundation.

I wasn’t sure how the clergy received my message. However, shortly after my return to the United States, I received an email message from Deacon Mario Van Loon, who, at the instruction of Bishop Labayen, requested a visit to Denver. His visit would lead to other visits from Bishop Labayen himself and other priests who had an opportunity to observe St. Thomas More’s incredible parish life. Father Andrew Kemberling, an expert in stewardship, was just assigned to St. Thomas More and has begun his inspired teachings on the spirituality of stewardship, and has taken the parish to new heights regarding stewardship. The visiting priests were convinced that this way of life is the key to their journey towards becoming the church of the poor, which remains a dream for the Philippine Church.

Second Plenary Council of the Philippines
In 1991, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCPII) proclaimed: “Following the way of the Lord, we opt to be the Church of the Poor.” Yet ten years later, during the 2001 National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal, an evaluation of their progress as church of the poor resulted in mixed reviews. There were those who did not want to call themselves the church of the poor, and would not have anything to do with it. Some did not want to change from the Christendom model to the “church of the poor” model. Others, however, wanted the latter model and took steps to make it happen.

In 1999, under the leadership of Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu, a group of bishops and clergy held a conference, “An Encounter of the Pastor and the Flock towards a new way of being Church.” It was a very rich pastoral experience, according to Cardinal Vidal who suggested a follow-up conference. In due time, Bishop Labayen requested St. Thomas More to sponsor the 2003 Conference on “Sustainability of the Church of the Poor through Stewardship and Formation.”

Father Andrew agreed. He also decided to give the seminar himself inspiring some 70 participants, consisting of bishops, clergy, religious and lay leaders. “The conference has transformed our way of looking at the Church of the Poor,” said Cardinal Vidal. “We have come to realize that to be the church of the poor, we must be instruments of God’s gifts, so those who have more will not have too much and those who have less will not have too little.” He added: “Stewardship is discovering God’s gifts to us; it is sharing our giftedness with the Church.”

Today, the Cardinal and Bishop Labayen have become the powerful voices in promoting stewardship as a way of life. And the entire Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) listened and took notice and subsequently invited Father Andrew and me to give a day-long presentation on stewardship at their January 2005 general assembly in addition to two other seminars for clergy, religious and lay leaders in Manila and Cebu.

Subsequent visits to parishes and dioceses across the country gave me an opportunity to see how stewardship spreading nationwide. What I discovered was an incredible response to make stewardship a way of life in parishes, adopting St. Thomas More stewardship program while making it their own. Please read article on St. Joachim and St. Anne Parish: Model Parish

--Mila Glodava