Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Reverend Monsignori and Fathers,
Consecrated Men and Women,
Partners in the Family and Life Apostolate,
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Peace be with you!
First, we commend all who are organizing conferences, seminars, and events on the national, regional, diocesan, parochial etc. levels to mark the Amoris Laetitia Family Year and the Year of Saint Joseph. Such initiatives not only attest to your pastoral zeal but also help incarnate the Holy Father’s vision of the Church as a “family of families” (AL 87).
Second, we are happy to inform you that the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life is offering conferences that can complement the regional and diocesan programs: “Fathers’ Day” in June, “Grandparents and the Elderly” in July, “Migrant Families” in August, etc.
Third, we invite you to join, promote and share the ECFL’s Fathers’ Day offering on 18-20 June 2021. We take our theme from the opening lines of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Patris Corde: “With a father’s heart: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as ‘the son of Joseph’”. In order to facilitate participation and sharing here and abroad in the context of the pandemic, the event will be streamed live via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archdioceseoflipa:
- Friday, June 18, 09:00-10:30 am
- Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera’s talk on “Forming Fathers in the Image of Saint Joseph” based on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Patris Corde.
- Saturday, June 19, 09:00-11:00 am: Personal testimonies on fatherhood in the image of Saint Joseph:
- Family Integration
- Climbing out of addiction (Mr. Jose Antonio Mañosa, Addictions Counselor ICAC 1 / Recovery Coach)
- OFW Fathers overcoming distance (Mr. Wilson Lumbao, Electrical Engineer, Saudi Electric Company)
- Family Discernment
- Fathers educating children towards their vocation (Rev. Michael Sandoval, Deacon, Archdiocese of Lipa)
- Fatherhood in an online environment (Mr. Edwin Lopez, International Marketing Manager, EWTN)
- Family Accompaniment
- Fatherhood and an LGBT person’s journey (Mr. Edwin Valles, President, Courage Philippines)
- Family in the midst of the Covid crisis (Mr. Victor Alvarez, Couples for Christ)
- Family Integration
- Sunday, June 20
- 11:00 am: Holy Eucharist to be celebrated by Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera in the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph the Patriarch, San Jose, Batangas.
- 01:00-03:00 pm: Tribute to Fathers (with games and raffle).
Finally, we invite you to mark the dates of the next ECFL event, the first virtual national conference of grandparents and the elderly on 22-24 July 2021. This is in view of the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly as announced by Pope Francis. The program will be sent to you in the first week of July.
Sincerely,
