Local Parish celebrates the marriage of indigent couples every Friday

By Fr. Eric Bobis A Parish in Old Moriones, Ocampo holds a regular wedding schedule for those who wish to bind their union as a sacrament in the simplest way. Parish Priest Fr. Emmanuel Mojica thought of doing this for simple folks can avail of the Sacrament of Marriage without any pompous decorations and grandiosity, but without losing the essentials of the sacrament. In all Fridays of the month, the Parish opens the said celebration to indigent couples. Following the same process and canonical requirements, the Parish has celebrated the marriage of more than 20 couples in four months. “It’s a joyful celebration for me and my husband, Roberto. To have joined our love even in the simplest way. We realized love is not in the decorations, but in the way we care and love,” said Maricel Sideco, a bride on one Friday in December. With the increasing number of those who enter the union without the sacrament, Mojica thought of the program as a means to answer the pressing problem, especially for those whose reason is financial. After all, the Catholic Church teaches that every faithful must have access to the sacraments, and financial incapacity must not deprive the poor of the sacrament. “It is a surprise for me to see the increase in the number of those who avail the sacrament. It is inspiring to see people going back to the Church to receive the sacrament because they think [and feel] they belong to the Church,” said Mylene Agravante, Parish Secretary. The Parish of San Pedro Bautista, Old Moriones, Ocampo, celebrated its 20th Parish Fiesta last Feb. 5 and has began its Basic Ecclesiastical Communities (BEC) Program.