Bring God to the people, seminarians told

By Sem. Angelito Olila/ Sem. Ryan Zafe “St. John the Baptist prepares the encounter between God and man. Like St. John, our task as facilitators is to prepare the participants with their encounter with God,” said Rev. Fr. Noel V. Sumagui, SDB, former Youth Director of the Archdiocese of Caceres and currently a missionary to Sri Lanka. Fr. Sumagui, in his homily, addressed the seminarians of the Holy Rosary Major Seminary at the conclusion of their 2-day Retreat and Recollection Giving Seminar and Module-Making last January 5-6, 2018. According to him, “Retreat and Recollection giving is a preaching ministry. As a ministry, it must bring God to the people and must bring people back to God – back to the original state of peace with the self, others and God.” The first day of the seminar talked about the purpose, principles, distinctions, and elements of Retreat and Recollection, while the second day served as the module-making proper. Self-reflection, personal prayer, reconciliation and celebration of life (eucharist), according to Fr. Sumagui are the four non-negotiable activities in Module-Making. This seminar was realized through the initiative of Rev. Fr. Gerome Pelagio, Pastoral Moderator, assisted by Sem. Joshua Sanchez, Pastoral Committee Chair and Sem. Devino Dela Cruz, Spirituality Committee Chair. Fr. Sumagui, during the sessions, was also assisted by Youth Encounter Facilitators of the Archdiocese of Caceres. Sem. John Robert Bañal, President of the Seminary Student Council, gave his words of thanks to Fr. Sumagui as well as to his co-facilitators after the post-communion prayer during the mass. The seminary community was blessed to meet Fr. Sumagui, a simple, energetic, and witty retreat master. His expertise on the subject was exemplary. Listening to him as he shared his experiences as a missionary priest and retreat master did not just provide wisdom and entertainment to the seminarians but also inspired them to be committed and at peace with their own mission in life.