Feature Stories

1/26/2023 1 Comment

See the fields ripe for harvest (Jn. 4:35)

Fr. Ismael (far right) with misioneros in the Philippines

See the fields ripe for harvest (Jn 4:35)

by Fr. Ismael Barros, FMVD

Fr. Ismael Barros, FMVD, General Superior of Verbum Dei’s male branch, arrived in July for a month’s visit. He writes with warmth and affection about his days here, as well as his trip to Vietnam and Australia.

During my stopover in Thailand on my flight back to Europe I had a moment to reflect on what I have experienced on this trip to the Philippines, Vietnam and Australia.

With a grateful heart to God and to the brothers and sisters, I am aware of all that I have received. I was very happy to see each missionary again after three years. During the pandemic we had seen each other and talked to each other through the computer screen but it is not the same as meeting live.

This trip has been bathed in affection and joy to hear from so many people how grateful they are for the work the missionaries do. I have felt very cared for and well looked after. I was asked if the work of the General Responsible is difficult, always visiting different communities, but the truth is that I have the feeling of getting the best part of it. In all the visits I am shown the best and I can enjoy the fruits and feel personally proud of the work that my brothers have done.

Everything speaks to me of growth, challenges and development. There is a deep sense of newness that makes us feel small and sometimes inadequate. How to maintain our work of vocation animation and at the same time form the vocations that are already knocking at our door? How to distribute the forces and resources we have?

Everything becomes a challenge when we had planned it in a well-defined project on paper and now we have to implement it. The objectives are being achieved and that opens up other steps to take. We have prayed a lot for vocations and when they come we have to form them. We have to have structures to welcome them. It is a change of rhythm similar to that of a young married couple when they start having children — you have to prepare rooms and you have to change lifestyles.

I was happy to meet missionaries who, the last time I saw them, had not yet taken their final vows or were not yet priests. I enjoyed concelebrating the Eucharist for the first time with several missionaries.

I want to take this opportunity to thank God for all the people who collaborate with our mission. Thank you for all those who pray for new vocations and for the perseverance of those of us who have been serving for years.

I also thank God for the welcome that the local Church in each place gives us through the Bishops and other authorities. The Church values our contribution.

Fr. Ismael with Fr. David and Bro. Darwin in Vietnam

This article is part of the 4th issue of the Verbum Dei newsletter in Quezon City, Philippines (page 11).
You can read the whole newsletter at this link.
Verbum Dei QC Word News - Issue 4

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1/12/2023 0 Comments

Sr. Lucia Herrerias, Shared the “Pedagogy of Jaime” in the 5th Jaime Bonet Series

Verbum Dei Philippines did it again!

Thanks be to God for the successful hosting of the 5th Jaime Bonet Series via the online platforms Zoom and Verbum Dei Facebook Live in the late afternoon Philippine Standard Time last November 19, 2022.

This was attended by Verbum Dei missionaries, disciples, friends and benefactors from the Philippines, Peru, Mexico, and USA.

The Jaime Bonet Series 5th edition recently was entitled “The Pedagogy of Jaime”. The participants were consensus in agreement that the event was both moving and inspiring, which undeniably attributed through the resource speaker, the former president of the Verbum Dei Community Sr. Lucia Herrerias from the Verbum Dei female missionary branch. Her talk made everyone see a glimpse of the life and spirituality of the Verbum Dei founder, Rev. Fr. Jaime Bonet.

The heartwarming talk of Sr. Lucia, centers on the founder’s life and his journey of faith. Since from his conversion when he was young, his formation in the seminary, the founding of the Verbum Dei Community, his life of prayer and his profound love and passion for the Word and mission in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the five continents of the world where Verbum Dei community strive and thrive for 60 years now and with God’s mercy and grace still counting.

After Sr. Lucia’s talk, Sr. Amy Hernandez, VD-Philippines Zone Responsible, who at the same time serve as Spanish translator and Rev. Fr. Antonio Velasco from the VD male branch and former president of the Verbum Dei Community were made to give their insightful thoughts relative to the sharing of Sr. Lucia as panel of reactors that added significance to the theme of the series.

The afternoon ended with a light moment of group picture for posterity and bringing along the voice of Jaime reverberating in each of the participant’s hearts “Hacer…Hacer.”

Jn. 6:68 “…“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,…”

Contributor: LUCIO A. PULMONES, Coordinator VD-NATCOMMS PHILS.

Lucio with his wife Jean is consecrated Verbum Dei Missionary Married Couples in Temporal Bonds from Cebu, Philippines

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11/25/2022 0 Comments

Verbum Dei Philippines National Symposium on Mission: Passion for the Word

By: Sr. Dolly Tan

Getting to know each other games

In celebration of the 60th Founding Anniversary of the Fraternidad Misionera Verbum Dei with the theme “Passion for the Word”, an International Symposium on Mission will be held in Madrid, Spain from June 20-30, 2023, as one of the highlights.

In preparation for this international symposium, recently, the Verbum Dei Family in the Philippines held the National Symposium on Mission with the theme “Passion for the Word” at the Monastery of Transfiguration in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last October 21-23, 2022. This was participated by members of the Verbum Dei Missionary Family in the Philippines coming from Tagaytay, Quezon City, Manila-Pasig, Cebu, and CDO-Bukidnon. Every community is represented led by the members of the consecrated missionaries-the celibate female and male branches and from the branch of the missionary married couples. The Lay Consecrated Missionaries and missionary disciples from the different realities of the Verbum Dei family were also represented. In this gathering, all have witnessed that faith comes alive, where the Verbum Dei charism and mission live and thrive through these communities integrating in their lives the “Passion for the Word.”

Presentation of communities - CDO

The symposium kicked off in the afternoon of Friday with Mae and Regner, a missionary married couple based in Bukidnon welcomed everyone. The program started with the participants sharing updates from the different communities they represent, sharing how they were for the past three years. It was significant in the sharing the challenges and difficulties of the “new normal” faced by the different Verbum Dei communities due to the pandemic. It was also encouraging to know how each community strived to adapt and adjust to these changes and how apostolates really thrived online.

Guidelines - Day 2

Day 2, the symposium started with a prayer guideline shared by Sr. Amy Hernandez, Verbum Dei Philippines Zone Head. In her sharing, she reminded everyone to be grateful to God for allowing members of the Verbum Dei community be heard and valued their thoughts, insights, and experiences about the mission. She also shared her joy of witnessing how far the mission of Jesus reached, especially here in the Philippines through Verbum Dei and through this symposium.

Following the guidelines and a heartfelt prayer, all participants were grouped accordingly and shared the results of the SWOT analysis brought and prepared by the different communities beforehand prior to the symposium. Many thought-provoking questions and insights were laid in the afternoon session in which the output will be taken up for further discussion in the upcoming international symposium in Madrid. During the day, holy mass was celebrated with Sr. Grace Gonzales, the responsible of the Verbum Dei female branch gave the homily, she shared her gratefulness-a moment of thanksgiving, of how the day was productive and how she was moved, especially in the contribution of each one’s journey in the mission through Verbum Dei. She ended her sharing with a reminder that as everyone received, it is time for everyone to give. Following the day’s serious thought-provoking discussions, a lively “fiesta” ensued. Fun games, dance, and lively musical renditions whether prepared or impromptu were shared by different participants in which everyone gladly enjoy the experience and fellowship to end the second day.

Guidelines - Day 3

Capping off the symposium on the 3rd day, the last prayer-guidelines from Fr. Filipe Vaz Pardal, responsible of the VD male branch in the Philippines was shared, Fr. Felipe reminded the participants that the passion for the Word is passion for Jesus and passion for humanity. He invited everyone to constantly look and learn from Jesus and enter in his mindset to live and integrate that passion for the Word in our lives as missionaries of Verbum Dei.

Concluding summary

The guidelines was followed by a brief summary of Bro. Darwin Capuras a Verbum Dei missionary from the male celibate branch serving in Vietnam , he eagerly shared a summary to what has been the highlights and challenges on the different issues or concerns shared by everyone during the symposium and ending his sharing with an invitation to continue the work together with the important matters brought about in the symposium as each one is preparing to go back in their respective local communities. As everyone leaving the symposium, it brought a great sense of gratitude among the participants for being called and entrusted to live and share the Verbum Dei charism and mission, and inspired of being co-responsible in the Verbum Dei Missionary Family, the passion for the Word—passion for Jesus and passion for the mission reaching out to the people in all nations of the world to have a living encounter of Christ’s mercy and love.

With this as we go back to each of our mission field, we humbly pray, “Lord, increase our faith, increase our passion for the Word.”