Flamingoes in flight... for heaven's sake!
This caption synthesizes the very successful CONGRESS ON RELIGIOUS LIFE held at Assumption-Iloilo on 12-13 August 2006. Organized by the Association of Women Religious in Iloilo (AWRI), this gathering had as its theme, “CONSECRATED LIFE:
PASSION FOR JESUS...IN COMMUNION WITH PEOPLES”.
One hundred fifty-seven (157) women and men Religious from 35 Congregations (31of Sisters and 4 of Priests and Brothers) spent this weekend in prayerful listening to and reflection on the Acts of the Congress on Consecrated Life held in Rome in 23-27 November 2005. Among the 144 Sisters and 13 Priests and Brothers were participants from the archdiocese of Capiz and dioceses of Antique, Kalibo and Bacolod.
Inspired by Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo’s message at the Opening of the 2nd Session of the 3rd Diocesan Synod of Jaro last 7 November 2006 -
“The bright vision of the future of the Archdiocese will be like the flight of the flamingoes in which all the key building blocks of the new reality in our Arch-
diocese are put in place, with every one, and every Parish confidently and
together rising to the challenge of A NEW VISION.”
Sr. Mary Ann Guevara, D.C., AWRI Chairperson, invited the participants to ask themselves, “Where and how can AWRI be a part of the creation of that future?”
Two main resource persons deepened the participants’ awareness and appreciation of their religious vocation, and therefore, the where and how AWRI might help identify aspects of the new reality and contribute towards the formation of that new vision:
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SR. MA. TERESA MUEDA, DC, Board member of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), who spoke on RECOVERING OUR PROPHETIC PRESENCE against the backdrop of the present situation on the national level, and
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SR. SONIA ARAO, RC, an international resource person, who invited the gathering to a larger level of communion- the international experience of con-secrated women and men contained in the Document Passion for Christ, Passion for Humanity, especially focused on The Two Icons for a Samaritan Religious: the Samaritan Woman and the Good Samaritan.
As to what Religious Life might be in that future, Sr. Sandra Schneiders, IHM, in the same Document puts it so unequivocally:
“Jesus did not come to establish a new religion with new boundaries,
new litmus tests, a new caste system based on gender, power, or wealth.
He came to inaugurate a new world, to give the power to become children
of God to all those who believe in Him regardless of human origin, social
status, gender, or any of the other markers humans have created to divide
humanity into the dominant and the oppressed. It is this new world, this
discipleship of equals in which there is no Jew or gentile, slave or free, man
or woman and, we might add, no royal or common, rich or poor, cleric or lay,
white or colored, straight or gay, and so on, that Religious aspire to create
by their way of life. 
By perpetual vows of consecrated celibacy, evangelical
poverty, and prophetic obedience they establish an alternate world which
they live into being on a twenty-four hour a day basis, witnessing against
the Prince of this World’s version of a hopelessly divided human race and
to a people whose hope springs from the Resurrection that universal shalom
in the Reign of God is possible. They seek to announce in every culture and
every age that the Savior of the World has come that all may have life and
have it to the full.”
Renewed and inspired by the challenges posed by the Acts of the Congress on Consecrated Life and the theme of the on-going Third Diocesan Synod of Jaro, “Padulong sa Bug-os nga Paghiliusa” (Towards Fullness of Communion), Archbishop Lagadameo’s
reference to the flight of flamingoes catches so powerfully AWRI’s desire to join collectively the flight of the other ‘flamingoes’ in the Archdiocese of Jaro and be ready to be building blocks of a new reality.
“The flamingoes know that to reach uncharted islands or deserts, they
must leave behind even the familiar abodes which have become obstruct-
tive.
Like a flock of flamingoes up in the air, you and I are leaving our past with
appreciation and gratitude, and are approaching the future with humility,
eagerness and hope.”
(* AWRI (Association of Women Religious in Iloilo) is an organization of Women Religious in the Archdiocese of Jaro who have consecrated themselves to live Christ’s life radically, publicly, and in community, thereby devoting themselves exclusively to the mission of Jesus Christ.)