By Fr. Leo Mang, SDB

Cebu, Philippine, October 23, 2015 - The Don Bosco Center for Lay Adults and Youth (DB-CLAY) and the Social Communications Office of the Philippine South Province (FIS) organized the 7th John Paul II Cebu Conference on October 21 – 23, 2015 at the Don Bosco Formation Center, Lawaan, Talisay City, Cebu. This annual event gathers educators, animators and catechists of the various parishes and schools in the Visayas and Mindanao regions in order to provide them opportunities for an ongoing formation, professionalism and spiritual growth. This year there are 208 participants who registered.

The main pastoral theme of this year’s 3-day gathering focused on Pope Francis’ message on the 49th World Communications Day: “Communicating the Family: A Privilege Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love.” Each day begins with prayer through a Eucharistic Celebration. The Plenary follows with speakers leading the participants to reflect on the importance of the family and presents the digital and media culture that affects today’s Christian family.

In the afternoon, participants break into different workshops of their choice to specialize a certain topic for the next three days facilitated by resource speakers. The nine workshops are the following: Applying the Preventive System of St. John Bosco in the Family; Applied Youth Ministry; Counseling for Non-Counselors; Spiritual Direction Made Simple for Youth; Family Catechesis Today through Liturgical Bible Study; Liturgy and the Family – Liturgy, Sanctifying the Family and Changing the World Today; Youth and Media Culture; Developing a Culture of Prayer in the Family and Contextualized Catechesis for New Evangelization.

This conference is also co-facilitated by the novices and aspirants of Don Bosco Formation Center in the running and implementation of the activities. It provides them an opportunity to observe the flow of the gathering, to absorb its good practices and learn by experience.