Meycauayan has a rich religious
culture. As it basically gives home to one of the oldest churches in the
country founded by the Franciscans, the town's reputation as a core of
Catholicism in Bulacan cannot be set aside. The moment the Franciscans landed
in Bahay Pari on the late 16th century and planted the seed of faith among the
people, this place had indeed marked its name on the history of Bulacan.
Having given this kind of
introduction, I have presented a concrete justification as to why I am so proud
that I am a parishioner and a server in the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi. As
one of the oldest churches in Bulacan, it then follows that the parish boasts
of incredible traditions which had been in practice for so long - until
modernization of society took over and cultures were either forgotten or lost.
I've always believed that history
is an essential formula to a successful community, and this applies to our
religious beliefs as well. In order to bring in more people to the church, it is
important to instill that sense of pride among them. And how do we do that? By
making them see what had been in practice through actually reliving the past.
That is exactly why the Committee
on Church Cultural Heritage of the parish is tirelessly working to bring back
the glory that was once ours. We continuously spearhead projects that would
enlighten people today of the incredible truth that Meycauayan still has
something beautiful in it. We make sure that all our projects would lead to the
achievement of one ultimate goal: to convince everyone that Meycauayan - amidst
all the political issues and controversies - is still worth it.
The recently concluded Flores de
Mayo had probably been one of the most eye-opening events we've ever handled.
There were challenges, conflicts, problems, but all of those are nothing
compared to the kind of appreciation we receive from the people. Hearing
compliments of how smooth the flow was (albeit the annoying problems in the
beginning) and how organized it had been, I couldn't help but feel so
flattered.
No, it's not because I'm one of
the head organizers of the month-long event. The pride honestly comes from the
fact that all the stress, heartaches, disappointments, and all else had
actually paved way to the possibility of making a difference. Witnessing people
appreciating what everyone did was an enough indication that religious traditions
can be relived, and the community can once again participate.
I know it's not going to be easy continuing what we have started, but we at CCCH will take it step by step. Judging from the plans laid out on me last night, we're going to be aggressive in pushing our cause.
Because we all know that it's about time we bring back what's rightfully Meycauayan's.
