Putting into practice what they learn in the classroom about their faith, and specifically the Commandment of love, CCD’s (Continuing Catholic Development) Level 7 students (Confirmation Level), celebrated the holy season of Advent and brought forward the joyous season of Christmas, to children at the convent of the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul at Parañaque City.
On Saturday morning, 7 December: students, teachers, committee and helpers, departed by bus from the Parish for Paranaque – loaded with food, drinks, presents, good cheer and a strong sense to share with those children who were the beneficiaries of the first CCD Outreach program for this school year. Funds to pay for these goodies and to make the Outreach a distinct possibility, was raised from CCD’s own annual Light A Parol fund-raising project.
CCD’s contact with the children and the Daughters of Charity Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, was through BINHI, an English Literacy Foundation, which begin in 2008 by a group of women bonded by a common vision to help improve the future of Filipino children in the marginalized areas, through education.
The CCD students were tasked with giving and grading Mid-Test to their young hosts, girls and boys aged 3 and 4 years old – to determine whether the child can already recognize upper and lower case letters. The overall results would also indicate whether the child is ready for enrolment in the elementary schools. The report back from BINHI was that 71% of the total number of children passed the test; 7% would have to re-do the test.
The whole exercise and the project itself was one of caring patience, kindness and consideration to the younger children some of whom quickly formed a bond with their guests from CCD. “Love your neighbour as yourself” as clearly and widely in evidence that day and as told to a teacher by a student: “today, we are the Good amaritan”. Clearly those from CCD were indeed putting their Faith in Action.
After an enjoyable interval of singing and dancing, eating and resting, we bade goodbye to the children, their parents, their teachers and the nuns who care for them, and made the bus ride back to Santuario de San Antonio Parish, mentally and spiritually refreshed and happy, that we had just spent a very worthwhile morning with some very deserving people – in an Outreach of caring and sharing.
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Santuario de San Antonio Parish 