Archdiocese of Manila eyes dispatch of community ‘mission centers’

THE Archdiocese of Manila is planning to bring the Church closer to urban communities by establishing “mission centers” amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an interview with the Churchrun Radyo Veritas, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula explained the mission centers should serve as smaller units of the Church, catering to the spiritual needs of communities.

He explained he plans to assign and tap the creativity of priests to the said centers and make the teachings of the Church relatable to their assigned communities.

The cardinal’s plan is also intended to give the priests, including the younger ones, the chance to manage their own ministry.

Advincula noted he received reports that a priest should be at least 40 years old before he could manage a parish.

During his term as head of the Archdiocese of Capiz, Advincula said he implemented a similar program and deployed priests, who are still in their early 30s, to mission stations in the mountains.

“The life in the mountains is very hard, but they enjoyed and were creative in forming their ministries,” Advincula said.

He said he hopes to replicate the same program in the Archdiocese of Manila.

Advincula said he is now undertaking an inventory of the priests in the Archdiocese of Manila for the possible implementation of the said program.

There are currently 350 priests assigned to the 89 parishes, which have over 3 million parishioners, in the Archdiocese of Manila.