PRODIGAL SONS TO RETURN
Faith is a gift. It’s not held by everybody but it is available for anyone who wants to believe. The capability of people possessing faith is the ability to hold on to hopes and dreams even in the darkest of days. It is with this that Msgr. Vicente Tupas Jr., the Chaplain of the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel, heads the Committee on Catechesis for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) 2016.
Msgr. Tupas Jr. belongs to the whole body of priests of Cebu who volunteered for the success of the first ever IEC to be held in the island.
“I was chosen by Archbishop Jose Palma because when we started preparing for the event in 2012, I headed the Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry,” says Msgr. Tupas.
Becoming a priest after obtaining a degree in Bachelor of Sciences in Hotel and Restaurant Management in the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Msgr. Tupas believes that his calling to become a priest was a late vocation. “Mine is a late vocation because I entered the seminary after a college degree. Reflecting back, however, I remember answering a high school slum book question, ‘What do you want to do?’ with, ‘To serve God.’ I was also very active in our parish, the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, in Lahug. I was a catechist, an acolyte, a member of the parish choir and organizations like the Legion of Mary and Chiro. I was also active in the Focolare Movement. All these helped me say yes to His call.”
Appointed with the task of preparing
and teaching the faithful what the IEC will bring about, Msgr. Tupas shared the many activities of the committee that he heads. “The IEC Committee on Catechesis spiritually, intellectually and communally prepared the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Cebu. We formulated modules, organized speaker bureaus and implemented the National Pastoral Plan at the level of the Archdiocese,” says Msgr. Tupas.
The committee was also given the task of taking care of one of the major highlights of IEC 2016 which is the first communion of 5,000 children. “One of the major events of IEC 2016 is the First Communion of 5,000 children to be held on Jan. 30 at the Cebu City Sports Center. The Committee on Catechesis, through the sub-committee on First Communion, prepares this event. Since 2014, the children from all over the Philippines were spiritually prepared for this occasion,” shares Msgr. Tupas. He continues that with the help of volunteers they are looking forward to helping make the blessed event happen. “More than 1,000 volunteers, mostly catechists, are actively involved in the Committee on Catechesis,” he says.
With the start of the IEC, Msgr. Tupas knows that the event, which happens only once every four years, will bring many blessings to the island.
“Cebu will greatly benefit materially and spiritually for hosting the IEC. It offers an unprecedented opportunity for undertakings in air, navigation and automotive transportation. Hotel proprietors, owners of inns, restaurants and cafés will also join in the festivities. It will bring an increase of revenue not only for the city and the province, but also for the region and the whole country. It also brings extraordinary honor to the city. IEC will also bring immeasurable spiritual success to Cebu.”
“Young and old, rich and poor, officers and soldiers—we find all these as one, hardly discernible from the other—but every one of them friendly and happy, mixing together in the crowd. It will be a great increase of grace. More frequent reception of the Sacraments will be seen, and most especially there will be a great return of prodigal sons,” adds Msgr. Tupas.