More than 8,000 people filled the Ultra Stadium in Pasig with loud cheers, songs, dances and celebratory worship during the first-ever, inspirational CATCHFIRE Rally on November 20, 2011, Christ the King Sunday. All agreed that “it was a truly awesome and inspiring afternoon filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit!”
With the theme, “One King. One People. One Mission.”, CATCHFIRE gathered together various religious trans-parochial communities spearheaded by the Pathways Ministries of Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Community (LNP). Around 1,500 BCBP members clad in navy blue T-shirts plus their family members filled the left side gallery. The BCBP’s national leaders both in the present and incoming BOT and ManCom occupied several rows on the main floor fronting the stage.
Other religious groups included Couples for Christ (CFC), FAMILIA, Tahanan ng Panginoon, and singles/youth communities like Christ’s Youth in Action (CYA), Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon, and Singles for Christ (SFC), among many others.
CATCHFIRE kicked-off with a grand motorcade that started from three different points in Metro Manila – the Ligaya Center in Taguig City, the Servants of the Word House in Quezon City, and the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Ateneo campus, Q.C.
The afternoon’s activities opened with Welcome Remarks by Bro Spanky Meer, and a short lively pep rally led by Bro Ces Pilapil, followed by a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Fr. Herb Schneider, S.J., the spiritual director of the participating Catholic renewal communities. He was joined at the altar by Fr. Dave Concepcion of the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary and Fr. Gio Santos of the Salesian Order. Many of the participants were visibly moved by the presence of the Holy Spirit as they worshiped and praised Christ the King in songs and spontaneous worship/praising during the Holy Mass. More than sixty Eucharistic lay ministers assisted the priests in administering the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to the rallyists, reaching even the far areas of the stadium.
The Mass was followed by an exciting afternoon of three parts in consonance with the rally’s theme. The first segment – “One King” – was a period full of lively worship, songs, dances, cheers and praise in honor of Christ the King, led by Bro Glen Glorioso. The second portion – “One People” – emceed by Bro Mike Joseph, Jr. featured the life-giving personal testimonies by Bro Nadz Gawat of LNP-Lingkiod ng Panginoon, Bro Ernie Abringe of Singles for Christ, and Bro Mon Puno from the BCBP. In the third segment CATCHFIRE spokesperson and lay-preacher Bro Bobby Quitain rallied the people to proclaim and spread the Good News of salvation in and through Jesus Christ in their own personal mission fields. In the words of Fr. Dave Concepcion, “With CATCHFIRE, we hope to rally our people to catch the fire, hold on to it, and pass it on to others!”
The afternoon ended with the rallyists praying for the renewal of one another, for guidance and protection of the leaders of participating religious groups, for inspiration and courage of specific government officials who are members of the communities present, and hope for the entire country. Present during the event were DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, PCSO Chairperson Margarita Juico, and her bushand, former PSC Chairman and DAR Secretary Philip Juico.
The more than 8,000 CATCHFIRE participants left the rally on fire with the words “CATCH, HOLD, PASS” as their slogan for sharing the message of Christ the King and CATCHFIRE to the world around them.
Check out the Video and Photos of the CATCHFIRE Rally in this Portal’s Gallery.
