A FILIPINO undergoing final religious formation in Dublin, Ireland is helping Irish pilgrims prepare for the 51st IEC to be held in Cebu City from January 24 to 31.
In an online interview through the social networking site Facebook, Brother Jeff Pioquinto, SJ said he was invited by Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin, to give a talk to close to 30 pilgrims set to attend the global Catholic meeting in Cebu City.
A Filipina based in Scotland is going with the Irish delegation, according to Pioquinto.
Pioquinto hails from Zamboanga City.
In 2008, he took up his regency in the Sacred Heart School in Cebu City and considers the city as his second home.
Last January 9, the Irish delegation met each other for the first time through the efforts of Bishop Doran.
Bishop Doran was secretary general of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress with Anne Griffin acting as general manager of the previous IEC held in the Irish capital in June 2012. Bishop Doran is also attending the 51st IEC.
The Irish delegation represents 11 dioceses and is scheduled to depart Ireland on January 21, according to Griffin, in a separate online interview.
In his talk before the Irish delegation, Pioquinto said he presented a brief Church history of the Philippines and stressed the “significant role Cebu played in the faith dimension of Filipinos”.
He also shared stories that demonstrate the resilience of Filipinos, “in spite of poverty, natural disaster and many other difficulties and how faith played a vital role on the resiliency of the people.”
According to Pioquinto, the Irish delegation was “fascinated and excited” to witness the deep faith of the Cebuanos as shown by their devotion to the Santo Niño, the Virgin Mary, as well as their zealous participation in the cultural event Sinulog.
The group is excited to see “how vibrant the Church is in Cebu and how the Eucharist and the faith nourishes every aspect of Filipino lives.”
The pilgrims are “hopeful to see a different Church context totally different from Europe,” Pioquinto added.
Earlier, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin celebrated Mass for the pilgrims ahead of their departure to 51st Eucharistic Congress in Cebu.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who was president of IEC 2012 in Dublin, will be the principal celebrant for the main Congress Mass on Jan. 29 in Cebu, according to Griffin.
In a news release posted by Griffin ahead of the Saturday gathering, Bishop Kevin Doran said: “Christians are a small minority of the population of Asia, but a very significant presence in the Philippines. This gives the Congress in Cebu a strong missionary dimension.”
“The theme is a reminder to the Filipino Church that through Christ who lives in them, they are carriers of Hope for the whole of Asia. The pilgrimage to Cebu will be an opportunity for the Irish delegation to consider how we can become once again carriers of hope, not just for ourselves, but for the people of Europe.”
Griffin is part of the team from Rome overseeing preparations for the 51st IEC.
She will join the Vatican delegation which is set to arrive in Cebu City on Jan. 18.