NEW NOTES TawagAwit Newsletter
January 2011
SHARING LOVE ON CHRISTMAS Christmas maybe one of the busiest seasons of the year, but that did not deter TawagAwit members in pursuing activities meant to give more meaning to the birth of Jesus Christ.
We Need You TawagAwit invites you to help in spreading God’s Word through music and otherPLACE acts of love. PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX You can be a: (1) member; (2) supporter or (3) organizer A member is one who can attend to the regular activities of the Ministry. The minimum participation are: attendance during practice sessions of songs, usually once a week or once every two weeks AND singing with the group during the assigned mass usually once a month or once every two months. A supporter is one who can donate services or resources to the Ministry. There are special events that TawagAwit organizes and the events need finances or helping hands. An organizer is one who initiates the formation of a chapter in a parish. The Ministry will provide all the assistance within its means to help in the vital task.
The build up for OG: Open Gathering reached its peak on December 19 with 308 attending the event of “giving, sharing and caring”. The volume of donations overwhelmed Sis Claudia Menchavez and Sis Josephine Matiga, gifts and toys solicitation coordinators respectively, who gave the biggest packages away to 30 new migrants and their children, and the rest to all attendees. The Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy took charge of the food donations enough to serve the churchgoers and others visitors who accepted the invitation made by Fr Gilbert Ramos during the Filipino Mass at the Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral. Some of the finest Filipino entertainers joined TawagAwit chapters in rendering songs to participants. The event culminated with the presentation of a Vanilla Chic cake to baby Jesus by the children. On December 26, 8 volunteers from TawagAwit joined the anonymous benefactor that brought a roasted pig and drinks for the dinner of nearly 50 indigents at the Auckland City Mission along Hobson Street. The reach-out activity culminated with the group singing Christmas songs to the delight of the beneficiaries. Volunteer Mike Manuel said, “The benefactor who did not want to be identified did an inspiring gesture, and I would love TawagAwit to initiate a similar activity in the future.” The final event of the year on December 27 was the celebration of the 14th anniversary of the ordination of Fr Reno Alima, assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Glen Eden and an avid supporter of TawagAwit. TawagAwit sang the missal songs and its members actively participated in the program that followed, making presentations as well as co-emceeing the program and leading in the social dancing.