OG NEWS Official Publication of Open Gathering 2010
Issue 3
INVITATION TO NEW MIGRANTS Organizers of OG: Open Gathering call on new migrants to attend the event on Sunday December 19, 2010 from 11:00am – 5:00pm in the Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral, Auckland. Hosted by the Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy (ACFC), Open Gathering 2010 will celebrate Christmas in a genuine spirit of giving, caring and sharing, with volunteers bringing food and gifts, and artists providing entertainment – all meant for the new migrants. During the final meeting for 2010 of ACFC on November 16, Fr Gilbert Ramos, acting parish priest of Good Shepherd, inquired on who can be considered as new migrants, to which Bro Mel B Libre, Lead Servant of TawagAwit, responded “those who have arrived in the country in the past two years.” To be better prepared, organizers request new migrants to sign up in advance either at the Good Shepherd Parish, or by e-mailing tawagawit@gmail.com. Papal awardees Oscar and Miriam Batucan urged ACFC members to fully support the activity as “new migrants deserve much of our attention”, while civic leader Cora Noblejas said that “many years ago, we cried our hearts out in the beach, as we missed so much our country, our families and our friends. We only had each other to make Christmas truly alive. This activity allows us to be with each other, as one Filipino community.” ACFC chair Dicdic del Castillo said that the group’s chaplain Fr Ruben Elago urges everyone to make a difference this Christmas by sharing joy and happiness to the new migrants through OG. Now on its fourth year, OG has attracted the growing number of Filipino migrants in New Zealand, and the organizers hope that they will respond to the invitation this Christmas.
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Ka Uro to speak in OG Mauro Oreta, more known to his friends as “Ka Uro”, one of the founding members of AklNZPinoys, will grace Open Gathering on December 19 at the Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral, Auckland City. He will speak about the migrant’s handbook, “From Carabao to Sheep”, published by the group and launched in October this year. Ka Uro will share anecdotes on experiences of its members that new migrants will find inspiring. In his blog, Mga Kuro-Kuro ni Ka Uro, he describes himself in this manner: “tipikal na pinoy workng in the IT industry. pero hindi mukhang nerd (that's what you think, sabi naman ng bruha kong anak). may maganda, mabait at napaka-sarap maglutong asawa at isang napakatalinong (mana sa ina), nagdadalagang anak. i've been in IT since the early 80's (tanda na no?). have worked in Saudi Arabia, then in Cal,USA, before finally settling in Auckland in '96.” AklNZPinoys was organized in 2006, and currently has nearly 1,500 members who exchange notes and information on concerns that affect the lives of migrants in Auckland. The group helps kababayans here and those coming to Auckland to: meet old and new friends; expand one's networking (very useful ito for job hunting, house hunting etc);compare notes; share experiences on job seeking, settlement, PR visa processing; disseminate useful tips and information to kababayans wanting to go Auckland, so new comers don't commit the same mistakes and bloopers.
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MIXED FEELINGS DURING CHRISTMAS IN A FOREIGN LAND (Published in Blotfree, December 18, 2008)
Migrants who are new in a foreign land have mixed feelings especially during the Christmas season. Old traditions stick and the absence of time-honored customs can make one homesick and lonely. In New Zealand, for instance, carollers are rare, while fireworks banned. Christmas parties in offices are limited to finger food and drinks without a program nor presentations, just people talking among each other – and no mention about the birth of Christ.
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We (TawagAwit members) numbering 20 individuals went out carolling over the weekend in Auckland – and it was a joy to see our hosts (with family and friends) with wide smiles and singing along with us. The mother of Nida Gray, one of our hosts, even whispered to me how happy she was to see and hear us – for she sorely missed hearing traditional Filipino carols (which we put together in a medley). The funds we have raised from the carolling will be spent for the Open Gathering, an event of giving, sharing, and caring. We intend not only to sing songs, but also share food and give away gifts to as many as possible. The new migrants are our special guests and we will ascertain that they will feel "at home" with the activities we have prepared. When Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to rest, no one gave them decent space in Bethlehem. They settled in a manger where the King of Kings was born. "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7) We must approach Christmas with open doors, with giving hearts. As much as Christmas is about caring for those close to us, it is also about sharing what we have to the least of our brethren not just the poor, but also the unwanted, the forgotten, the unloved. Add to that the homesick and the lonely. ‘As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."’ (2 Corinthians 9:9)
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COME &
OG
Open Gathering Celebrating the True Essence Christmas 11:15 Filipino Mass 12:30 Food Sharing 1:30 Entertainment 3:30 Gift-giving
December 19, 2010, Good Shepherd Church, Balmoral AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND Page 5 of 6
OG:
Open Gathering
AUCKLAND CATHOLIC FILIPINO CHAPLAINCY Hosted by:
The Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy is one of the few ethnic chaplaincies in the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand. The ACFC operates as a quasi-parish community based at the Good Shepherd Parish in Balmoral, Central Auckland. As a quasi-parish, it offers religious services such as regular Sunday Masses in Pilipino, weekly Wednesday Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, fortnightly Bible apostolate, monthly devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, house to house rosary and various devotional practices to the Blessed Virgin. The management of the Chaplaincy is a collaboration between the Chaplain and the ACFC Pastoral Council. The Pastoral Council is made up of ten members who are elected from the Filipino Community every two years and of representative from each of the different Catholic groups and associations in the Filipino community who are appointed or elected by their respective groups. As strategy for integration, the Chaplaincy is represented at the Good Shepherd Parish Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council. MISSION STATEMENT: The mission statement is to collaborate with the Bishop of Auckland and the Chaplain in the pastoral care of the Filipinos in the Auckland Diocese and to assist them in their journey towards maturity in Faith and towards integration into the local church and New Zealand society. ACFC CHAIRMAN: Ma. Consuelo del Castillo CHAPLAIN: Fr. Ruben Elago, MSP
Organized by:
TawagAwit, a Catholic Ministry spreading
God’s Word through music and other acts of love
Support OG: Open
Gathering
Email: tawagawit@gmail.com Page 6 of 6