A PLAY on Saint PAUL

LFC co-produces the College Seminary's play on Saint Paul in this year celebrated in his 2000th birth. Damasku: Landas ni Pablo is written, directed and acted by all the seminarians. Support this play, and you can help in the seminary's project to repair its 20-year-old building. Call the seminary hotline: +63 75 515 5720.

Our First Guests in 2009

The Minor Seminarians of the Mary Help of Christians Seminary regularly hold their Class Recollections and Encounter here at LFC. They became our first guests for the year. Our calendar in February and March is almost filled in. We encourage our patrons to make their reservations early!

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO LFC

From Manila: Take NLEX, then SCTX exit to LUISITA (Tarlac City); From Tarlac City, take the road towards Camiling, then to Bayambang, Malasiqui, Calasiao, Dagupan. (From Tarlac City to Dagupan, travel may take 90 to 120 minutes.)

In Dagupan, upon arriving at the junction (you will see Jolibee and BPI fronting each other), go straight passing by University of Pangasinan, Collegio de Dagupan and Nepo Mall - follow that road as it bends towards Bonuan. (From Dagupan to Bonuan, travel just takes about 15 to 25 minutes.)

In a minor junction in Bonuan you will see the Amigo Gas Station in front of some small stores. Go straight but slow down. You will see on your right the black SEMINARY gate, then the round Annunciation Church. Before the waiting shed, you will see tarpaulins with LFC signs. Enter the gate (the gate is usually closed, but unlocked). Welcome to LFC! It is the huge building with blue roof. (From the junction to LFC, just 3 minutes.)

What is the Lay Formation Center?

The Archdiocesan Lay Formation Center (LFC)

The Lay Formation Center is not just a facility to provide the Catholic Lay Faithful with a clean and decent place for seminars, conferences, retreat and recollections. It is first and foremost, a “center of formation for the Laity,” as its name denotes, where actual formation of the laity can and must happen.

It was established by the highly-esteemed Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, DD, JCD and the Archdiocesan Clergy. It opened in MMV (2005) and it is now on its fourth year of operation.

LFC’S Vocation and Mission

Christifidelis Laici, the 1985 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, speaks very eloquently about the task and responsibility of LFC for the Lay Faithful. According to this document, the Laity should receive a complete and integrated formation, one which bears its fruit in every sphere of their existence and activity.

1) The spiritual formation of the Laity – their continual growth in communion with Christ is nourished by the help to holiness offered by the Church.

2) Doctrinal formation – which will enable them to explain to the world the reason for their hope. Systematic catechesis is also necessary.

3) A proper formation of a social conscience, especially in the Church’s social teaching.

4) An integrated program of formation that cultivates the human values and skills necessary for the Lay Faithful’s apostolic activities.

Formators of the Laity

God is the first responsible for the formation of the Laity. The Church for her part also takes part in forming the Lay Faithful through the ministry of teaching and celebration of the sacraments. The Lay Formation Center exists for this purpose, in collaboration with the Archbishop and the Clergy of the Archdiocese.

The home, the domestic Church of the family, is the first fundamental school of formation of the Laity, but formation is an essential task in the parish. Again, the Lay Formation Center can be “the” home of the formation of the Lay Faithful as reasonably established in the Archdiocese.

WELCOME 2009!

This is our new brochure. Call us for copies!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is a season of joy. One of the strongly-worded liturgical prayers during the season of advent asks the Lord, "to prepare our hearts to receive the Lord" by begging him "to remove all the sadness that hinder us to celebrate the birth of the savior with hope and joy."

We ask ourselves the "why" of our sadness. The prophet Isaiah encourages us to make the path of the Lord straight, and John Baptist inspires us to repent of our sins. This makes a lot of sense. If we have failed in our relationships by hurting someone, or have deliberately done something malicious because of human weakness like pride or jealousy, or if we have sinned in anyway - then we could not enjoy the spirit of Christmas fully. We need to take a courageous step to forgive and to be forgiven.

The Blessed Virgin Mother also teaches us some wisdom. She points out by her spirituality about the greater importance of faith, purity and virtue over materialism, despair and vices. Sometimes we are deceived by the lies that money, external beauty or power could bring us true happiness. The life of the spirit, simplicity and humility are those that often lead us, however, to that which we truly desire, inner joy and peace. Thanks to the example of Mary.

Finally, let us fix our gaze on Christ. The meaning of the mystery of the Incarnation is the mystery of the love of God. There is certainly a connection between love and happiness. No one full of love is unhappy. All people in love are happy.

Our prayer, therefore, for everyone this season is not so much for more money in our pockets, or much food on our tables, or countless gifts by our Christmas trees, rather it is that there might be immeasurable and innumerable love in our hearts and in our homes so that we can truly have a HAPPY, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

From Fr. Mario and the LFC Staff

Pangasinan Seminarians in Vigan

Theology Seminarians at ICST, Vigan stayed overnight at LFC during their educational trip. Fr. Arvin and Fr. Raymond accompanied the group on November 29-30.