UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS

Tuguegarao City

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS and SCIENCES

Second Semester
A.Y. 2021-2022

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

CFED 1043- CICM MISSIONARY IDENTITY

Prepared by:

HAYDEN GONZALES
MICA TALAY
SEVERO WASHINGTON
ESPERANZA ZABLAN
PRINCE WILSON MACARUBBO
FR. ARISTOTLE MAGGAY
FR. ERNEST RAYMOND SIMEON
FR. GLENDEO PATTAGUAN

Reviewed by:

WILSON J. TEMPORAL, LPT, MST

DPRI Department Head

Recommended by:

VENUS I. GUYOS, Ph.D.

Academic Dean

Approved by:

EMMANUEL JAMES PATTAGUAN, Ph.D.

Vice President for Academics
 This Weeks’ Time Table: (March 28 – April 2, 2022)

For this week, the following shall be your guide for the different lessons and tasks that you need
to accomplish. Oops! Be patient, read them carefully before proceeding to the tasks expected of
you.

HAVE A FRUITFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE 😊

Date Topics Activities or Tasks

March 28-29, 2022 The Mission Statement of Read and Internalize Lessons
Jesus
March 30-31, 2022 Distinct contributions of CICM Read and Internalize Lessons
in the World
April 1-2, 2021 Submission of learning tasks Submission of learning tasks

School of Education, Arts and Sciences

Department of Philosophy and Religious Instructions
Curriculum 2020-2021

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

Christian Faith Education 1043: CICM Missionary Identity

Chapter II: CICM in the World

Lesson 2. Distinct contributions of CICM in the World
Topics: Distinct contributions of CICM in the World

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the different geographical places that needs social transformation;

2. Enumerate the distinct contributions of CICM in the World; and
3. Determine the CICM advocacies which are directed towards intercultural understanding.

LEARNING CONTENT

Introduction:

The mission of Jesus is liberating, transforming, salvific. It liberates man from all
forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our
Savior, is an evangelizer, one who teaches and proclaims the Good News of salvation.
As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center of His Good News
is salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man
but which is above all liberation from sin and the Evil One. The Church and all her
members must participate in this evangelizing and liberating mission, drawn from the
very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing to the Gospel is always
given importance.

Lesson Proper:

The Mission Statement of Jesus

(Lk. 4:18-20)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has chosen me

to bring good news to the poor…”

Jesus entrusted the mission of evangelization to His disciples and they

accepted it. Preaching, teaching and deeds of power (healings and exorcisms) are three
expressions of the kingdom proclamation. The twelve, symbolizing the twelve tribes of
Israel are sent out primarily to form an alternative community based on the new
teaching of divine holiness.

It is this "new teaching - with authority!" that Jesus has given the twelve. This
is what they have assimilated, and this is what they are asked to share with others. In
order to be successful, the new way of thinking and acting they have learned from
Jesus must be integrated. How they work with people to create a more inclusive sense
of community is as important as healing and exorcising. Therefore, Jesus gives them
instructions which are both practical and symbolic. They must go out as witnesses to
the new way of life Jesus has inaugurated. Walking stick and sandals both facilitate
travel yet they were instructed to take nothing for the trip, and they are to spread the
Good News from place to place. They are not to settle down. Their single tunic captures
this single-mindedness: they are men on a mission. Without bread, bag and money,
they become part of those in need. Their lack of provisions elicits the compassion that is
the cornerstone of the new community.

Such mission which Jesus entrusted to the disciples is liberating, transforming

salvific. It liberates man from all forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all dimensions
and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an evangelizer, one who teaches and proclaims
the Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of God and
the center of His Good News is salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation from
everything that oppresses man but which is above all liberation from sin and the Evil
One. This He did throughout His ministry, marked by service. Jesus served the needs of
the people of His time and He still serves our needs. As He serves our needs, so must
we serve one another's needs and carry on His work in the world (Knox, lan. 2011).

The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and
liberating mission, drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer.
Witnessing to the Gospel is always given importance. Doing this entails a personal
conversion which begins from one's own heart, for such is the demand of the kingdom
which Jesus inaugurated. What then, are the characteristics of the kingdom? Today, we
can start reflecting on some questions thatpoint to the reality of the kingdom. Are the
poor not discriminated by the society? Are the sick being tended to and cared for? Are
there people trying to make peace? Are there people who promote justice and are
prepared to die to see it accomplished? Are there people and institutions committed to
healing brokenness and alienation? In other words, are there people today trying to
carry on the work of Jesus? Do we give our share or contribution for the promotion of
the kingdom? If we want transformation, then it must begin with an urgency to change
one's own heart first. "We cannot teach the demands of the kingdom to others if we do
not exert effort to live by its principles (Knox, lan, 2011). "

It is therefore our duty to work for the accomplishment of such salvation for all
peoples by eliminating poverty, injustice and oppression, enslavement of peoples by
war, exploitation of the powerless by the greedy. We have to make the salvation offered
by God a reality. Jesus has brought salvation; we are living in the new age of salvation.
We should be experiencing its effects now; otherwise, how could we possibly
experience the grace of Christ, which makes our life better now?

Reiterating what the Church documents tell us, “For the Church, evangelizing
means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence
transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now I am making the whole of
creation new." (E.N. 18)

Such a challenge of bringing social transformation is clear. This is a call to all

the faithful of God, a call to renew His entire creation. In their response to such call, the
CICM missionaries, particularly in the Philippines are one in saying; “We – the CICM
Philippine Province, an International Community of Religious Missionaries dedicated to
the Incarnate Word under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the
inspiration of Théophile Verbist and his companions, and sent to the nations particularly
to where we are most needed – commit ourselves to proclaim Christ and foster the
missionary consciousness of the local church through our joyful and prophetic witness,
and to keep alive a pioneering spirit in our involvements.” This they realize in the
different ministries/apostolates and advocacies they have - pastoral, health care,
education, interreligious dialogue, IP’s, etc. Their witnessing to the Gospel of Christ is a
powerful means of bringing social transformation to a reality.

The CICM, being an international missionary congregation, dedicated to the

Incarnate Word, takes this mandate as its primordial concern. This they realize in the
different areas of the world where they are stationed. As missionaries, they have their
distinct contributions to the world as indicated below:

1. Pioneering/Daring Spirit

a. In 1888 Fr. Emerick Cambier, CICM explored the unknown and mysterious territory
upriver on the Congo and Kasai Rivers in Central Africa, in Kasai Province, and founded
most of the large missions there. When the fierce Batetelas tribe revolted in 1895, he
saved the mission emboldened by his rifle, which he was not afraid to fire.

b. The above story exemplifies the pioneering and daring spirit of the CICM, who dare to
go, and to do, where others and what others do not, or did not yet. In the Philippines
the CICM started and built many mission stations in the Mountain Provinces, which was
largely unreached by Spanish missionaries. Thus, the region was opened to
evangelization. But as the Church in that region grows, or after they have “planted the
seed” the CICM handed over the territory to the local Church.

c. Mongolia is a recent example; the CICM with the Filipino Bishop Wenceslao Padilla
practically started the Church in that country, and two years ago the first Mongolian
priest was ordained. After a few more years when the time is ripe, the CICM will once
more relinquish leadership of that Church to the local clergy and hierarchy.

In such a contribution to the world, the CICM manifests the kind of

leadership she assumes in the world. It is a kind of leadership that is rooted in the
tradition of “One Heart, One Soul.” CICM leadership can be described essentially
as one of inner strength (interiority) and greatness of the soul (magnanimity). The
 strength that empowers the CICM leadership comes from participating in the
source of the mission itself: Dei missio, while the grace that sustains the CICM
leadership derives from unconditional service to others.

The heart as a symbol of the inner being of the human person

expresses capacity for truth, goodness, and beauty. Theophile Verbist rightly
animates his missionaries to take courage in the face of tribulations and
persecutions, since they have a good and beautiful mission. Accordingly, the life-
giving force that “ensouls” the universe truly inspires a meaningful life when
developed in the care of God’s people and creation. Thus, with a wholehearted
and animated disposition, CICM missionaries continue to serve God’s people with
a brand of leadership that strengthens and gives hope to the world for the coming
of God’s reign. They live as vanguards for change in the world.

2. Multiculturality

a. As the CICM motto espouses, the Congregation is of “One Heart and One Soul”:
“Internationalization as a universal brotherhood is not a project the Congregation
set for itself, but a call from the Lord.” A fundamental aspect of the vocation of a
CICM priest or brother is to live in a multicultural community in a culture which is
not his own but which he must embrace, while endeavoring to work to unify
humankind as children of the same Father, thus making present the Kingdom of
God. “One Heart and One Soul, we witness to the Father’s will that all men and
women be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a sign of solidarity among the
particular Churches in their universal mission.” (CICM Constitution, Art. 2)

b. Therefore, the CICM has advocacies directed towards intercultural

understanding. For example, in Japan, in the CICM Oriens Institute for Religious
Research the students study and reflect on Japanese culture and religious thought
and are concerned with religious dialogue and contact between the different
religious traditions in their country.
Such ‘mark’ of multiculturality makes the CICM an inclusive community
working for the promotion of God’s kingdom.

3. Social Transformation

a. The work of the CICM towards social transformation is rooted in the consecration of
the Congregation to the Incarnate Word, who responds to the love of God by uniting all
of humanity into a single family of brothers and sisters. To work for social transformation
is to respond to the invitation to continue Christ’s mission of redemption for the gradual
realization of the Kingdom, a Kingdom of justice and love, of peace and joy.

b. The list of endeavors of the CICM missionaries geared towards social transformation
is endless. Foremost among these is the education apostolate, which is a part of youth
ministry. The advocacy for interreligious dialogue in Asia, for indigenous peoples in the
Philippines and in Guatemala, for the Latinos and Blacks in the USA, for Haitian migrant
workers in the Dominican Republic, and for the physically challenged and lepers, are
also directed towards social transformation. In fact they could all be subsumed under
the heading of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation. CICM’s have also been
engaged in special projects in nature conservation, agriculture, livelihood.

c. [St. Paul Agricultural School has been one of the best developmental projects that
ever happened among the Toradja mountain people in Indonesia. Founded in 1969 in
Makale by Fr. Roger Leleu, CICM who had an agronomist’s degree from the University
of Louvain, the school introduced new methods of farming to hundreds of graduates
who have been influential in improving the lives of thousands of farms who today
harvest two rice crops a year.]

In this work for social transformation, the Founder himself, Fr. Theophile
Verbist recognized it necessary for one to be transformed first to become truly an
effective agent of transformation. To his sister Elisa he wrote: “The missionary would
jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting to reform the world around
him, he would not first study matters in silence, observe with care, and, above all,
exercise an enduring patience.” It is from this experience that he would challenge the
novices in Belgium to test their vocation well. They have to make sure their vocation is
rooted in a pure love of God.

Furthermore, the CICM missionaries affirm their participation in the

transformation initiated by Jesus as they say; “Our initial ‘yes’ is only the beginning of
the journey—not the end. We have all had moments of ‘going about doing good.’ We
have all had moments of suffering. We all will experience that final moment of our own
personal death and personal resurrection. But over and above all that living and dying,
we have known transforming moments of grace, we have been instruments of
transforming grace for others. Little by little over the years, most of us have known
fleeting moments of grace, personal transformational moments that give promise of the
fullness of our personal Resurrection yet to come.” Such missionary presence of the
CICM priests and brothers in the world is therefore a clear manifestation of God’s
liberating presence in the lives of people. It is a God who continues to journey with His
people, liberating them from all forms of suffering, oppression or dehumanization.
Coming from different cultures, the CICM missionaries embrace other cultures, bearing
the inclusive character of the Kingdom proclaimed by Christ, the Incarnate Word, as
they work for social transformation.
Clearly, the CICM institute generously responded to this call to build the Church.
From the writings and examples of Founder Fr. Théophile Verbist and from the various
official documents of the Congregation, the CICM continually draws relevant insights for
missionary directions in the face of new challenges. "The general purpose of the
Congregation is the conversion of the non-Christians, but its specific aim is the
preaching of the faith to the Chinese and the salvation of the many abandoned
children," reveals Fr Verbist of the reason for the establishment of the CICM in 1862.
That is, faithful to the inspiration of the Founder to dedicate lives and efforts as
members of CICM communities to the proclamation of the Gospel values and to the
care of the marginalized and the poor.

Hence, at the core of CICM character are:

1) A Christ-centered spirituality for the mission;

2) A missionary activity integrated into the whole pastoral work of the Church;
3) The evangelization of cultures through quality education;
4) A proactive stance in support for people's natural and cultural heritage; and,
5) Solidarity with the poor through the establishment of an inclusive society.

EVALUATION

Learning Task
Instructions: Choose the letter that best corresponds to each of the following
statements.
A. Pioneering/Daring Spirit
B. Multiculturality
C. Social Transformation
1. This makes the CICM an inclusive community working for the promotion of
God’s kingdom.
2. In 1888 Fr. Emerick Cambier, CICM explored the unknown and mysterious
territory upriver on the Congo and Kasai Rivers in Central Africa, in Kasai
Province, and founded most of the large missions there.
3. This is in response to the invitation to continue Christ’s mission of redemption
for the gradual realization of the Kingdom, a Kingdom of justice and love, of
peace and joy.
 4. Theophile Verbist rightly animated his missionaries to take courage in the face
of tribulations and persecutions, since they had a good and beautiful mission.
5. The advocacy for interreligious dialogue in Asia, for indigenous peoples in the
Philippines and in Guatemala, for the Latinos and Blacks in the USA, for
Haitian migrant workers in the Dominican Republic, and for the physically
challenged and lepers.
6. Students of the CICM Oriens Institute for Religious Research study and reflect
on Japanese culture and religious thought and are concerned with religious
dialogue and contact between the different religious traditions in their country.

7. CICM who had an agronomist degree from the University of Louvain

introduced new methods of farming to hundreds of graduates who have been
influential in improving the lives of thousands of farmers who today harvest
two rice crops a year.
8. A fundamental aspect of the vocation of a CICM priest or brother is to live in a
multicultural community which is not his own but which he must embrace.
9. CICM Missionaries live as vanguards for change in the world.
10. We are a sign of solidarity among the particular Churches in her universal
mission.

Participation
Instructions: Identify whether each of the following statements is true or false.

1. Driven from his experience, Fr. Theophile Verbist he would challenge the novices
in Belgium to test their vocation.
2. One of the core of CICM character is the passive stance in support for people's
natural and cultural heritage.
3. The work of the CICM towards social transformation is rooted in the consecration
of the Congregation to our beloved redeemer.
4. CICM has advocacies directed towards secular understanding.
5. “Internationalization as a universal brotherhood is not a project the Congregation
set for itself, but a call from Mary.”
6. CICM’s have also been engaged in special projects in nature conservation,
agriculture, livelihood.
7. The heart as a symbol of the inner being of the human person expresses
capacity for truth, cleanliness, and beauty.
8. The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and
liberating mission, drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest supplanter.
9. Jesus entrusted the mission of evangelization to His disciples and they accepted
it but they failed in pursuing the spread of the Kingdom.
10. Jesus gave his disciples instructions which are both practical and symbolic.
REFERENCES

Books:

Sadullo, J. R., Bleeker, A. D., & L., T. M. (2012). CICM: Christ is calling me: 150 years of
service in God's mission, 1862-2012. Makati City, Philippines: St. Pauls.

CICM-membership. (1999). Rome: Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM).

Arquiza, Y. D. (2007). Carrying on the mission: 100 years of CICM in the Philippines.
Philippines: Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae.