“CIC Educative Community & Alumni Hatid-Paskong Ligaya 2009”

                Today as we grapple with and struggle to tide over quite a number of crises coming one after another both personally and as a people, we are face as well with a dangling temptation of simply doing away with Christmas.  To put it succinctly, “boycott Christmas.”
                We, in the Colegio, believe otherwise.  All the more that in spite of all these, we need Christmas!  We need to all the more sow crowds of good cheer, bundles of joy and flickers of hope.  Hence, last December 9, the Alumni members together with some FI sisters had an outreach activity with the public elementary pupils at Hibiok, a depressed barrio in Pototan, Iloilo and shared with about 250 children gift packs of goodies and school supplies and served for them lunch.  In return, the children rendered Christmas carols as a way of expressing their joy and thanksgiving.  Meanwhile, last December 22, we had as our special guests our brother trisikad drivers to celebrate with us the spirit of Christmas.   About more than 200 of them came to the school wearing their smiles of joy and hopeful anticipation.  The encounter with them consists of a short catechism on the meaning of Christmas, dance numbers from the F.I. Youth and an inspirational message from the RCA.  The educative community also offered for them simple snacks and humble gift of goodies for each one from the shared blessings of the students, parents, faculty, staff and the sisters.  
                It was truly a blessed moment of celebrating Christmas with God’s “humble” ones making us deeply realize that buried under the poverty of our Savior’s birth lies sublime joy beyond comprehension and hope reborn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT CIC

The Church bells began peeling at 3:15 in the morning, and the whole town woke up to the coming of Christmas.  Christmas was everywhere, in the air, in the songs, in the moods and generous self-giving of everyone in the town, and in a special way, in CIC.

This Christmas spirit was further highlighted by Iwag 2009, the Festival of Lights in this well-known Christmas capital of Western Visayas.  In the plaza fronting our school, lanterns and Christmas trees of every shade, size and color started lighting up at 6 in the evening of the 16th, and the community, as well as our sisters from CHJ were there to witness this, and the firework displays that followed.

CIC took part in the town activities by joining in the street dancing contest, and presenting a night of songs and dances set in the context of the Creation all the way down to the Christmas story, ever conscious of its role in helping evangelize the town, and making our Catholic presence and the centrality of God in our life felt.

Within the school, other than the Christmas parties, gift-giving and well-wishes, the FI Youth and some faculty members took charge of giving a half-day recollection to the Tricycle drivers:  catechesis, a program, a meal and some gifts to bring home with them.

Christmas is well and alive here in Pototan; the Christ Child reigns in this season of goodwill, peace and fraternity. It has been brought home to us again this year that if we long for good things, we will have to be proactive.  Borrowing the words of Efren Penaflorida, this year’s CNN Hero of the Year, we paraphrase:  We want good things to happen, and change to be visible.  We are the change --- we are the ones to make the good things happen.  It all starts with us.

Blessings of Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.