Seventeen years ago, a group of young parishioners - most in either teens or early 20s - congregated to organise the St. Joseph de Gagalangin Parish Youth Council (PYC). During that period when the PYC was being conceived Anluwage came into being. Anluwage was the forerunner of the PYC. I wouldn't dismiss though Anluwage's birth as mere coincidence but more of a prod of the Holy Spirit in a community which needed change and revival.
Birth, nourishment, growth. All important steps for anyone who has life and has a mission. Personally, these three have now come into the fore as I become a father to a beautiful 3 week old daughter.
We have given birth to Anluwage not only in 1991, but through the various articles or theatre presentations we have passionately participated. And like the human birth, we experienced the labour pains before we could bring about the best in us.
We have nourished Anluwage through our inputs - time, talents, efforts, etc. As a baby would need to be fed and changed regularly 24/7, each of us have been there for the group day in and day out to keep her alive and responding.
We have a hand in Anluwage's growth and development. Every hand, mind, and heart put together works for the good of all. Gazing on my daughter, I am pleased to see how she grew since her birth. In the same vein, we're all happy to note how an infant group is now a teenager! The challenge now is to support Anluwage through and through, making it more relevant and responsive to the needs of the Church and society.
The web has been well subscribed during Holy Week via The Seven Last Words. It also looks promising in the collaborative efforts it has undertaken with other Catholic communities like the Confraternity of Catholic Saints and the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and Divine Infant of Prague Parishes in Nottingham, England. There is still more work to be done and we hope that there would be more volunteers to act as writers, researchers, and the like. Could you be this one? The Holy Spirit might be prodding you - please don't ignore His invitation!
As we celebrate our 17th anniversary, we thank God for calling us into this mission. I believe Anluwage is God's work and not ours. May He then continue to guide and inspire us the way He enlightened the minds of our founding fathers so we could persevere in building and rebuilding our society according to His will. May His Spirit which He sent to our pioneers touch our hearts so we could allow Anluwage to be reborn in our midst.
Our sincerest thanks goes to you all who have stayed tune to us over the last year. May you too be blessed a hundredfold!
On behalf of Tanghalang Anluwage, Inc
Pietro S. Albano
Editor-in-Chief
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