Philippines: Strengthening the faith of Catholics

A groundbreaking formation program for catechists is set to begin on the island of Mindanao, in the spirit of the Silsilah movement, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. For decades, the island has been plagued by interreligious conflict, spearheaded by Islamist militant groups.

Dozens of catechists will come together for a special formation program in June, at the Emmaus College of Theology in Mindanao, a part of the Philippines that has witnessed terrible violence and instability.

The Philippines is one of only two countries in Asia with a Christian majority, along with the small nation of East Timor. Mindanao, though mostly Catholic, has a large Islamic community.  

Only a few months ago, in December 2023, a bomb killed four people attending Mass in the gymnasium of Mindanao State University in Marawi, and the same city was fully occupied by ISIS-linked militants in 2017, leading to a siege that lasted five months and resulted in the displacement of 1.1 million.

Father Sebastiano D’Ambra, an Italian missionary with decades of experience in Mindanao, founded Silsilah, meaning “linked chain” in Arabic, with the aim of fostering understanding and peace through interreligious dialogue, and forming community leaders in those values. The organization celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Over time, Father D’Ambra realised that besides strengthening interreligious ties, the Catholic community also needed a better grounding in the faith. The Emmaus Dialogue Movement was created to address this challenge. 

Catechist formation

The aim of the formation program in June, organized by the Emmaus Movement, is to prepare catechists to better spread and preserve the faith in their communities, and also to equip them for interreligious dialogue with the Muslim population, which is very large on the island.

“Today, there is a lot of confusion and discouragement in the Church. Many become Muslims, join other Christian denominations, or completely abandon faith. We plan to do a very comprehensive and intensive course that will prepare participants to be leaders, catechists, or teachers of religion,” says Father D’Ambra.

“Since we are asking bishops and priests to select catechists for our special course, with the objective of replicating it in their own areas, we are offering it for free. This challenges us to present this course in a creative way and to provide useful material for participants,” Father D’Ambra told ACN, which will support the program.

Need for dialogue

According to the organizers, attendees will be handpicked in areas surrounding the city of Zamboanga – at the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula, on the western reaches of Mindanao, where the institute is based. Zamboanga has been hit by bombing campaigns and terrorist attacks, causing much destruction and tension between communities.

Having also founded the Emmaus College of Theology, this new course for catechists is just the latest step in the overarching Silsilah project. “We are confident that this new course of formation will help many and be an inspiration for others to follow the example,” says Father D’Ambra.

The course is also seen as an ideal way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Silsilah movement, which continues to make important contributions to peace and harmony in the region.

The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been a partner of the Silsilah movement for over 20 years. The organization helps fund the activities of the Emmaus Theological College and contributed to the construction of student dormitories in the adjacent Harmony Village, among other projects. ACN will also provide a grant for the catechists’ course in June.

—Filipe D’Avillez