KALIBO, Aklan— Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila urged Catholics on Wednesday to build a church where everyone “has a place, a voice and a mission,” saying the Diocese of Kalibo’s golden jubilee should inspire greater participation, humble service and missionary outreach.
Speaking during Mass for the diocese’s 50th anniversary, he said the celebration should not focus only on past achievements but also renew the local church’s commitment to walking together in faith and serving others.
“This jubilee is not merely a celebration of what has been accomplished,” Advincula said in his homily at Kalibo Cathedral. “A synodal church is one where every member realizes that he or she has a place, a voice, and a mission in the church.”
Referring to the jubilee theme, “Kita Simbahan, Kita Kaibahan” (“We are Church, We are Together”), he said synodality means walking alongside those who struggle, have drifted from the faith, live in poverty or search for hope and meaning.
“The word synod simply means walking together,” Advincula said. “We walk with those who struggle, with those who have drifted away from the faith, with the poor, with the forgotten, and those searching for meaning and hope.”
Advincula said the diocese’s devotion to the Santo Niño offers a model of humility, trust and missionary joy, reminding believers that all stand equal before God.
“As the diocese enters its next 50 years, this childlike trust must become the foundation of every pastoral plan, every ministry and every missionary effort,” he said.
The cardinal also urged Catholics to bring the Gospel beyond church walls by accompanying families, defending human dignity, caring for creation and serving people on society’s margins.
“A synodal church cannot remain inward looking,” Advincula said. “Walking together always leads us outward to evangelize, to accompany families, to care for creation, to defend human dignity, to serve the poor, and to bring hope to those living on the margins of society.”
About 26 bishops from across the country attended the celebration, most of whom had also taken part in the Archdiocese of Capiz’s double jubilee observance a day earlier.
Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, who presided over the Mass, also encouraged the faithful to see the jubilee as a celebration of God’s enduring grace, noting that while the diocese was established in 1976 by St. Paul VI, the Catholic faith in Kalibo dates back to the arrival of Augustinian missionaries in 1581.
“The church exists” to bring Christ’s “water of life” to the world through the sacraments, Brown said, adding that every local church is called to share that gift with more people.
In a separate message, Bishop Cyril Villareal described the diocese as “a precious gift” to the people of Aklan and said the golden jubilee should mark a new beginning rather than a time to slow down.
“Fifty does not mean retirement or in a matter of time final rest from work but a fresh restart and reset,” Villareal said.
Acknowledging challenges such as an aging clergy, aging church facilities and growing pastoral demands, he said the anniversary should inspire “renewed energy and renewed spirit for mission and evangelization.”
“There is still much work to do in the coming weeks, months and years,” he said.
The Diocese of Kalibo was established in 1976 after it was carved out of the Archdiocese of Capiz. The golden jubilee comes nearly three months after Villareal was installed as its fifth bishop.
