By Rico Manianglung
Special to the Herald
Couples for Christ-Maui celebrated its first anniversary on Oct. 24 with four couples — Joe and Glo Gage, Brian and Kat Ortogero, Deacon Ken and Charmaine Bissen, and Dector and Gie Torricer. Via Zoom they listened to the third talk of their covenant orientation, “Strengthening Family Life,” attended Mass at Christ the King Church, Kahului, where they received special blessings by Father Napoleon Andres, and capped the day with an evening family celebration of the Lord’s Day, also via Zoom, led by Dector and Gie and joined by brethren from Oahu and California. They continued a virtual fellowship until 8 p.m.
Couples for Christ (CFC) is a Catholic movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life.
Looking back a year ago when the Lord planted the seeds of CFC at Christ the King Church, we can say that it was a move led by the Holy Spirit. It was an answer to prayers. It all started with the desire of La Salette Father Augustine Utthupu to have more young couples attend church. He asked the parish pastoral council to look for a family ministry to help. In response, Joe Gage of the Family and Life Ministry browsed the internet and came across the Couples for Christ in Oahu.
On June 14 last year, Gage emailed me, the Couples for Christ area head for Hawaii, requesting a presentation regarding CFC’s work for family evangelization. I immediately called Father Utthupu and arranged for the presentation in August by myself and my wife Vinya, Mark and Maricel Sebastian, and Oswald Bumanglag.
The Christian Life Program was held Oct. 26-27. The service team — Chito Noriega, I and Vinya, Rudy and Ching Flores, Jojo and Vangie Semana, Lando Ragudos and Ronnie Carag — were concerned about under whose guidance they would leave the new Maui CFC members. They knew of a couple who moved to Maui and were looking forward to meeting them and leaving the “new household” to their care.
Meanwhile, Dector and Gie Torricer, who had recently migrated to Maui from the Philippines, were originally Singles for Christ who crossed over to Couples for Christ. They were longing to join a CFC household that would continue to nourish them spiritually.
When the Torricers heard that a Christian Life Program was being conducted, they attended without a second thought. There, Chito thought Dector and Gie were the ones Vinya and I were waiting for, while we thought they were the ones Chito was expecting. But, sorry, no, it was not them. Dector and Gie were totally alien to the group. They were members led by the Holy Spirit to serve in that particular CLP, with the hope of being eventually integrated in the household.
The Christian Life Program concluded and in high spirits with God’s victory, the team left the new household in the care of Dector and Gie.
The first household meeting was conducted on Nov. 10, 2019, in the parish’s St. Marianne Room and every second and fourth Saturday thereafter. The first “home” household meeting was conducted on Feb. 15 at Joe and Glo’s house. The last face-to-face household meeting, before the lockdown, was at Dector and Gie’s house. Despite the coronavirus pandemic lock down, the Holy Spirit made a way, and through technology the household was able to continue meeting together, virtually, to worship, to pray, to proceed with their formation track, to fellowship and to share a life in common.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews10:24-26)
It’s so amazing how the hand of God moves in our lives together to weave this beautiful tapestry: Couple for Christ-Maui. God be praised!
Couples for Christ is a Catholic movement whose mission is the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. CFC couples have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another so that they may grow in maturity as men and women of God and fulfill their primary vocation of raising families grounded in Christian values, in the service and love of God. In 2000, CFC was recognized by the Vatican as a private international association of the lay faithful of pontifical right. If you would like to know more about Couples for Christ, please email Rico and Vinya Manianglung at ricvin.cfchi@gmail.com.