A Historic Visit
By Eric Cherry
See update from 8/30 (below)
For the first time since the 1960's the UU Church of the Philippines (UUCP) will be paid a visit by the Unitarian Universalist Association’s President. From August 26 – September 2, 2010, Reverend Peter Morales will visit with a dozen UU congregations/groups, touring the Visayas and Luzon regions of the island nation. Accepting a gracious invitation by UUCP President Reverend Rebecca Sienes, Rev. Morales’s journey will include visits with 2 UU congregations in Manila, and 10 on the island of Negros which is the home to 26 UU congregations in total. While on Negros he will be the keynote speaker for a unique ecumenical and interfaith conference hosted by the UUCP and will meet with the Dean of the Theological School at Silliman University, where future UU leaders may receive training. On Sunday, August 29th he will be leading worship at the Cansay-an/Aquino UU church which is partnered with the UU Congregation of Castine, ME. Unitarian Universalism found a home in the Philippines through the ministry of Rev. Toribio Quimada during the 1950s. Rev. Quimada adopted Universalism after discovering he shared its message of God’s universal love. In 1989, after years of support for the rights of the farmers and peasants who were the members of the congregations he led, Rev. Quimada was martyred by those who feared his commitment to these principles. Today, the UU Church of the Philippines continues to pursue a ministry of Love and Justice for all, led by Rev. Rebecca Sienes who is the daughter of Rev. Quimada. In early 2009, copies of “Maglipay Universalist: A History of the UU Church of the Philippines,” by Rev. Fred Muir, were mailed to UU ministers serving congregations as an invitation to share the story of our brothers and sisters in the Philippines with their parishioners. That mailing also included information about an important opportunity to support the economic sustainability of the UU Church of the Philippines through the BUILD program – which envisions the creation of a dormitory for university women in Dumaguete. At this year’s General Assembly in Minneapolis, a successful raffle was held for the BUILD program, generating interest in the program as well as in congregational partnership. Proceeds of the raffle, totaling almost $3,000, will go towards the construction of the women’s dormitory. Raffle winner Reverend Roger Jones, of the UU Society of Sacramento, was awarded with a UU Partner Church Council pilgrimage trip to visit the UUCP in March 2011. Your congregation can learn more about the history of the UU Church of the Philippines with this slideshow (PDF), or by visiting the UUCP’s website; you can also learn more about the BUILD project. If your congregation hasn’t had a chance to learn more about our partnerships in the Philippines, please consider doing so following Rev. Morales’ visit later this month! Update 8/30:Photos of Peter Morales in the Philippines |