BAGUIO CITY— 250 Inmates of the Baguio City Jail and 110 indigent families were the beneficiaries of the Christmas Gift-Giving Activity of Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary last December 27, 2020.
The Christmas Gift-giving activity of the CaReS is held annually on the last week of December.
“This yearly event is done in order to share the spirit of Christmas which is giving; it also reminds the people of the generosity of God,” said Rev. Fr. Ralph Laureen Ciceron, OAR, the priest in-charge of the program.
Fr. Ciceron also said that circumstances such as the pandemic must not overcome one’s generosity.
“We had to adapt with the circumstances of the time; though the celebration is modified, we were still able to give,” he said.
The inmates received face masks and a personal hygiene kit containing soap, shampoo, and toothbrush while the indigent families coming from the community of the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel received media noche packs.
Fund-Raising Activity
The Seminarians and Religious Formators of CaReS raised funds for the said activity through caroling and selling of goods such as rice cakes, cookies, Christmas cards, and t-shirts.
This year, due to health-related concerns the caroling was done in the chapel after the novena mass which was usually done in the homes of parishioners who were willing to support the cause.
The fund-raising activities were overseen by the Pastoral Committee headed by Bro. Joshua Miguel Y. Salmon—second year seminarian.
“God is indeed generous,” said Bro. Salmon while relaying that he was “surprised” of the activity’s outcome.
“We expected to raise only thirty-thousand pesos because of the situation the world is facing yet, we were surprised that we tripled that amount,” he added. CaReS through its various efforts raised a total of PHP 94,199.65.
