MMGC Ecclesial Communities
THE MMGC
COMMUNITIES: COMMUNIO in ACTION
Communio is the organic life of the Church, where the diversity of gifts—like the various parts of the human body—work together in complementary ways to usher in God’s reign.
St. Paul beautifully captures this reality when he writes: “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)
In the context of the Church, all ministries, movements, and organizations are called to be living reflections of communio. The Church—the People of God—is the Body of Christ made up of diverse members whose gifts are alive and at work in harmony, transforming all things in Christ Jesus. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI taught that communio requires “a harmonious coexistence of unity and difference,” calling it the key to the ecclesiology of Vatican II—the source, means, and goal of the Church’s life.
In a special way, the Parish of Mary, Mother of Good Counsel in Marcelo Green Village embodies this vision through its eighteen MMGC Ecclesial Communities. Each community is guided by a coordinator tasked to animate, encourage, and bring together families and individuals in faith and service. Through their efforts, the ideal of communio takes concrete form in the life of the parish.
The concept of an ecclesial community arises from the parish’s need to bring its pastoral programs and activities closer to the grassroots. This structure fosters a deeper sense of belonging and participation, as families are drawn into both the liturgical and non-liturgical life of the Church.
Liturgically, the MMGC Communities sponsor community Masses and novena prayers, and take active roles during the Rosary Month, the First Saturday processions, and the novena-Masses of our patroness and Misas de Aguinaldo. Non-liturgically, the Communities enliven their members through activities that uphold sound Christian and Filipino values. They also serve as channels for parish advocacies—such as electoral reform and good governance, disaster preparedness, and care for the environment—all best carried out at the MMGC Ecclesial Community level.
The establishment of these Basic Ecclesial Communities situates parish renewal within the lived realities of our people. Through faith renewal, the proclamation of the Word, and participation in the Eucharist, parishioners are invited to integrate the Christian faith more deeply into daily life. Truly, the call to New Integral Evangelization finds its most vibrant expression in the MMGC Ecclesial Community.
Community Coordinators are: