Faith and Light was conceived from the experience of a pilgrimage organized by Jean Vanier and Helene Matthieu in Lourdes, France in 1971 to meet the needs of families of persons with intellectual disability. People from different Christian Denominations attended. After the pilgrimage, the families kept on meeting as a community. As of 2008, there are 1500 communities in 76 countries on 5 continents.
In the Philippines...
Jean Vanier, when he visited the Little Sisters of Jesus, inspired a small prayer group led by Annabelle Feliciano to start the first Faith and Light in the country. Thus, in 1984, Faith and Light was born in San Roque Parish in Mandaluyong.
Today, that modest community has reached to 12 other parishes within the Metropolis and our Spiritual Director is Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
Today, that modest community has reached to 12 other parishes within the Metropolis and our Spiritual Director is Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
Birth of Milflores Community
Milflores is the 12th community here in the Philippines. Faith and Light Philipines gave birth to Milflores in Pasig City on the 23rd of July 2004. Mabel Vicaldo introduced the organization to Tita Donna and they approached Tess Sanco. Tess Sanco is the first Milflores Community Coordinator and she asked for an assistance from Parish Youth Council.
In 2006, Tess Sanco gave up because she was not able to get supports from the community members.
December of 2008, Our group went out and talked about our lives and out of nowhere, we came up to an idea to revive the Milflores Community. We received a lot of invitations from different communities here in the Philippines and on April 26, 2009, we launched the rebirth of Faith and Light - Milflores Community. We always meet in celebrating life every last Sunday of the month and we are inviting you to experience our joy in celebrating friendship among people with intellectual disability, their family members and friends.
In 2006, Tess Sanco gave up because she was not able to get supports from the community members.
December of 2008, Our group went out and talked about our lives and out of nowhere, we came up to an idea to revive the Milflores Community. We received a lot of invitations from different communities here in the Philippines and on April 26, 2009, we launched the rebirth of Faith and Light - Milflores Community. We always meet in celebrating life every last Sunday of the month and we are inviting you to experience our joy in celebrating friendship among people with intellectual disability, their family members and friends.
2011 - 2012
Faith and Light celebrates its 40th anniversary in "Messengers of Joy" by two years of pilgrimages across the world. Each province is called to invite another province to take part in its pilgrimage. Thus, there will be a double movement: one of opening up, welcoming and sharing and another of discovery and celebration of the characteristics of others. A beautiful mix of people, languages and denominations but a single people of God on the move, joyfully bearing the Good News. 19 pilgrimages will take place in 2011 and 25 in 2012.