WALKING TOGETHER AT THE GRASSROOTS: A Synodal Reflection on Pastoral Renewal in Balete

 

As the global Catholic Church enters the era of Synodality—a call by Pope Francis and reechoed by Pope Leo XIV for a Church that “walks together” through communion, participation, and mission—the Philippine Church finds itself revisiting its rich history of local grassroots renewal. Long before synodality became the defining paradigm of the global Church, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) envisioned a "Renewed Church" realized through Basic Christian Communities (BCCs/BECs).

Examining the pastoral legacy of Msgr. Pedro "Pete" C. Frac in St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Balete, Aklan through the contemporary lens of Synodality reveals how his governance was not an isolated historical chapter, but a living prototype of what it means to be a Synodal Church at the Grassroots.

1. Transparency as an Instrument of Communion

A synodal Church cannot grow where trust is absent. Pope Francis’ call for financial and administrative transparency is rooted in the belief that the Church is a shared home where all the baptized are co-responsible.

In Balete, Msgr. Frac operationalized this synodal value through parochial communications. By publishing Apdo—a monthly journal written in Inakeanon—the parish did not merely share catechesis, marriage banns, and local news; it made parish balance sheets open to every parishioner. Disclosing pledge collections (Bueoligan), capelya shares, convent budgets, and the parish priest's daily food allowance demystified church governance. Rather than viewing the parish as an opaque hierarchy, the community saw a shared household. Investing in a parish Risograph machine to print the weekly vernacular missalette Guinakabuhi ("Lived") further ensured that the Word of God was physically printed by, for, and in the language of the local community.

2. Lay Empowerment and Collaborative Ministry (Participation)

Synodality rejects clericalism, insisting that the Holy Spirit speaks through the entire Sensus Fidelium (sense of the faithful). It demands that the laity, consecrated religious, and clergy walk side by side.

Msgr. Frac embodied this co-responsibility by inviting the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (SFIC) to establish a permanent presence in Balete. Working directly with neighborhood clusters and remote capelyas, the SFIC sisters animated the BCCs and engaged the youth through theater arts. This was not mere recreation; it was a pastoral process of conscientization—empowering young people to critically examine socio-economic realities and give voice to their faith in local public squares.

Furthermore, by issuing a joint appeal with the Diocesan Catechetical Ministry to Catholic public school teachers to serve as catechists, Msgr. Frac sought to tap into the common priesthood of the laity. He recognized that public educators possessed both the pedagogical skill and daily proximity to young students needed to impart meaningful faith formation.

3. Integrated Human Ecology as Mission

A Synodal Church is an "outgoing Church" (Iglesia en salida) that leaves the sanctuary to accompany humanity in its concrete struggles. In Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis reminds us that true mission connects spiritual life with social justice and ecological care.

Msgr. Frac’s pastoral vision integrated faith directly with local livelihoods:

• Academic & Scientific Collaboration: He invited scholars from Hohenheim University (Stuttgart, Germany) to study and optimize indigenous upland rice varieties (Bisaya).
• Sustainable Inland Aquaculture: He brought in experts from the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) to assess sustainable fish-farming for local inland waters.
• Organic Agriculture: Partnering with the MASIPAG network, he promoted vermiculture, organic composting (dapog), and chemical-free farming to liberate local farmers from financial debt and environmental degradation.

By linking the table of the Eucharist to the health of local rice fields and rivers, the parish demonstrated that a synodal mission must listen to both the "cry of the earth and the cry of the poor."

The state of the Basic Christian Community under Msgr. Frac shows that synodality is neither a novel abstraction nor a corporate management style; it is the natural expression of a Church that dares to walk together.

As the Philippine Church navigates its synodal journey today, the experience of Balete under Msgr. Frac offers a enduring lesson: real ecclesial renewal happens not through individual celebrity, but through institutionalized transparency, deep lay collaboration, youth conscientization, and ecological stewardship. Through these concrete pastoral innovations, faith ceases to be a distant Sunday ritual and becomes, in the truest sense, Guinakabuhi—a faith co-created and lived by all.