Evolution of AntiochHow this Movement came about"God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2.14) |
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at Miranda What is Antioch about? |
IN THE BEGINNING... The initial ideas of an Antioch Weekend was generated at a Cursillo (a three-day retreat, emphasising on spiritual renewal and reinforcement of Christian faith) in South Bend, Indiana, USA, in December 1963. Attended by a group of campus ministers, they discussed the need to give Catholic students in secular universities the understanding of "being part of the church". Over the next three years, the Antioch Weekend was developed by a team composed of Father Charles Harris, Stephen Clark and Jim Cavnar. On October 8, 1966, the inaugural Antioch Weekend was held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. Soon after, the concept of Antioch was spread to various campuses in USA. HOW THEY REACHED OUT Attempts to introduce Parish-based Antioch began in the 1970s, and the first was started in 1970 for senior high school students. Development of these Antiochs took off in 1979 at the Parish of the Sacred Heart in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Locals Jerry and Mary Mandry modified the parish program and named it "The New Antioch Manual" (published in 1986). The general process were retained while the contents were revised. In 1981, Antioch reached the shores of Australia. Three young teenagers--Byron, Teresa and Claire Pirola, with the aid of a manual consisted of talk outlines for the Weekend and its follow-up--launched the first Australian Antioch Weekend in Maroubra Bay Parish, Sydney, in September 1981. The first team comprised of 24 youths, a priest and two married couples. The new movement began to flourish in the South Pacific, with Antiochs being established in New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Antioch was introduced to the Philippines in September 1982 at the Parish of Santuario de San Antonio, Makati, in Manila. Today 14 parishes within the Archdiocese of Manila had their own Antioch community. It reached Singapore in 1994, and the first Weekend was done at the Blessed Sacrament Church a year later. Also in 1994, Hungary began their Antioch program, and there are four active Antiochs there at the moment. More recently, Antioch found its way to England. |