Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate

BIBLIODRAMA formation started in Indonesia in the summer city of Bandung in the island of Java in 2006. It was organized by Sr. Emma Gunanto, an Ursuline Sister who is involved in the Biblical Apostolate for many years. As the Subregional Coordinator for Southeast Asia she organizes ongoing biblical pastoral formation for workers and partners in the Biblical Apostolate in the worldwide Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF). Sr. Emma was responsible in bringing the Bibliodrama Experience to the Philippines and to the rest of Asia and the Pacific in 1998 when she organized together with the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apsotolate (ECBA) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)chaired by Bp. Crisostomo Yalung, DD. For the past eleven years of Bibliodrama experience, the Biblical Apostolate in Southeast Asia has been strengthened  in its biblical pstoral formation.

BIBLIODRAMA INDONESIA was finally born last week after twenty five (25) participants graduated in the first ADVANCE BIBLIODRAMA FACILITATORS' WORKSHOP at the Provincialate House of the Ursulines in Bandung city. Those who took the Advance Course were the graduates of Bibliodrama Workshop in 2006 and participated in the Basic Bibliodrama Faciltators workshop in 2007. After having completed the Advance Bibliodrama Facilitators' Course last November 9-14, the graduates can now faciltate a Bibliodrama Workshop. At last a team is born as BIBLIODRAMA INDONESIA. The team can now begin to make plans for their ongoing formation and for promoting Bibliodrama in Bahasa Indonesia.

The twenty five participants came from parishes, schools and commmunities from the Java island. It was a good mix of three (3) laymen, nine (9) laywomen, twelve (12) ursuline Sisters and one (1) Holy Cross religious priest. The challenge for the team now is to put together  their efforts on how to spread the Bibliodrama experience in the local churches.

After the Advance Faciltiators' Workshop, Sr. Emma and I proceeded with another Bibliodrama Workshop (Nov.18-18) for a bigger group coming from different parishes , schools and communities. There were thirty two of them comprising of twelve  (12) men (2 seminarians), eleven (11) ladies and nine (9) Ursuline Sisters. The group was a good combination of how committed women and men can team up with religious women and vice versa. The participants graduated as a new community of potential members of Bibliodrama Indonesia. ECBA is happily sharing its services to the Asian churches as partners in the vast responsibility of animating Biblical Pastoral Ministry. We thank you for your prayers and support. (Fr. Oscar A. Alunday, SVD)