We remember Ate Bing as the spirit-filled speaker during the Second Pastoral Congress held in Einsiedeln in 2008. Inspired by her talk, we invited her for an interview to talk about her life, her work and her service, together with her husband, as the Vice-president Couple for the National Association of Parish Prex Secretariats (NAPPS)-Visayas Region. Here is the transcript of that interview.

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PCMSwiss.org: Please tell us about yourself-- your roots, your family, and your interests.

Ate Bing: I am an offspring of a “mixed-race”-- Spanish, Arab and Filipino descent. I consider my grandparents as risk-takers. My grandfather [from my father's side] is a Spaniard, albeit from the “Basque Group” of Spain, who came to the Philippines to find new opportunities. My grandmother was born in Mindanao with a royal lineage from the Arab race whose family accordingly was killed due to a clash with another Muslim clan claiming leadership in a certain place of North Cotabato, Philippines. Only my grandmother escaped and survived, hiding her true identity in Southern Cotabato of Mindanao.

My grandmother became a baptized Roman Catholic after her marriage to my grandfather and bore four children, from whom my father was the eldest.

On the other hand, my mother’s parents were early settlers of Southern Cotabato. Her father was born in Carcar, Cebu and her mother was from Batanes. Both have been baptized Roman Catholics.

I am the eldest among nine children and married to Art Saroca- a Caviteno from Imus. We have been blessed with three beautiful children-- Ma. Adela, Michael Artemus and Ma. Angela. Recently, I’m a grandma to a beautiful granddaughter, Raphaela Ayesha Marie.

To date, as a couple, we are active in the Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) and have been serving as the Vice-President Couple, as per appointment by Msgr Fidelis Limcaco-NAPPS Spiritual Director for the National Association of Parish Prex Secretariats (NAPPS)-Visayas Region. I anchor the radio program which is entitled “PREX-CIOUS Moments” (sponsored by Cebu Archdiocese Association of Parish PREX Secretariats-CAAPPS) every Sunday with Fr. Mike Fortich, alongside the occasional presence of His Most Reverend Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD, Msgr. Rommel Kintanar and other guest-priests and lay.

PCMSwiss.org: We know you as someone who is very much involved in PREX. Could you tell us exactly what PREX is, and what it does.

Ate Bing: PREX is coined from a Latin word which means prayer. It was conceptualized by Fr Charles Gallagher, SJ, a Jesuit priest from New Jersey, USA. He convened a group of priests in New Jersey to realize a module as an answer to Pope Paul VI’s “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, a pastoral statement to the church addressing the need to be evangelized but that it has to start from the little Church or Domestic Church (family). The module of PREX was a result of prayerful planning and deliberation among them.

PREX or Parish Renewal Experience answers the seemingly “vague” realities of our Catholic Faith. It unifies everyone. It is a Damascus experience. PREX is a guide through life, a state of “being-in” the unifying presence of the Holy Trinity. It helps build an attitude which is characteristic of all SAINTS- “CHRISTIAN HUMILITY”...PREX is for everyone.

PCMSwiss.org: On a personal level, could you tell us how you got involved in PREX. In other words, what inspired you to be involved in the movement?

Ate Bing: My mother convinced me to join PREX. In retrospect, my involvement in PREX was what I considered as reaching a certain “crossroad”. I felt that was the time God presented me with two choices- my dream or “His”. The whole experience filtered into me and a conviction surfaced in my mind to go for God’s plan.

I joined PREX with my husband, brothers and sisters. Indeed, it brought us closer as a family and the experience helped us all in our understanding of our humanity and our Roman Catholic faith.

I have joined different organizations and movements and every experience was like giving me a new opportunity to learn.

Each organization or movement is uniquely beautiful from the other. I believe there is nothing which, once learned, serves no purpose.

But, just like completing a puzzle, with all these [other] organizations and movements, [I felt] something is missing. One piece of the puzzle is needed. For me this piece is PREX…

We have two bishops who have already immersed into the PREX process. Their Excellencies Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, DD and Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD. Several priests from the different dioceses of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao have already joined PREX, with special mention to the one who has been greatly instrumental in the birth of PREX in the Archdiocese of Cebu, Fr. Johan Dumandan.

What is very remarkable though is the active involvement of almost all the parishes of the Diocese of Southern Leyte in PREX for the renewal of every lay faithful. We can only account it to the tireless commitment of its Spiritual Father, Most Reverend Precioso D. Cantillas, in promoting renewal in the church.

In the Archdiocese of Cebu, PREX bears the strong support of His Eminence Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, DD, for its realization in the different parishes.

I believe at an apropos time, the PREX seed will sprout in the whole universal church just like the mention of Jesus in the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

PCMSwiss.org: Do you have any message that you would like to convey to our kababayan of the Philippine Catholic Mission in Switzerland?

Ate Bing: My visit to Switzerland left a mark in my life. It was a time when my astonishment peaked! Experiencing such generosity, hospitality and Christian Love from all of you moved my person. I can’t thank all of you enough!!! You made me find another home in your hearts…

I have seen how everyone has taken the risks to be in a far away land of milk and honey. Some succeeded but some failed. But risks are the essence of life. They teach us, just as we learn to walk despite the bruises we experienced.

Somewhere along the way, one is presented with failure, despite all efforts employed to perfect the journey.

I was there when “one of our Kababayans” committed suicide last September, 2008. I winced away in pain for awhile when the news reached me. And I started to ask…

“Why did this happen? With the very abundant life in that side of the world, yet this has happened. There can be several factors which caused the incident to happen…but this could have been avoided if only… Deep inside my heart, I knew God delivered a message to me. I didn’t understand it until I was invited by Kuya Oscar Cepeda to post an article to be read by everyone.

I pray that through this we can shape the world we live in along with our “faith” and acquire a clearer view of God’s love. Sometimes in our journey, we find ourselves teetering on the brink and it causes one to falter in faith. We need to “stay in one vessel together”, even with our different personalities and different communities. When I say “stay-in”- it means really allowing the voice of our Shepherd, through our Pastors to direct us in every way. Let this vessel hold us together, our beautiful Roman Catholic Church and it has provided us a door to imbibe its beauty. This door is PREX. Every Catholic must try it. My dear Kababayans, God loves us!