ALD Launches Handwritten Unity Bible in Pangasinan

11 June 2011 – Dagupan City. The Biblical Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in cooperation with the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) and the Philippine Bible Societies (PBS)  recently launched the Pangasinan Handwritten Bible last 11 June 2011 at the Sanctuario de San Juan Evangelista, Dagupan City.

The handwritten Bible has been conceptualized to unite Filipinos in a “Bayanihan” effort with other Christian groups toward national transformation through God’s Word. Lingayen-Dagupan Auxiliary Bishop Renato Mayugba, Vice Chairman of ECBA and Chairman of the John Paul I Biblical Center of Northern Luzon has presented the context of the first handwritten Bible to the Catholic Bishops during the 101st Bishops Plenary Assembly at the Pope Pius XII Center in UN Avenue, Manila in July 2010.

Besides Bishop Renato P. Mayugba, the launching was attended by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Msgr. Jesus A. Cabrera, Bishop-Emeritus of Alaminos, civil and religious leaders and representatives from the different Protestant denominations.

Handwritten Unity Bible

The Hand Written Unity Bible (HUB)  will need around 35,000 individuals to write each verse of the Bible in English and the same number for the Pangasinan language.

A total of six or seven sessions will be conducted until the Bible is completed. The manuscripts are expected to be finished by 2013 and will be reproduced for distribution, while the original copies will be stored in a museum in Manila for posterity.

The May They Be One handwritten Bible will be divided into two columns. The first column will be the English version while the second column will be in Pangasinan.

The English version of the handwritten passages will be based from the published Catholic edition of Old and New Testaments while those of the different languages will be copied from the Popular Versions or the New Testament Books of the Philippine Bible Society (PBS).

“The Handwritten Bible will include interspersed Deuterocanonical books,” organizers said.

35,656 verses to raise funds for a Bible Campaign

The 35,656 verses from 78 books of the bible will be written by hand by representatives from various sectors such as the Church, urban/rural poor, OFWs, youth, farmers, government offices; schools, indigenous people, and the fisher folks.

The project targets to collect a minimum contribution of PhP50 for each written verse amounting to a minimum of PhP 3.565 million which will go to the May They Be One Bible Campaign.

Motorcade Launching

The project was launched in Dagupan City with a motorcade on 10 June 2001, a day before the formal launching,  from the St. Therese Church in Rizal to the Sanctuario de San Juan Evangelista where the transcription took place.

A Bible Enthronement celebrated through a Bibliodrama by the ALD Biblical Apostolate opened the formal campaign.

The Handwritten Unity Bible will also be launched in the other three Vicariates of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

The Word of God on the Air

The Word of God is now on the air! Thanks to Bombo Radio, Dagupan City, the JPIIBC has been welcomed to bring the Word of God on the air everyday from 9:00 - 9:15 P.M. Originally, only the Rosary was being broadcasted with Mr. Rudy Fernandez, JPIIBC member as anchor. Now, before the holy rosary is prayed the Word of God is being proclaimed. The Word is proclaimed in our own native tongue - Pangasinan!


Since we are still in the year of St. Paul, we are having a continues reading of the letters of St. Paul. It is high time we become more acquainted with the letters of this great man of our faith. Listening to the letters of St. Paul we may realize how timeless is the Word of God.


We believe that the Word of God is powerful! Remembering St. Paul's own declaration "I am not ashamed of the Gospel" inspires us to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. We believe that hearing the Word of God can bring much good in our troubled world. In a world that needs radical change the power of the Word of God can be the lamp that would guide our paths. In a world awash with bad news (and we do get a lot of very disgusting and distressings bad news each day!) how wonderful to listen to the Good News! How good it is to end each day with the Good News!

The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Biblical Apostolate

The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Biblical Apostolate aims to make the Word of God available to all (DV c. VI, No.22). It hopes to achieve this through the following programs, viz.,

• The widespread distribution of Bibles, in Pangasinan and other languages, to the Christian faithful of Pangasinan, since “easy access to sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful” (DV 22).
  

• The study, understanding and use of the Bible among Catholic clergy and Christian faithful who are active in the ministry of the Word and who are to learn “through diligent sacred reading and careful study of the divine Scriptures the excelling knowledge of Jesus Christ” (DV 25) though various JPII sponsored seminars and formations, like:
  

• • the Basic Bible Seminar (BBS), Bible Orientation Seminars, Core Team Formations, Trainers’ Training Seminars, Biblical Institutes, Bible Youth Camps, Bibliodrama Workshops, Recollections, Retreats and many more.
    

• The promotion of the Lay Ministries of the Word that “will be able effectively to provide the nourishment of the Scriptures for the People of God” (DV 23).