Philippines. With a simple but meaningful ceremony, presided by the Papal Nuncio in the Philippines, Archbishop Edgar Joseph Adams, the Claretian Missionaries opened on December 8 the first Hope Centre in Aurora Boulevard, in Quezon City. The Hope Centre renders spiritual and pastoral aid to the people through spiritual books and other means. It is a place where hope can be cultivated and shared. Fr. Benedict Dilag, Executive Director of the CHCFI has explained the mission of the Centre as a place where the youth can feel united and welcome. “We wish to do whatever is possible so that they may feel they form part of the community of the Centre and that everything and always is friendly and decent according to Christ.” In Fr. Dilag’s opinion, the people, and especially the youth, feel today the desire to deepen their spirituality, to tighten their relationship with God and to find an answer to their problems.

In the Hope Centre the youth, Catholic or not, have opportunities and different means to receive and communicate the Word of God. Spiritual books, magazines, newspapers and Internet are available to satisfy the demands of each one to enrich their knowledge. The Centre has also audiovisual means, coffee shop, cybercafe and religious store. It has a corner for personal dialogue and an oratory. With the opening of the Hope Centre, the Claretians are not opening a new bookstore, but doing an evangelical service. Present at the inauguration were the Superior of the Claretians of the Philippines, Fr. Renato Manubag and his Council, the Board of Directors of the Claretian Communications Foundation Inc. (CCFI) and Claretian Hope Centre Foundation Inc. (CHCFI), religious men and women, friends and collaborators of the Claretian Missionaries.