By Carthelyn C Adajar, PhD
In answer to the call of Pope Francis on the importance of having good readers in mass, the Department of English Language and Literature (DELL), in cooperation with the Social Development Office of Xavier University, held a three-day workshop for lectors and lector aspirants of Our Lady of Fatima Parish (OLFP) in Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro City last 18 June, 23 July, and 13 August 2023. The project was spearheaded by Dr Carthelyn C Adajar, faculty of DELL, Social Development Coordinator for the Humanities cluster, and Lector Ministry Coordinator of OLFP.
Parish priest, Msgr Rey Manuel S Monsanto, JCD, SSJV welcomed all the participants during the first day of the training and reiterated the importance of reading the Word of the Lord correctly and accurately. Dr Adajar also handled the topics on pronunciation, enunciation, intonation, and commentating English masses. Faculty members from DELL joined the workshop as speakers. Dr Ma Luisa S Saministrado supervised the training on proper pausing and phrasing; Dr Ferdinand T Cantular, who holds an MA in Pastoral Ministry and BA in Sacred Theology at St John Vianney Theological Seminary, emphasized the responsibilities and guidelines for lectors and commentators based on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM); and Dr Hobart Savior, Director of Xavier Center for Culture, and the Arts and Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Dramatic Arts of NCCA, actively engaged the participants on exercises for voice modulation which is essential in public reading.
Engr Dexter S Lo, Vice President for Social Development gave his full support for this institutional social involvement project of the faculty. In November 2019, lectors from three parishes came to Xavier University for the same training. DELL also welcomes future collaboration with other parishes whose lectors also need training in reading and commentating. As Pope Francis said, “We must look for good readers! Not those who mutter and nothing is understood.”
Dr Adajar gave a review on the pronunciation and enunciation of words from passages in the scripture
Dr Saministrado and Dr Adajar with some lectors after the training on proper pausing and phrasing
The training concluded with an engaging workshop on voice modulation given by theatre expert, Dr Savior