Spirit of Love Covenanted Community

The Spirit of Love Catholic Community (SOLCC) started as a weekly Bible study at the Santuario de San Jose Parish Hall in Greenhills, San Juan City in 1989 under the initiative of Bro. Emilio “Mel” Lim of the Men of St. Joseph. From March 19 to April 30, 1990, Bro. Mel “converted” the Bible study into a Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar (CLSS) that spread over seven consecutive Monday evenings for approximately 2 hours per session. The 32 students of the Bible study formed CLSS #1. Bro. Jun de Castro was chosen as chairperson of the core group, with Juan David, Benjamin Juarez, and Pablo Sugay as members.

How SOLCC Got Its Name. As narrated by Bro. Jun de Castro, several members were inside the Santuario de San Jose Parish Hall when the table was opened for suggestions on what the name of the community would be. The person assigned to write the suggestions on the blackboard simply wrote any name he heard. After all suggestions were heard, the name “Spirit of Love” was selected from all the names written. Bro. Jun requested the person who gave the chosen name to stand up to be recognized and so that he could thank him/her. But nobody stood up. As Bro. Jun would later say when he retold the story, “Who do you think suggested our community’s name? Your guess is as good as mine.”

Prayer Celebrations. Monday evening prayer celebrations went on at Santuario de San Jose with praying of the Holy Rosary, joyful songs led by the Music Ministry, gathering of prayer intentions by the Intercessory Ministry, ACTS prayer led by the assigned member of the Teaching Ministry, and Holy Mass. Subsequent CLSS were conducted continuously whenever and wherever possible. This led to an increase in the number of members.

The Leadership. After Bro. Jun de Castro, the next presiding elder (PE) of the community was Bro. Pabling Sugay, followed by Bro. Orly Sionosa, and then, Bro. Cadio Tamayo sometime in the second half of the ‘90s. The first spiritual director of the community was Rev. Fr. Constantino Conti in 1991, followed a few years later by Rev. Fr. Teofilo Rustia who, despite having some health issues lately, does his best to participate in the community’s Masses, healing services and celebrations. As SOLCC transitioned into a covenanted community, the community was renamed as Spirit of Love Covenanted Community – Catholic Charismatic Renewal (SOLCC-CCR). Most Reverend Jesus Cabrera, DD, Bishop Emeritus of Alaminos, Pangasinan, has been the community’s bishop protector on spiritual affairs. The community rejoiced with him as he celebrated his own milestone—his 60th year as a priest on April 9, 2024 in Dagupan.

Bro. Cadio, who has ably led the community for more than 20 years now, together with the Council of Elders (COE) and the Council of Servants (COS), continues to strengthen SOLCC by focusing on its five charisms of Worship, Evangelization, Formation, Healing, and Diakonia. The various support ministries are presently grouped together into clusters. The chapters and affiliates are activated through formations, the conducting of CLSS and Growth in the Spirit Seminars (GSS) in their respective areas, participation in community-wide events particularly the yearly grand reunion and foundation day, and attendance in the Monday prayer celebrations online via Zoom.

Online formations, prayer celebrations, Holy Mass, and community intercessions began in 2020 as an outcome of the pandemic that struck in March of the same year. God turned this problem into great possibilities of 45
spreading His Good News. He used the internet to spiritually nourish, bless and strengthen the faith of more and more members. In the latter part of 2020, the LOVE CHATS cell groups began to be formed. This has been an effective tool in fostering strong and close relationships among the members by reflecting on the Sunday Gospels, sharing experiences, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, actions to take for improvement, and prayers.

Houses of Prayer Worship. SOLCC stayed at the Santuario de San Jose in Greenhills until 1998, after which it moved to the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation (MSBF) compound where it conducted prayer celebrations, formations, intercessions, Holy Week Triduums, Christmas parties, Santacruzans, and other related events until 2013 upon MSBF’s closure. SOLCC moved its Monday prayer celebrations to the St. Joseph Parish in Camp Crame until the onset of the Corona Virus Pandemic in March 2020. For two years, all prayer celebrations, intercessory prayers, and formations were done online. The first face-to-face gatherings resumed in May 2, 2022 still at Camp Crame with simultaneous online coverage via Zoom and Facebook Live. On September 26, 2022, SOLCC moved to its new house of prayer and worship, Our Mother of Divine Grace Chapel in Camp Aguinaldo, where CLSS, GSS, other formations and recollections are held.

SOLCC, upon reaching its 33rd year, will continue to love and serve the Lord through all brothers and sisters the Lord will send on its path. It will continue to grow in spiritual maturity as missionary disciples as it entrusts everything to God to fulfill His will and plans. It will continue to journey in synodality towards more years of fruitful, Spirit-filled, and Spirit-led endeavors, all for God’s glory.