“Sangkay is someone who walks with you, stays with you and stands by you.”
His Excellency Most Rev. Rufino “Jun” Sescon, Jr., D.D in his homily on the last day of the 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE XII), encouraged the faithful to journey together towards God’s kingdom. That being a sangkay also means being a sangga by fixing relationships and creating spaces where no one feels abandoned, judged and forgotten. Relating it to the hundreds of youth present at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, they should strive to gain more fellow travelers and not merely gain social media followers. Lastly, that a sangkay, a sangga, must also strive to be an akay – forming communions, forming friendships along the way.
The three-day conference with the theme “Sangkay” rooted in John 15:15 – I have called you friends, proved to be an intensified and inspiring conference not only for the elders but more so for the youth. Bringing in speakers such as His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, D.D. who further explained how the Eucharist is really a banquet of friends gathered together to celebrate God; and the famous “Daddy O” – Bro. Obet Cabrillas from the Feast who expanded the word FRIEND to Faithful, Responsible, Inspiring, Enduring, Nurturing, and Dependable – the annual Catholic conference expanded the hearts and sprouted new friendships amongst the participants.
During the plenary, Cardinal Tagle highlighted that though it is not always easy to journey with other people, it is “the person who gives you a lot of headaches that should be loved the most” as this form of unconditional love transforms hearts, allowing the Church to be an inclusive space for everyone. For in the eyes of the Lord, everyone is a pearl of great price – Most Rev. Charles John Brown, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
Mary Joy Hernandez, a PCNE All Youth participant from Our Lady of Pentecost Parish, reiterated that for her, being a Sangkay did not only mean walking beside someone in the journey, but more importantly in “choosing to stay, especially when it is easier to leave.” Being a Sangkay meant carrying hope for someone whose strength may be slowly running out.
The journey towards God’s kingdom is filled with potholes, rough roads, and a whole lot of bumps. But walking through it with people God has purposely placed in each person’s lives makes the voyage much smoother and definitely more meaningful.
As the PCNE XII came to an end for 2026, the lay faithful, mature in faith or still in the growing stages, were encouraged to continue their mission outside the walls of the University of Santo Tomas; challenging and reminding each one that their mission as Catholics just began. That in journeying towards God’s kingdom, it is more fulfilling to be a Ka-Sangkay.
Bishop Jun left the participants with a question, “Who else needs a sangkay, a sangga, an akay?” Like what Cardinal Tagle sang, “you’ve got a friend in me.”