The
elements of PACRE Logo are described as follows.
ChiRho with alpha and omega
The ChiRho
is an ancient Christogram representing the first two letters of the Greek word
for “Christus.”
The PACRE affirms the centrality of the
person and message of Jesus Christ in its raison d’être as an Independent,
National, Professional and Catholic Association of Catholic Religious
Educators.
The Alpha
and the Omega which are the first and
last letter in the Greek alphabet represent that everything begins and ends in
Jesus Christ.
The Greek letters in the logo recalls to
mind that original language (Greek) by which the New Testament was written and
preached in the Gentile world.
As religious educators, the members of
the PACRE are “evangelists and preachers” of the Good News through the written
and spoken word which came from their encounter with the “Word made Flesh”
(John 1:14).
12 Green Leaves
The Twelve
Green Leaves calls to mind the
significant beginnings of our Faith namely the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the
Old Testament and the Twelve Apostles of Jesus in the New Testament.
It is an affirmation of the belief of
every PACRE member of his/her responsibility to participate in the continuing
growth of the Faith in our generation.
It is a symbol that reminds every member
that he/she is a present-day disciple who is called and commissioned by Christ
to have a share in the Church’s mission to “go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew
28:19-12).
The leaves also remind the Association
members of their grave responsibility as Religious Educators because the
success or failure of the transmission of the Faith is on hands. The words of
Jesus warned us that “just so, every good
tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not
bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits
you will know them” (Matthew 7:17-20).
It is a solemn obligation of each member to promote and defend the
Catholic faith which every member professed.
The
number twelve is another reminder of the traditional Catholic list of the
Twelve Fruits of the Spirit which the members are hoping to nourish in their
lives by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Generally,
the leaves stand for the PACRE’s hope that the Association will grow and
flourish with the passing of the years.
Core Value: Truth, Unity, Service
The
PACRE adopts for its Core Values:
Truth which is the foundation of all that a
virtuous life. As educators, the members are responsible for their speech and
actions in their respective institutions. We are duty bound to teach that which
is true. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Unity is a highly held value in the New
Testament particularly in the context of a community. St. Paul using the
illustration of the parts and functions of the body clarifies how it is to be a
member of a community (cf. 1
Corinthians 12: 12-31). It is an ideal
that the Association aims to imbibe where each member will find a place and
feels his/her value in the growth of PACRE.
Service or diakonia was exemplified by Jesus who
said that the “Son of man did not come to be served but to serve” (Matthew
20:28). To be a member of PACRE is to be
on a mission of selfless service for the good of the Church and society.
Bacolod City, Philippines
The
seat of PACRE is Bacolod City, Philippines where it has its humble beginnings
on September 12, 2015.
Note: The explanation
was done by Rev. Fr. Deogracias V. Camon. He was elected by PACRE Executive
Board to serve as a member of its Board of Directors for 2016-2018.
