BECs are small communities of Christians who gather on a regular basis to pray and share the Word of God, thus supporting one another on their faith journeys. These communities are united to their parishes but are ministered to regularly by lay leaders. The members know each other by name and have a strong sense of belonging and of responsibility for one another. As such, BECs have become extensions of the domestic Church by virtue of their faith that establishes communion with God and communion with others.
A Brief History
The greatest factor that influenced the rise and growth of BECs is the impact of the Second Vatican Council which called for the Catholic laity to take a more active role in the church, taking into account the shortage of priests.
But how did the BECs come about? In Brazil (Latin America), they started in 1956 with the evangelization movement. Communities without a priest, among other things, would gather around the radio to listen to the mass being celebrated and to pray aloud the congregation’s responses. By 1963, there were about 1,410 of such ‘radio schools’.
The 1968 Medellín, Colombia, meeting of Latin American Council of Bishops played a major role in popularizing them under the name basic ecclesial communities (BECs). They soon spread to Africa, and then to Asia where some have morphed into models for neighbourliness in modern urban and ecumenical environments, with the hope that Christian renewal at the peripheries will impact cultural centres.
Basic Ecclesial Communities” (BECs) were formed in 1976 as a core priority of the renewal of the Catholic Church in Peninsular Malaysia, in line with the vision and reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
How do BECs function?
BEC meetings are held once a month at a member’s home. Most BEC groups have members who volunteer to host such meetings more regularly than others, depending on personal commitments. However, no one is under any obligation to hold or attend such gatherings. Each person must take responsibility for their own participation at a gathering.
Each meeting would include Opening and Closing Prayers, singing of hymns and Sharing of Thoughts sessions based on monthly themes. Prior to the meetings, members download monthly Reflection Leaflets on various relevant issues that we face in life. An example of this Reflection Leaflet is the one for July 2023 which focuses on the theme of caring for the elderly.
Download link for the reflections: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y65eSvG5B1Kfjww8_zkKVGsY4ClaSDwB
The members would then read through the texts in the leaflets and share their thoughts with the other BEC attendees during the meetings. These Reflection Leaflets serve as a helpful guideline to get the gatherings going and to keep the meetings structured, purposeful and focused. Through using Scripture, personal reflections and sharing sessions, BEC members would indeed be living the faith as part of the community. They would not feel alone as they know that their BEC brothers and sisters are there to give them the spiritual support they need.
BEC coordinators should also faithfully disseminate information, resources shared by the parish or diocese. BECs could also adopt, if and when needed, a digital platform to connect. However, there are many members, esp the elderly, who might not have the resources or ability to connect via a digital platform. Other ways to connect with these members should then be explored, e.g telephone calls.
Messages from our Holy Fathers:
1. Pope St. John Paul II (30 Dec 1988)
Pope St. John Paul II published Christifideles Laici (The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People) on December 30, 1988, to give fresh impetus to the life and mission of the laity in the Church in the 21St century.
Pope St. John Paul II spoke about BECs under the subtitle ‘Parish’ where he defines a parish as the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters and it is there that the Church is seen locally. The parish is the immediate and visible expression of the ecclesial community. He further explained that the parish is not a structure, a territory or a building but, rather, it is a Eucharistic Community, community of faithful and the family of God (CL #26).
The Pope wrote, “I especially ask every Christian in communities throughout the world to offer a radiant and an attractive witness of fraternal communion. Let everyone admire how you care for one another and how you encourage and accompany one another (EG #99).
As the Pope mentioned, “the Lord’s disciples are called to live as a community which is the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt 5: 13-16). We are called to bear witness to a constantly new way of living together in fidelity to the Gospel” (EG #92).
2. The Holy Father, Pope Francis: (17th Dec 2013)
As the Document of Aparecida recalled, BECs are an instrument that allows people “to attain greater knowledge of the Word of God, a greater social commitment in the name of the Gospel, for the birth of new forms of lay service and adult education in the faith” (n. 178). Recently, in addressing the whole Church, I wrote that the Basic Communities “bring a new evangelizing fervour and a new capacity for dialogue with the world whereby the Church is renewed” but, to do this it is necessary that they do “not lose contact with the rich reality of the local parish and to participate readily in the overall pastoral activity of the particular Church” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, n. 29). Dear friends, evangelization is a duty of the whole Church, of the whole People of God: we all must be pilgrims, in the countryside and in the city, bringing the joy of the Gospel to every man and woman.
Personal Testimonies from BEC members:
I am a newly baptised Catholic and have found great joy in being a member of my local BEC. The other members have been very kind and helpful and make me feel like an accepted daughter in the family of Christ. With their support and guidance, I don’t feel lost or alone as I journey on towards the Lord.
Jo Cheah
It is vital to take time off and make some commitment to attend BEC gatherings, especially since the Reflection Leaflets are based on issues that all of us face. In order to foster better understanding and closer relationships, we also need to keep things relevant, purposeful and fun.
Karen-Ann Theseira, past BEC Coordinator
For more information on our BECs, you may contact either our parish office or BEC coordinators. You may find the relevant contact details in our parish bulletin.