Many active members of the church are graduates of PREX especially during the nascent stage of OLAP. The organization provides the parishioners a conversion experience through its weekend seminars. Different talks and sharings are given to facilitate the process of healing and reconciliation within the Catholic faith family. And like other parish organizations, the PREX family aims to unify the parish.

PREX, short for Parish Renewal Experience, is a renewal seminar for Catholics, a rediscovery experience that will help us see the true meaning of our faith and help us discover the joy of being a Catholic.

PREX is not an organization, nor a new movement, nor a new society; neither does it dismantle organizations. It is all about the parish renewing itself – a step to the awareness that the parish is not a “we” and “they” arrangement, but a family living with and loving one another.

Objectives:

PREX attempts:

• To provide the direction and approaches for strengthening and deepening the life of the parish
• To make parishioners experience the joy and feel the dignity as members of the Body of Christ
• To begin a commitment to belong to one another as Church
• To develop down-to-earth spirituality in response to the search for meaningful ways to experience God's presence in our lives
• To call people to evangelization – to bring the teachings of Vatican II to the grass roots; to prepare our people for bringing the Good News into all levels of humanity and through its influence, transforms humanity from within and make it new.
• To unify the parish

In line with these objectives, this weekend seminar will focus on the rediscovery of:

• Our relationship with those who gave us the faith
• The reasons why we wish to keep the faith
• The direction we need to take to pass on the faith to others.

A Glimpse of OLAP PREX
By Myrna F. Virtudazo

Amid the unfolding of OLAP history is the significant presence of the Parish Renewal Experience that helped propel the development of the emerging parish in 1992. Msgr. Jaime Zurbano noted that many of the active and committed parish leaders were graduates of PREX from San Nicolas de Tolentino, their former parish church. Seeing PREX as an effective tool for making more and more parishioners involved in the parish, Kuya Msgr. Jun immediately introduced PREX in OLAP, with Kuya Romy and Ate Ludy Jacobo as first chaircouple.

Since there was no available space for PREX seminars, it was held from one place to another. But it did not deter the PREX “converts” from holding successful classes until PREX Class 8. However, the Secretariat decided to stop temporarily the holding of classes until such time that it would be able to have its own ample space conducive for a weekend seminar.

In 2002, PREX once more came into the picture. Msgr. Jun saw the need to revive PREX in the parish and asked Kuya Romy and Ate Ludy to convene PREX leaders most of whom came from JEM 9 & 10 Subd. So with the assistance of SNDT Secretariat, Class 9 was held in March 2002 at the St. Vincent Seminary. With God's grace, it was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and victory. Since then, classes were held every three months at the SNDT Formation House until Class 14.

Our new parish priest, Kuya Fr. Mario Sanchez, who graduated from OLAP PREX Class 10, and the acquisition and renovation of our very own Formation Center, made a dramatic impact on PREX. Class 15 had the chance of savoring first the glory of having its own place under the OLAP sun, followed by Class 16. Indeed, there's nothing like home. We are wondering Jews no more!

Inspired by the visible results and beautiful experience of the PREX fever, Kuya Fr. Mar immediately formed the Secretariat and appointed the following officers: Kuya Romy/Ate Ludy Jacobo, chaircouple; Kuya Caloy/Ate Tillie Pineda, 1 st vice chaircouple; Kuya Edwin/Ate Susan Bernardo, 2 nd vice chaircouple; Kuya Rody/Ate Myrna Virtudazo, secretary; Kuya Danny/Ate Irene Arroyo, treasurer; Kuya Danny/Ate Thelma Mendiola and Kuya Jun Saturay/Ate Connie Saturay, advisory Board.

Known as a harbinger of change and for his systematic management, Kuya Fr. Mar closely supervises PREX, always ready with a Red Book (PREX Manual) in his office cabinet, which he gives as a gift to would-be lead and assistant lead couples so that they may faithfully follow its directives. With his close supervision, Fr. Mar sees to it that no stone is left unturned if only for the smooth flow of conducting PREX weekend for the greater glory of God – and let the Holy Spirit breathe where It wills.