Matters India Reporter

Manila, March 28, 2020 — A parish in northern Philippines has come up with a novel way to reach out to the needy poor of its neighbourhood in the locked down times of Covid 19. The parish commission on social concern has set up ‘Kindness Station.’

“Active already for one week (since 21 March 2020), the Kindness Station at Mary Help of Christians parish in Mayapa (Calamba City, Luzon Island – Philippines) is a humble but effective response in times of crisis along the basic conviction, ‘a reminder that in times of crisis we can’t forget our poor,’” says parish priest and Salesian community Rector Fr. ‘Toto’ Mark Cerada.

This is one of 1,800 Salesian parishes around the world and over the week, 195 poor families around the Mayapa parish territory have been served.

Just a few months after the Taal volcano eruption in nearby Batangas province, when also this Mayapa Parish got involved with help for many IDPs (internally displaced people), the parish has not hesitated in the COVID19 emergency times to show their faith in action.

“Main goal of the project is to assist the poorest of the poor, like people who are living under the highway bridge or well known migrant or IDP families within the large territory of this parish with more than 25 ‘barrios’ chapels and BEC (Basic Ecclesial Communities),” explains Fr Toto.

“The needs are big and the volunteers involved are dead-tired,” Fr Toto confessed saying, “but we can sense their spirit from their heart warming sharing.”

The activities the parishioners have undertaken bear testimony to their commitment, says Fr Toto who listed some activities saying, “Through the FB slides you can grasp the whole integral response that involves many faithful, volunteers and benefactors.

Besides online pastoral and education care for the parish community (Catechesis, Adoration, Lectio divina), volunteers do online-fundraising (FB advertisement), visit and deliver necessary food and emergency relief packages to the families in need.

One volunteer says, ”No one lives for yourself only. Nobody dies just for oneself. We all have a little for each other [to] protect the poor.”

More than 550,000 infected people and almost 25,000 deaths have been reported around the world till 28 March. END