Philippines: Chaplaincy Celebrates Patronal Feast with Outreach to Poor and Indigenous Communities

The feast of Saints Peter and Paul at Sts. Peter and Paul Chaplaincy in the Diocese of Calapan, on the island province of Oriental Mindoro in the central Philippines, took on a different character this year as the parish placed poor families, indigenous people, and other marginalized groups at the center of its celebration.

Instead of floral decorations, the sanctuary was lined with 5-kilogram bags of rice. The church welcomed poor families, members of the indigenous Mangyan communities, persons deprived of liberty, and others from society's margins as honored guests.

The June 29 celebration, themed "Misyon sa Hapag" ("Mission at the Table"), combined the patronal feast with acts of charity and fellowship, extending the Eucharistic celebration into community outreach.

Fr. Romeo R.V. Villavicencio invited parishioners to personally visit families in the community's peripheries and accompany them to the celebration.

"These brothers and sisters we rarely see in church are very much part of our community. We just need to widen our tent to include them. This is the heart of Jesus—to truly become a Church of the Poor," Fr. Villavicencio said.

He encouraged parishioners to go beyond the church grounds, visiting homes and inviting those who often feel forgotten to experience God's love through the parish community.

For Aljhon Villas, the chaplaincy's pastoral associate, the celebration was about more than distributing food.

"We chose to share the blessing and joy of the feast with those who most need love, care, and hope," Villas said. "This was an opportunity to make them feel that they are part of the People of God and have an important place in our community."

Each participating family received a bag of rice and shared a communal meal prepared by parish volunteers. Villas said the initiative embodied the Filipino pastoral expression "MISA–MASA–MESA"—literally "Mass, People, and Table"—which emphasizes that the Eucharist continues through service, fellowship, and sharing with the community.

During the Mass, homilist Fr. Vince Rodolf Pagilagan reflected on the sanctuary filled with rice instead of flowers.

"Some may see a sanctuary without flowers but filled with bags of rice and people crowded together," he said. "But this is an image of heaven."

Quoting Matthew 25:40, he reminded the faithful that devotion to Saints Peter and Paul is expressed through generous service to those in need.

Preparation for the feast began weeks earlier as lay leaders carried images of the patron saints from house to house, personally inviting families in villages across the chaplaincy to attend. Barangay (village) Chair Jerry delos Reyes and his wife, Donna, even transported Mangyan families from remote sitios (small rural hamlets) before dawn so they could participate in the Mass.

The outreach also extended beyond the parish, with volunteers delivering rice to persons deprived of liberty at the city jail and to elderly residents.

Volunteers described the celebration as a meaningful encounter with people on the margins and a reminder that the Church's mission is lived through faith expressed in service, hospitality, and shared meals.