Our Lady of Fatima GKK inside the City jail annex

“Ang Diyos anaa maskin asa ug dili lang didto sa simbahan; hain gani kita, maskin kinsa kanato, buotan man o badlongon, atua ang Diyos, ania Siya maskin dinhi sa sulod sa City Jail nagpasinati sa Iyang mapinanggaon nga presensya.” These were the inspiring words of our beloved Archbishop Romulo G. Valles especially to the aged or sick inmates of Davao City Jail Annex last October 8, 2017. Abp. Valles was the main celebrant of the first mass held for the blessing and dedication of the newly-built chapel of Our Lady of Fatima inside the jail. With him were representatives from the religious service providers in the jail: Rev. Msgr. Abel C. Apigo of Regional Major Seminary, Rev. Fr. Dennis Revi of the Society of Mary, and Rev. Fr. Orlando Borres of SDB, ACPW Mission Director. This was the first time for the Annex Jail inmates to see, hear or touch Abp. Valles in person and be in a holy mass celebrated by him, thus they could not contain their excitement! For them it was a day of rejoicing and they were deeply touched by Abp. Valles’s words, “Ayaw kabalaka sa bisan unsa dinhi sa jail, sa inyong mga kaso, pangayoa sa Diyos ang bisan unsa ubanan sa pagsalig, ug ang kalinaw sa Diyos manalipod sa inyong mga hunahuna. Balik ta sa Ginoo aron masabtan nato ang kalinaw nga dili masabtan sa tawo. Pasudlon ta ang Diyos sa atong hunahuna, sa atong pangandoy. Hinaut nga ang handumanan sa Ginoo maoy mopalabaw diha sa atong kinabuhi.”

The OLF Chapel is an answered prayer of inmates and made possible through the generosity of benefactors who preferred to be anonymous and who in the words of Abp Valles are “lovers of God’s love.” They love God and the Virgin Mary so much they made it their mission to bring God’s love to “society’s unloved” by building places of worship for the poor such as those who are in prison. The BJMP officers of Annex Jail led by its Warden J/Insp Jonathan Lavapie and Chief IWD SJO3 Edwin L. Naidas provided the space, perspective design and inspected the construction of the chapel; the inmates provided the manpower and artistry.

Overseeing the whole project was Architect Gene Nagayo. The Catholic Men’s Fellowship, mission partner of the Archdiocesan Commission on Prison Welfare, through Bro. Boying Gutierrez, took charge of the spiritual formation for inmates to be sent forth as Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK) Servant Leaders. Steps were being taken for the inmates’ Catholic community to be officially recognized as a GKK under the pastoral care of Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Bong Gonzaga, parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi in Maa. The Annex Jail GKK will have its first fiesta on October 13, 2017, the 100th anniversary of our Lady’s 6th apparition and of the Miracle of the Sun in Fatima. (Marian Carmela Raquel)

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