Ascension Parish: Evangelizing through GKK Medical Services

“Go, your Faith has healed you,” (Mk. 10:25). Jesus has a great heart for those who are poor, neglected, sinful and sick with great faith in Him, for He came for the sinners not for the righteous ones. He showed that God is a compassionate and loving God.

God is always waiting for us to be with him and for Him to heal us from our iniquities. Through the people, He showed his great love to all. One of these people is from the Ascension of the Lord Parish which conducted a GKK Medical Services in Nuestra Señora dela Salvacion, Matina Pangi to continue what Jesus already started, evangelizing through healing.

Jesus taught everyone to have faith in God, and to go to the world and proclaim it to all creation. But evangelization needs people who are willing to give themselves for the sake of the Gospel.

The Ascension Parish is very blessed with volunteers who whole-heartedly gave themselves for this GKK Medical Services, thus, organizing a team of medical practitioners dubbed as Parish Medical Apostolate (PMA). The PMA volunteers gave themselves to serve God through helping their brothers and sisters who need medical attention for free. These are the generous and selfless people who volunteered to serve God’s people: 40 medical volunteers, 2 pediatricians, 5 doctors for adults, 5 ob-gynecologists, 2 dentists, 2 optometrists, 3 volunteers from Mater et Puer Foundation, an Ob-Gyne Group called Little Acts, 6 volunteers from Alexian Brothers Wellness Center, 10 medical technologist from University of Immaculate Concepcion, 3 registered nurses, 1 nutrionist, 5 barbers, 1 mid-wife, 1 pharmacist, 30 PSA and Caritas Volunteers and the officers of the 3 GKKs of Zone 4.

People who wish to be healed and to know if they have sickness participated the event:  60 children and 78 adults got checked-up, 16 got Ob-Pap smear, 10 pregnant women got Ob-Pap smear also, 67 had laboratory test like FBS, Cholesterol level, urine and stool examination, 70 persons had their new haircuts, 104 free eyeglasses and 35 persons got tooth extraction service a total of 450 patients.

PMA has an objective to reach out to the poor by providing medical support services such as free check-up, tooth extraction, laboratory examinations, free glasses, pap smear, haircut and more. They have done these as part of the vision and mission of the parish, “…service-oriented responsibilities are strengthened and sustained by our solidarity in nurturing the people especially the poor, the children and women to continue the unfolding of the kingdom of God.”  But this will not be the last GKK Medical Services of Ascension. The next GKK Medical Services will be on November for this is a regular program for Health in the parish under Parish’ Social Action Ministry (PSAM).

Pope Francis encourages everyone to help the people who need help. With great faith in Christ, people can give themselves for the needs of others. And thus, Bl. Mo. Teresa of Calcutta said, “We can do small things with great love.” Evangelizing doesn’t only mean through speaking but through every corporal works of mercy we do for our brothers and sisters with great love and faith.