“THE most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.”
This is the quote from St. Padre Pio that was embedded in the hearts of the students of Ateneo de Davao University for their Social Love Sunday.
The Social Love Sunday (SLS) is a community service that Ateneo established for the Arrupe Social Formation course, which is considered as the Heart of the University. It teaches common ethical values, including but not limited to, religious ethics.
Last November 5, 2023, the students of Arrupe 5005 class were the first students to be deployed in the community service. They were stationed in Padre Pio’s Home for Children at Tugbok, Davao City, led by the section’s formator, Frances Nina Fernandez-Bitang.
Padre Pio’s is an all-girls non-profit organization where the sisters nurture young girls and shape them to become the women for others in the future.
With their limited interactions, the students of Ateneo did their best to not only share any tangible things, but also to share their wisdom, hope, and love to the children, and hope that the children will do the same.
Right from the beginning, the students were consternated about how they will engage with the children with love and care without being insensitive at the same time.
So, they orchestrated a plan to organize a party-like program where there will be an interaction for everyone, a one-kid-two students’ interaction, and a mirth activity. That way, they could maximize the time they had there and let the kids enjoy their given quality time.
Despite their financial constraints, the students gathered enough money to provide a special meal for the children and to buy items that they can use daily, with the formator’s special request to buy coloring books and coloring materials.
The students were taught how to practice meditation through coloring. Mrs. Bitang wanted the same practice to be implemented to the children for them to be more relaxed and comfortable while engaging with strangers, which were the students.
During the individual engagement between the kids and the students, they let or instructed the children to color while asking them about their backgrounds, habits, favorite food, and wishes for this upcoming Christmas. The youth comfortably shared with the students as if they knew each other for a long time.
After the personal engagement, everyone huddled up and played some parlor games that helped them bond more deeply. In between the very joyous program, the facilitator requested for everyone to pray over each other, letting the students and the children dedicate a special prayer for their partners.
Furthermore, some of the students prepared a repertory to express their gratitude towards the sisters and the children for letting them inside the institution that everyone describes as their home.
On the other hand, the children also prepared a song for them to let the students know that they are grateful for the students’ commitment and their efforts were not in vain. As the event almost came to its end, the sisters shared a wonderful Bible reading to extend their appreciation towards the students.
They let the students ask God for guidance, assistance, and even gratitude while touching the sacred blood of Padre Pio, stored in a golden cross. It served as a reminder for the students that hope and faith will always lead their way. As the students bid their farewells to the children, some of the students gave their personal token to their assigned children to let them know that there will always be one person who will pray for them.
With the shortened time, some children could not hold back their tears and wished to have more time with the students. Despite the time limit, the students knew that this would not be their last interaction and promised each other that they would see each other very soon.
On their way home, the students reflected and discussed with each other that no matter how much they think that the world is against them, there will always be people who are experiencing worse but are still grateful for the life they have.
Helping the students piqued their privileges and encouraged them to give back to the community, especially to those who are in grievous need. People should learn how to be more grounded, appreciate what they have, and not dwell on things that are not there.
The children in Padre Pio’s have different age ranges with different life stories; some of them were still so young when they became victims of how barbaric the world is.
The least the people who are in a better situation could do is to let them feel that, yes, the world might be unfair, but with the right people, it can feel less cruel. Help, donate, and give hope to these children. Be the light to their darkness, process a little sacrifice, and exert an effort. Let Padre Pio’s words about faith run in everyone’s hearts. Clifford Jay Magnanao, Megan Ang / Ateneo de Davao University