Running priest walks with urban poor in 28-hour pilgrimage

THIS time he walked instead of run.

Leading thousands of urban poor, running priest Fr. Robert Reyes walked and pushed his famous Kariton ni Maria in a 28-hour pilgrimage called “Lakbay Dalangin” which started at 8 a.m. yesterday morning in Navotas City.

“The 28-hour pilgrimage or the Lakbay dalangin is my humble contribution to the commemoration of EDSA and to thank God that Kariton ni Maria has been part of our history for about ten years bringing light and blessings for us forever. It is toward this light that Kariton ni Maria will always journey,” Reyes said.

Joining Reyes in his pilgrimage were the urban poor affected by a road widening project of the Department of Public Works and Highways and a coalition of people’s organizations and NGO’s such as Urban Poor Associates (UPA), Community Organizers Multiversity (COM) and Community Organization of the Philippine Enterprise (COPE) Foundation, a housing rights organization supporting the cause of the urban poor and Kubol Pag-asa.

Reyes and his co-pilgrims were doing the sacrifice “to remember, repeat, reflect, renew and realize the lessons, values and spirit of EDSA.”

Retracing Reyes’ 28 years in priesthood, the pilgrimage passed through parishes where he was ordained and worked as parish priest. Reyes also visited the Cardinal Sin Retirement Home for Priests and paid tribute to the retired priests who inspired him to take up the cause of the poor.

The running priest and co-pilgrims also passed through government offices which Reyes in various times in the past, have engaged in protest and dialogue, making them aware of their responsibility to help the people whom they vowed to serve.

Reyes said Mass outside the Comelec office yesterday, praying that the poll body will “bring genuine and profound change in the electoral exercise and the poll automation.”

He urged the people to be extra vigilant in the upcoming May polls even as he advised them to “act according to what we have learned so that the light will finally shine and free us from all that enslaves and brings us all down.”

“This is a call to various institutions which have the resources to be vigilant and ready to take the appropriate action and for every sector and individual to guard the ballots and to preserve the sanctity of the electoral process,” the Palawan-based priest said.

He also called on the Comelec to impose a demolition moratorium so as not to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of urban poor from exercising their right to suffrage.

“Demolitions and evictions are gravely abused by those in position to get the votes of the informal settlers,” Reyes said, adding: “We hope that Comelec through this Mass will heed our call.”

The activist priest said their pilgrimage hoped to bring back the value and relevance of EDSA that 24 years ago, gave the country back its freedom and democracy.

“May our leaders re-learn the lessons and start a truly meaningful journey with the poor, before, during and most especially after elections,” he said.

The 28-hour journey ended Feb. 25 noontime, at the Historical Shrine People Power Monument along EDSA avenue.