CBCP office confers awards to prison volunteers

THE Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) conferred Gawad Paglilingkod Award to outstanding volunteer workers who have distinguished themselves in prison ministry.

The awarding ceremony was held last October 27 at Christ the King Parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon City during the Eucharistic celebration presided by Bishop Pedro Arigo, ECPPC chair, in observance of Prison Awareness Sunday.

This year’s awardees led by Novaliches Bishop-emeritus Teodoro Bacani, included 103 individuals and organizations from 18 arch/dioceses in the country.

Bishop Bacani was cited for his meritorious service rendered to the Commission, especially in celebrating masses for the prisoners and hearing their confessions.

ECPPC also posthumously conferred awards to Joven Velasco and Rakel Naval, who have helped the Commission in its campaign to abolish the death penalty.

Likewise, Mercee Rodriguez had been cited for her 30 years of unqualified service to the Commission.

ECPPC Executive Secretary Rudy Diamante said the award is given not merely to extol the meritorious services rendered by volunteers but more to highlight the spirit that moves them to do so.

He pointed out that it is important to stress that a sense of idealism and mission still do exist even as we live in a highly cutthroat and materialistic society.

“…In a world that has become increasingly competitive, idealism and sense of mission still exist… that [still] prevail despite the materialistic context of the workplace,” said Diamante in a statement.

“This is something which cannot be measured,” he further said.

Diamante likewise named two essential factors, the sense of mission and vision; that spur on volunteers to spend time and resources helping improve the conditions of prisoners in the country.

Envisioning a society where love, peace and harmony prevail, according to Diamante obliges everyone to carry a mission—“a mission of healing the wounded, as well as the wound caused by relationships that have broken down.”

ECPPC advocates restorative justice, the kind of justice that upholds and restores the human dignity of both victim and offender.

The award, which was first given in 1992, serves as a challenge to all to pursue the vision and mission for which it was begun.

“May those who are chosen to represent us serve as inspiration and models,” Diamante concluded.