The Franciscan Sisters of the Poor have regularly visited the women’s jail in Bajumpandan in Dumaguete City since 2015. It is a pastoral service that offers women in prison a path of hope through the Gospel to support their rehabilitation and promote positive transformation based on Gospel values. The sisters promote circles of sharing and spirituality as well as creative activities that facilitate self-knowledge, emotional expression, and mutual support. These activities foster personal and community harmony among the inmates.
After ten years of activities, interrupted only by the pandemic, we are grateful to share the experiences of the women currently living in the jail. We give them the floor.
“We are very glad that the Sisters visit our facility every Monday afternoon. They always bring something new and talk about the Word of God. We are thankful to learn and love God more and more.
Through sharing the Gospel, we are helped to get closer to ourselves, look deeper into our personal stories, and not lose hope.
This year, we are delving deeper into the Jubilee and exploring the essence of being Pilgrims of Hope. We understand that our lives are like flowing waves. By trusting in God, we can embark on a pilgrimage of healing and transformation, sustained by hope for a better future and by the hope that we can change and one day return home to our families.
The Sisters embrace us without judgment. They open our eyes and hearts to trust again, giving us the courage to hope. Because of their concern and compassion, we are confident that, at the end of our journey here, we will be better people because someone has believed in us.
The time we spend together is truly special. The activities we do help us unlock our worries and encourage us to believe that there is always light in front of us. The pain inside us decreases every time we share what we feel in our hearts.
We receive courage, inspiration, empowerment, and dignity from the visits. We are invited to believe that the sun can truly shine again in our lives. We experience God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing. We learn that life can be full of positive surprises.
We are discovering that the Risen Christ transforms us in many ways. Although our lives are full of obstacles, we can now experience how they can be overcome with God’s blessings and our commitment to love. God is offering us a new opportunity and showing us a new path of healing and transformation. We experience love in our hearts and are grateful because love transforms us, allowing us to love the people around us. Here in jail, we can offer love and support to those who need it and be a shoulder to cry on for other women.
With God’s protection and guidance, we have more confidence in ourselves. We are better able to conquer our fears. We can cultivate faith and peace of mind.
We believe that our sacrifices and suffering today will enable us to become new people.”
The women of the Dumaguete City District Jail, Female Dormitory
