Learning to Serve with Listening Hearts
September 18, 2026 | Philippine Jesuit Prison Service
A journey of formation is not only about learning from books, classrooms, or lectures. Sometimes, the deepest lessons are found in simply being present, listening to another person’s story, and allowing ourselves to encounter realities different from our own.
On September 18, nine San Jose seminarians undergoing their Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year, or SPFY, visited the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service together with Fr. Francisco Parilla, SJ. Their visit was an opportunity to meet their foster families and to take their first steps into the world of prison ministry.
As part of their visit, the seminarians received an orientation from PJPS Chaplain Assistant Fr. Dom Bulan, SJ. The orientation introduced them to the mission of prison ministry and helped them become more familiar with the lives and experiences of Persons Deprived of Liberty, Persons Restored of Liberty, and their families.
For the seminarians, this was more than an orientation. It was an invitation to encounter. Behind every person in prison is a story. Behind every family waiting outside the prison walls is a story of love, uncertainty, sacrifice, and hope. Prison ministry allows us to see beyond labels and circumstances and to recognize the person whose dignity remains, regardless of where life has brought them.
This is at the heart of the mission of PJPS.
To serve is to accompany.
To accompany is to listen.
And to listen is to allow another person to be seen, heard, and remembered as someone worthy of dignity and compassion.
The SPFY experience gives these young seminarians an opportunity to encounter this reality personally. As they become familiar with the lives of PDLs, PRLs, and their families, they are also invited to reflect on what it truly means to serve as ministers of God’s compassion.
Their presence at PJPS reminds us that formation happens not only within seminaries and formation houses. It also happens in places where human stories are raw, where hope is tested, and where a simple gesture of presence can become a source of encouragement.
May their experience at PJPS become part of a deeper journey of discernment, compassion, and service. May they carry with them the stories they encounter and allow these stories to shape the way they accompany others.
Because sometimes, transformation begins with a simple encounter.
Someone comes to listen.
Someone chooses to stay.
Someone learns to see the person before the circumstance.
And in that encounter, hope finds room to grow.
At PJPS, we believe that every person deserves the opportunity to experience dignity, compassion, and hope. We invite our friends, partners, and generous supporters to walk with us in this mission. Your prayers, presence, generosity, and financial support help make spaces for accompaniment, formation, and transformation possible.
Together, let us continue building a ministry where every person is seen, every story is valued, and every journey is given room for hope.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
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