May Pagmamahal sa Pag-aalala: Honoring the Lives of Our Departed Persons Deprived of Liberty

October 31, 2026 | New Bilibid Prison Cemetery, Muntinlupa City

Even when the world forgets, God remembers. And in remembering our departed brothers and sisters, we continue to honor their dignity, their stories, and their place in God's loving embrace.

There are places where silence speaks louder than words. At the New Bilibid Prison Cemetery in Muntinlupa City, every tomb holds a story, a life that once dreamed, loved, struggled, and hoped. Some of these stories may never be fully known. Some of the departed may no longer have families who can visit their resting places. Others may have been laid to rest far from the communities they once called home.

Yet, even in this quiet place, love continues to find a way to remember.

On October 31, 2026, the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, Inc. (PJPS) joined the community in commemorating the lives of departed Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) through a Holy Mass at the New Bilibid Prison Cemetery, within the New Bilibid Prison reservation in Muntinlupa City.

The Eucharistic celebration brought together Fr. Bok Arandia, SJ, and Fr. Dom Bulan, SJ, who concelebrated the Mass, along with Bureau of Corrections Director General Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr., AFP (Ret.), CESE, CCLH, members of the BuCor administration and personnel, PJPS staff, volunteers, and stakeholders. Fr. Jason Valeza presided over the Eucharist and led the blessing of the tombs after the Mass.

More than a gathering to remember those who have passed away, the celebration was an opportunity to affirm a simple yet profound truth: every life matters, and no person is beyond the reach of God's love.

There Is Love in Remembering

During his homily, Fr. Dom Bulan, SJ, reflected on the lives of the departed PDLs and the importance of remembering those who may no longer be remembered by the world.

He spoke of the many brothers and sisters resting in the cemetery whose families may not have been able to bring them home or may not even know that they have passed away. Each one carries a story that we may never completely understand.

Yet, on this day, people gathered to remember them.

As Fr. Dom shared, “May pagmamahal sa pag-aalaala.” There is love in remembering.

Remembering is more than looking back at the lives of those who have gone before us. It is an act of recognizing their worth. It is a way of saying that their lives mattered, that their stories deserve to be honored, and that their dignity remains even after death.

For PJPS, this message lies at the heart of prison ministry. Our brothers and sisters who are deprived of liberty are more than their circumstances, their mistakes, or the walls that separate them from society. They are human beings with stories, families, hopes, and a need for compassion.

The same dignity we uphold in accompanying those who remain inside prison must also extend to those who have passed away. Their lives must not be reduced to their past. They, too, deserve to be remembered with respect and entrusted to the mercy of God.

A Love Greater Than Our Past

In reflecting on the readings, Fr. Dom reminded the assembly that life and death remain within our relationship with Christ. Even when we do not know the full story of a person's life, including the struggles, mistakes, and circumstances that led to incarceration, we can still recognize that each person remains a child of God.

This does not mean disregarding wrongdoing or denying accountability. Rather, it means acknowledging that no mistake is greater than God's capacity for mercy and forgiveness.

This is a message of hope for our departed brothers and sisters, but it is also a reminder for all of us.

How often do we allow a person's past to become the only story we see? How easily can we forget the person behind a mistake, the humanity behind a label, or the dignity behind a difficult history?

The Gospel invites us to see differently. It calls us to approach others with humility, compassion, and a willingness to recognize the work of God's grace in every human life.

At the cemetery, this invitation becomes especially meaningful. We may not know the names of every person resting there. We may never learn all that they experienced or the people they loved. But we can choose to remember them as our brothers and sisters, worthy of prayer and deserving of dignity.

And we can trust that God knows every story, even those the world has forgotten.

A Thirst for God That Remains

Fr. Dom also reflected on the deep human longing for God, a longing for love, forgiveness, acceptance, and belonging.

Even amid hardship, separation from family, and the limitations of prison life, our brothers and sisters continue to search for God. Their longing reminds us that the desire to be loved and accepted is something we share as human beings.

We all carry this thirst within us.

Sometimes, we try to fill it with other things, hoping to find lasting peace and fulfillment. Yet the homily reminds us that only God can fully satisfy the deepest longing of our hearts.

In remembering our departed brothers and sisters, we are invited to reflect on our own lives as well. Are we making room for God? Do we allow His love to shape how we treat others? Do we see the dignity of people whose experiences and choices differ from our own?

These questions remind us that the ministry of compassion is not limited to a particular place or group of people. It begins in the heart and becomes visible through the way we listen, accompany, serve, and love.

The Grace of Humility and Trust

Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr. Dom recalled Jesus' teaching about choosing the lowest place at a banquet rather than seeking positions of honor.

He connected this teaching to the way we approach God, especially when praying for those who have died. We do not determine our place before God through our own judgments or achievements. Instead, we come with humility, trusting in His love and mercy.

This humility changes the way we see others.

It reminds us that we are not called to place ourselves above our brothers and sisters, judging who deserves compassion and who does not. We are called to recognize our shared humanity and entrust every life to the loving judgment of God.

As we prayed for the departed PDLs, we were reminded that God's mercy reaches beyond the boundaries we sometimes create. Even when a life has been marked by suffering, mistakes, or separation, there remains a reason to hope.

Our prayer becomes an expression of faith that God's love is greater than our understanding and that every person remains known and loved by Him.

Continuing the Mission of Compassion

The Holy Mass at the New Bilibid Prison Cemetery was a meaningful reminder that prison ministry extends beyond the prison walls and beyond the years of a person's life.

Through prayer, presence, and service, PJPS continues to uphold the dignity of our brothers and sisters who are deprived of liberty, Persons Restored of Liberty, and the families whose lives are affected by incarceration.

Remembering our departed brothers and sisters also calls us to continue building a community where no one is forgotten, where compassion is not withheld because of a person's past, and where every individual is given the opportunity to be seen with dignity.

This mission requires people who are willing to accompany, serve, and give. It calls for volunteers who offer their time, partners who share in the work, and donors whose generosity helps sustain programs that bring hope to people behind prison walls and beyond them.

Every contribution, whether through financial assistance, material support, or the gift of one's presence, can help make this mission possible.

As we remember those who have gone before us, may we also remember those who are still waiting for someone to listen, someone to care, and someone to remind them that they have not been forgotten.

May We Never Forget

As the Mass concluded and the tombs were blessed, the gathering became a quiet testimony of faith, gratitude, and remembrance.

The departed may no longer be with us, but their lives remain worthy of our prayers. Their stories may be incomplete to us, but they are never unknown to God. And even when the world forgets, His love remains.

May this celebration inspire us to become more compassionate in the way we see others, more humble in the way we serve, and more generous in the way we share God's love.

May we remember our departed brothers and sisters not only through our prayers, but also through our continued commitment to uphold the dignity of every person.

For in the heart of God, no life is forgotten.

And in every act of loving remembrance, we are reminded of the hope we share in Christ, in life and in death.

Support the Mission of PJPS

Help PJPS continue its mission of accompanying our brothers and sisters inside prison, Persons Restored of Liberty, and their families. Your generosity helps sustain programs that uphold human dignity, nurture hope, and create opportunities for healing and transformation.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. For the Greater Glory of God.