Manila mourns Sr Cabrera, restorative justice pioneer

After passing away today in Quezon City, the 74-year-old nun dedicated more than two decades of her life to caring for prisoners, giving them a second chance to reflect God's grace. There are about 215,000 detainees in the Philippines, with a ratio of 200 people incarcerated for every 100,000 inhabitants.

Manila (AsiaNews) - Sr Zenaida Cruz Cabrera, 74, of the Sisters of the Holy Eucharist, a strong advocate of restorative justice, which she called a ‘healing ministry’, died today in Quezon City. She dedicated more than 20 years of her life to the education of prisoners. On 11 January, she was rushed to Commonwealth Hospital, near the capital, following a heart attack. She was coordinator of the restorative justice department of Caritas Manila.

She was known for her mission of caring for people deprived of their liberty, providing them with opportunities for change, welcoming them back into families and communities and helping them to become participating members of society. Sr. Cabrera revealed that the charism of the congregation is to prepare the table of the Lord for prisoners according to the culture of ‘salu-salo’, a Filipino expression meaning to gather with friends and family to eat.

She dedicated her long and far-sighted service to assisting prisoners at the Archdiocese of Manila and the Sisters of the Holy Eucharist, whose headquarters is in Novaliches. She is considered a pioneer of her congregation, which specifically advocates the value of restorative justice in the Philippines. With the support of the community, the nuns enable incarcerated people to experience the transformative presence of Christ in their lives.

Cabrera was a former teacher who had obtained a master's degree in educational management. With her diligence and commitment, she coordinated the Caritas Manila sector in six surrounding dioceses, building a network of programmes and services for inmates, their families, communities and prison officials.

The service is carried out in close contact with government agencies, such as re-education institutions, the police, the Bureau of Corrections and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Restorative justice is based on recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. The congregation has many volunteers serving in 10 prisons in Manila (five men's and five women's), as well as 11 districts and 13 prisons in Cubao, north-east of the capital; 10 districts and 13 prisons in the Antipolo diocese; and four districts plus the Malabon district prison.

Sr Zenaida Cruz Cabrera began her commitment to care for incarcerated people in the 1990s. She saw her ministry as supporting impoverished prisoners and their families. There are about 215,000 prisoners in the Philippines, with a ratio of 200 incarcerated people per 100,000 inhabitants, according to a report by Amnesty International.

The congregation's team usually offers detainees a second chance to return to their homes and reflect on God's grace. In fact, prisoners often experience a lack of material and moral support, suffering humiliation and rejection from their families and society. The financial support for the service provided by Sr. Zenaida Cruz Cabrera and the volunteers comes from the parishes, as the government budget is almost non-existent.