by Santosh Digal

A group of more than 300 volunteers from every religious background offers pastoral care as well legal counselling and primary education to prison inmates in Manila.

Manila (AsiaNews) – More than 300 volunteers from different religious backgrounds have come together as a group to work with inmates in Manila prisons. With the Inter-Diocesan Restorative Justice Ministry playing a coordinating role, the group provides prisoners from all religions pastoral care as well as legal counselling and primary education.

Sr Zenaida C. Cabrera, one of the 332 volunteers, told AsiaNews that the fruit of linking people of different faiths lies in achieving unity through pluralism.

“God’s grace is really working,” she said. “Volunteers treat each other like one family. And everyone feels with a smile and they say that they long to see each other and work together in the jails.”

Volunteers meet on weekly basis to improve services in prison and assess visits and plan for the future.

Services offered by each volunteer group is incorporated to enhance the lives of prisoners, said Fr Bart Sagadal, one of the chaplains in the group.

Many efforts have also been made to promote better coexistence among the inmates so as to make their life behind bars and their understanding of the world better, said Mrs Soccoro Valerie, a volunteer leader from Caritas Manila.

• philippines
• inmates
• prisons
• counselling
• volunteers