As this year’s highlight of celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Vincent de Paul, the entire SHC Family brought St. Vincent to no less than 1,300 prisoners of Quezon Provincial Jail (QCPJ) and in various parishes in Lucena, , September 27. This event was participated in by cordians, faculty members, support staff and administration.

Mrs. Nelly Seranilla, SHC’s Pastoral and Community Involvement Coordinator, in an interview with The HEART, explained why the school chose the jail as the venue for the feast of St. Vincent de Paul.

“ Ang pagtulong sa mga bilango ay isa sa mga gawain ni Saint Vincent de Paul noong sya ay nabubuhay pa. Ngayong kapiyestahan nya, ninais ng ating paaralan na ibahagi ang ganitong gawain ni St. Vincent de Paul sa mga bilanggo upang maranasan nila ang Vincentian na pagkalinga ng santong ating pinararangalan.sa pamamagitan ng paglalaan ng ating oras sa kanila at ilang munting regalo na tunay na makakapagpasiya sa kanila. (Because St. Vincent de Paul helped the prisoners during his time, we, members of SHC Family, want them feel that Vincentian care by spending our time with them and give gifts and joy that will truly make them happy). said Mrs. Seranilla.

Just like St. Vincent, the entire SHC community, led by the school’s president Sr. Fe G. Gedalanga, D.C, along with the different organizations, personnel, and students, prepared gifts, games and fun activities to the prisoners. They also distributed food, sleeping mats, broom sticks, bath and washing soaps, and slippers.

To further share St. Vincent’s life, Rev. Fr. Robert Cadid, of St. Ferdinand Cathedral officiated the mass where he highlighted in his homily the sacrifices and hardships of St. Vincent. Furthermore, he encouraged the prisoners to do good things so that in turn God will bless them as well.

Despite being overcrowded, Mrs. Seranilla justified the happiness and the orderliness of the prisoners. “ Alam nyo ba ang saya-saya doon, hindi sila magulo kahit ang dami-dami nila, organisado pa rin sila at nagustuhan naman nila na tayo ay bumisita sa kanila sa kapisyestahan ni Saint Vincent. (The prisoners were happy at the jail even though they were overcrowded. They were still organized. They were also happy that we visited them on the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul.) ” she stressed.

Before the feast took place in QCPJ, SHC had its novena masses for nine days—September 18-27, in different parishes in Lucena sponsored by the Basic Education Department (BED) and the different Colleges of the school together with the Graduate College. The parishes were the St. Isidore Parish in Red-V, St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in Cotta, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Iyam, Our Lady of Peñafrancia Parish in Gulang-Gulang, and Holy Face of Jesus Parish in University Site.

The school came up with the idea of bringing St. Vincent to the different parishes so that the parishioners would have the chance to know Saint Vincent de Paul as the saint of the poor whose life they can emulate.