Santuario strives to live the mission of St. Vincent de Paul by fostering the spirit of charity towards our marginalized and disenfranchised sisters, brothers and neighbors. Together with our partners, our socio-pastoral projects and programs aim to address the needs and the challenges of grassroots community organizing and capacity building in today’s ever changing landscape. Our goal in the future is to make Santuario a center, not only for the poor, but for individuals and groups that work in solidarity with the country’s marginalized.
A COMMUNITY IN MISSION
The mission to spread the Gospel of God’s love to the poor is the very spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. In its heart, WE, as a church and as a community, are committed to putting faith into action by living out this Vincentian charism. The concern for the growth of the community of faith needed a corresponding sense of mission for the poor. We have set up the necessary foundations and are continuing to lay out plans for projects which put the mission of spreading God’s love to all through the various aspects and phases of a person’s faith-life experience in the context of a shared and growing community of people. We aim to achieve this in four phases (Foundational, Developmental, Liberational and Integrative Phase)
PHASE 1 – FOUNDATIONAL
St. Vincent Medical and Dental Clinic, Derma Clinic
Setting up the necessary means for ordinary and underprivileged church goers to have access to basic health care is one of our main missions. This was realized with the establishment of the St. Vincent Medical and Dental Clinic last 2009 of September. Its opening beckoned the beginning of Santuario’s commitment to serve the underprivileged through medical and dental services. SVMDC provides free consultations, laboratory tests and medicines to patients every Sunday from 7:30 am to 12 pm. This was also later followed by the establishment of a dermatological health service every Tuesday from 9 am to 12 pm.
Nutrition and Feeding Programs
We have also established, in partnership with local baranggays, a soup kitchen and feeding program to offer proper nutrition for the poor children in the surrounding area.
PHASE 2 – DEVELOPMENTAL
Economic Programs for the Poor
Santuario’s Developmental Programs primarily aim to help individuals and families whose lives are compromised by their economic status. Through tie ups and partnerships with various organizations, we have set up economic programs that help individuals and families augment their income.
Our partnerships with the Vincentian Family Cooperative and the Caritas Savings and Livelihood and Values Education (SALVE) led to the establishment of a Savings and Microfinancing Programs which promotes savings lends capital and provides micro-finances to urban poor partners.
We have also organized livelihood programs such as rosary-making, candle making, and mushroom production. The Santuario-AANI Weekend Bazaar, launched last year, is also another program that helps poor families augment their income. Coincidentally, the Bazaar also intends to support the St. Vincent Medical and Dental Clinic.
PHASE 3 – LIBERATIONAL
Santuario has also set up initiatives that will help individuals in the margins liberate them selves from unjust social conditions by providing them with access to educational and social services that would eventually help alleviate the social sufferings that they are experiencing in their lives.
Santuario currently supports a number of working students in our church in their college education through the help of generous individuals and families. A program was also set up to provide Computer Literacy courses for youths and adults who wish to learn more about basic computer applications, the Internet and the world wide web.
We have also established a Politico-Legal Program which provides free legal assistance and consultation every Sunday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. In the near future, this program will also hold a women’s desk for battered and abused women; labor desk for providing employment training and legal seminars for workers; and a migrant’s desk.
PHASE 4 – INTEGRATIVE
Ecology and Wellness
Santuario as a church and a community hopes that the church and its surrounding areas become a public and scared space, not only for prayer, contemplation and remembrance but also for our churchgoer’s wellness by being in communion with nature.
Together with the Quezon City Government’s OPAO, we have established an Urban Gardening Program which promotes the greening of urban spaces through gardening. A number of people have already participated in the program and have found a sense of satisfaction and wellness through the humble work of tilling the soil.
Apart from caring for our Mother Nature, we have also started Sports and Wellness Clinics for young people that encourage health and wellness through competitive sports like basketball and tennis. We have also started regular tai chi classes for those who are interested to exercise and be one with nature.
