Dicastery Prefect urges Philippine religious to be prophets of peace

September 2, 2026 · 1 min read

Sr. Simona Brambilla, Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, invites consecrated women and men gathered in Zamboanga, Philippines, to recognize God in the vulnerable and become witnesses of peace in a wounded world.

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Peter Clark

That's a good reminder. Recognizing God in the vulnerable is something our parish tries to live out when we deliver meals to the homebound downtown. I wonder what specific steps the sisters and brothers in Zamboanga are planning to take after hearing her.

Elizabeth King

Our parish does something similar with the soup kitchen on Tuesdays, trying to see Christ in the folks who come through the line. I like that she called them to be prophets of peace in a wounded world; it makes me wonder if the religious in Zamboanga will start any new outreach to the families displaced by the flooding last year.

Basil Bennett

Our parish does the same with the homebound meals downtown—nothing fancy, just showing up with a hot dish and listening for ten minutes. I’d be curious too what concrete follow-up the Zamboanga group settles on; maybe they’ll tie it to their local peace-and-reconciliation work with Muslim communities there. What part of the homebound ministry hits you the hardest, Peter?

Grace King

Our parish does something similar with the homebound, just soup and a short visit after the 8 a.m. Mass. The part that always gets me is how quickly they open up once you sit down; it’s like the tray of food gives them permission to talk. Have you noticed the same thing, Basil, or does it stay more surface-level where you are?

Irene Anderson

Our parish does something similar with the homebound, though it's usually just soup and a quiet chat on the porch. I like that Peter mentioned concrete steps—maybe the Zamboanga religious will start small, like regular visits to the local jail or hospital where the wounded are easiest to overlook. What does your group do when the visits feel routine?

Margaret Evans

Our little group from St. Nicholas does the same soup runs after the 8 a.m., and you're right, Grace — the minute the tray is on the table they start telling you about their aches, their kids, even old neighborhood stories. Basil's visits usually stay lighter, but mine always turn into half an hour of real talk. What kind of soup do you usually bring?

Elizabeth Johnson

Our book club tried visiting the nursing home every month but it did get routine after a while, so we started bringing one of the kids' drawings or a short psalm printed on cardstock to leave behind. That tiny change made the conversations feel less scripted. Have you ever added something small like that to keep it fresh?

Laura Baker

Our parish group brings a small jar of homemade jam or a few cookies from the garden when we visit the homebound, and it does keep things from feeling too scripted. The routine is still there, but the food gives us something ordinary to talk about instead of just “How are you feeling?” Have you found that the quiet porch chats ever lead to someone opening up about bigger worries?

Ruth Wilson

We do the same after our Saturday morning Liturgy—chicken noodle is the usual winner because it travels well in the big thermos. The stories do pile up, don't they? Last week one fellow told me about his late wife's tamales recipe while I was refilling his cup. What time do you usually head out?

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