San Lorenzo Ruiz and Companion Martyrs Parish church ministry

This blog is brought to you by the community of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Companion Martyrs Parish in Navotas, Metro Manila. San Lorenzo is the Justice and Peace center of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, co-ordinated by Fr Allan V Lopez: priest-in-charge of the Urban Poor Ministry of the Diocese of Kalookan. The Urban Poor Ministry works to promote and defend the rights of the economically marginalised in the Philippines. Economic and social pressures have caused hundreds of thousands of the working poor to migrate from the provinces to Metro Manila in search of work. Once in the city they cannot afford the high cost of housing there and so are forced to build their own informal settlements. Since unemployment is widespread most of these migrants fail to find work and resort to many desperate measures to feed their large families. Some search garbage tips for recyclable materials which they can sell, others prowl the Navotas fishport for fish that has been fallen to the ground and is considered spoilt while some in their desperation resort to violent crime just to stay alive.

Fr Allan is assisted in his efforts by two full-time lay leaders, namely Linda Arranchado and Mariano de Veyra and other volunteers. Their work is very diverse ranging from simply counseling and consoling right up to helping the poor find a voice through legal representation.

Click the Flickr link to the right to see pictures of the JPCC parish construction and other church activities. These pictures will be added to on a regular basis.

Thank you,

JPCC in Kalookan