The Excluded at the Heart of Mission: Encountering Christ and Sustaining Hope amid Chaos

 Flaviano L Villanueva SVD

Known in his parish as a friend and lover of people experiencing poverty, Villanueva was one of the few who courageously spoke out against the extrajudicial killings that accompanied the Duterte administration’s campaign. A former drug user, Villanueva knew that hope was not lost. He established the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center in Manila, a holistic center for people experiencing homelessness. Named after the saint who founded his order, the center strives to help people experiencing poverty and the wounded regain a sense of self. When the drug war targeted beneficiaries of the center, Villanueva took it upon himself to ensure that their widows and orphans were cared for— demonstrating his deep spirit of compassion. But the government accused him, along with other Church leaders, of sedition and conspiring to undermine the government. But this did not stop him. Instead, he started Program Paghilom, an integrated, holistic center that helps widows and orphans of drug-related killings rebuild their lives.