We encourage you to read the letter sent to Fr. Piotr Chmielecki, SCJ, by Lourdes C. Roxas, who, together with Fr. Janusz Burzawa, SCJ, is co-coordinating the project “Feeding and Educating Children in the Philippines,” carried out at the Parish of Jesus of Nazareth in Dansolihon.
Dansolihon, April 2026
Dear Father Piotr,
In the past school year, as part of our project, we supported 70 children from five schools within our district on the island of Mindanao, under the jurisdiction of the city of Cagayan de Oro. In the current school year, we are already helping 75 students, most of whom attend schools within our parish.
Each school has a designated coordinator who helps monitor the students’ academic progress through close cooperation with parents and teachers. We are pleased to report that several of our beneficiaries completed the previous school year with honors, while others were also successfully promoted to the next grade. We recognize that children have different learning abilities; nevertheless, we continue to encourage them to persevere and strive for excellence.
In previous years, each child received 10 kilograms of rice per month from the parish. This initiative has been a great blessing and also highlights the reality that many of our students grow up in families facing serious financial difficulties, where providing basic necessities such as food is often a challenge.
With this in mind, we humbly hope that we will be able to continue our shared support for the children in the program. Even this modest assistance significantly eases the burden on families and allows children to focus on their education. Last year, we also rewarded our top students with a pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine, followed by a simple meal. For many of them, it was their first experience of this kind. It was not only a reward but also an important spiritual experience. We sincerely hope to continue this tradition in order to recognize their hard work and inspire them to achieve even greater goals.
Our beneficiaries actively participate in the life of the Church and the parish. We are planning to organize summer catechetical classes, during which they will learn about Bible stories and deepen their faith. Our mission goes beyond providing food – we are committed to supporting their holistic development, nurturing their academic progress, strengthening their spiritual foundations, and caring for their overall well-being.
Many parents come to express their gratitude to the parish priest, Fr. Janusz, and emphasize the importance of food assistance for their children. At the same time, there is a note of uncertainty in their voices as to whether the “rice assistance” program will continue. They stress that the parish educational and food support program gives them hope and encouragement.
With humility and faith, we continue to ask for your support so that this mission of service may endure. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of these children.
May God bless you abundantly.
Lourdes C. Roxas
Educational Assistance Coordinator at the Dansolihon Parish
