The Handmaids of the Holy Spirit in the Philippines: sharing faith and bread with the famished children of Compostela

by Eleanna Guglielmi

“There are children who cry from hunger. Many here have to choose whether to go to Mass or earn something to feed themselves. Young people often resort to living together prematurely, in order to reduce the number of mouths to feed in their family. It is a mentality that is wrong, but it is deeply rooted”, says Sr Erlinda D. Tumulak, who lives with Sr Ruby Eden in a remote village in the mountains of Compostela, an area that is surrounded by thick forests, cornfields and trails that turn into streams of mud during the rainy season.

Sr Erlinda walks through the village’s muddy trails to visit families in the community

In the mountains where many still do not know God

Purok 16-A Sitio Kilabot, in the heart of the mountainous terrain of Compostela, looks like a world of its own: forests, cornfields and muddy trails that become almost impossible to access during the rainy season. To reach the area, one has to rely on the habal-habal motorcycle taxis, that drive through the mud, carrying people and sacks of rice. The two women religious have chosen to share their lives with the local people in this remote area, where “there are still many people who do not truly know God”. The Institute, which was founded by Mother Giuditta Martelli in Calabria in1923, brings its charism to the heart of the local Church: to share pastoral ministry, sustain life in parishes, accompany children and be close to the weakest, which the Sisters try to embody each day in the remote Province of Davao De Oro.

Cornfields undersold for small change

Agriculture is the main source of sustenance, but the system does not reward farmers. The harvest is purchased by intermediaries at very low prices and then resold at three times the price. Very little money is left after months of work. Some survive by cutting logs and selling them for a handful of rice. Many of the inhabitants are Lumad people, while others are members of the Visayas community or Mandaya tribe. Their identities are interwoven with ancestral practices, but Catholicism remains alive. Although feasts and processions are celebrated in poverty, they keep alive the desire for God.

Network connection is only available on Sundays, at the parish church

The mission is isolated. Electricity is not reliable, a few solar panels provide light, there is no communication network and messages can only be checked on Sundays in the parish church. Water is collected from a spring. Moreover, the hospital is far away, and every minute counts in an emergency. Church life is also affected by the distance. Daily Mass is not possible and the Eucharist is only distributed on Sundays. Many prefer to work rather than attend Mass. However, although Sr Erlinda and Sr Ruby are far away from the parish church, they are alter Christus to their people, a living reflection of his presence.

The Community of Compostela gathers together in the small bamboo chapel for Sunday Mass

A hut that became a house of hope

“When we first arrived here, we had just an empty kubo, and nothing else”, recalls Sr Erlinda. The Sisters’ first dwelling was a bamboo and palm leaf hut. The unstable home slowly became a convent and a hearth, a place in which to grow vegetables, raise chickens, farm tilapia and cook and share simple meals. “Seeing children smile when they receive some food makes us meditate on the ministry of Jesus Christ himself. Here, we truly experience the condition of the poorest of the poor”, Sister Erlinda explained. Each gesture is a witness: a visit to the sick, words of comfort, a meal. For many, the Sisters’ house became a “house of hope”.

From mud to sunlight: Providence arrives

In time, Providence manifested itself. Today, the community has a sturdier house with solar panels, a generator, and a stream for fish farming. Some young people were able to study in Cebu, thanks to the Sisters of Mary, and the two Sisters run evening classes for the young people of the village. Despite financial difficulties, their mission is fuelled by the gratitude of the people: “We find comfort in their faith and in the joy they express when they receive even small gifts. We feel that we are part of their lives and that their lives are part of ours”.

The small kubo on the hill that became a sign of hope for the people of the village

God to the people, the people to God

The mission of the Handmaids of the Holy Spirit is not just about projects and structures. “Our hope is that people may experience Christ through us”, the Sisters note. This foundation sustains their presence and gives meaning to living in a remote village, in the midst of hunger, poverty and mud. “We are happy to be beside the poorest of the poor”, they stress. Sr Erlinda has some simple but radical advice for those who dream of mission: “Do not be afraid. Do not worry about food and clothing, let yourself be used as an instrument by God in his own way”.

In the muddy trails of the forests of Compostela, a solitary kubo has become a “house of hope”, thanks to Sr Erlinda and Sr Ruby, who often repeat Saint Theresa of Avila’s words: “Solo Dios basta” (God alone suffices).