Retired judge finds fulfillment visiting inmates

MANILA, Philippines - After she retired from the service, a former judge now finds fulfillment in visiting inmates at the Naga City District Jail in Bicol. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said former judge Mericia Palma is now a member of the Caceres archdiocese's Episcopal Commission on Prison Matters. "I feel the hunger of the inmates not only for food that sustain the physical body but also for the food that nourish the spirit," she said in a statement posted on the CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com). Palma and her group continue their weekly visits to inmates at the Naga City District Jail on Sunday afternoons. The group, which includes members of the Ladies of Charity, an organization of professional women, has been into this apostolate of visiting inmates in the city since the 1950s. Every Sunday afternoon, a Jesuit priest from the Ateneo de Naga University accompanies them to the district jail for the Sunday Mass celebration. After the mass, the group engages the inmates in dialogues and listens to the inmates' concerns. It is at this time that they serve food. Included in their outreach is to gather inmates' letters for their next of kin, which they promptly mail Monday morning. Judge Palma said that by just talking with the prisoners, they feel happy and relieved by the thought that the inmates are remembered and cared for by the society outside the confines of the detention facility. Meanwhile, in the nearby City of Iriga, another group led by Mrs. Vicky Ortega of the University of Saint Anthony attends to the local inmates concerns, all under the auspices of ECPM and the Ladies of Charity of Caceres. "These concerted efforts continue to bring good tidings to the inmates who are reminded to put their hopes and trust in God. These visits also help humanize prisoners condition in crowded prison cells where they await court decisions," Judge Palma said. - GMANews.TV