Society
Of The Divine Word

When Father Flavie Villanueva arrived for our conversation, he was a few minutes late—though for good reason. He had just come from processing the previous night’s encounter with some of the homeless who are now part of the Arnold Jannsen Kalinga Center community. The occasion had been a dinner and program at Catholic Trade Manila, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

With infectious enthusiasm, Father Flavie recounted the joy and dignity experienced by the homeless participants at the event. Their victory in both the ballroom dance and ‘Mister Catholic Trade’ competitions was a testament to their resilience. But what truly touched Father Flavie was not just the awards they carried home, but the dignity they experienced—applause instead of ridicule, the microphone instead of silence, teamwork instead of alienation. For once, they were not invisible.

From Dream to Shelter: The Birth of Kalinga
Ten years ago, Father Flavie founded the Arnold Jannsen (AJ) Kalinga Center, a haven for the homeless to shower, wash their clothes, and receive a hot meal. But beyond these basic services, AJ Kalinga became a space where the dignity of the poor is restored. “I often wondered how it feels to be homeless,” he admitted, recalling times when he sat with beggars on sidewalks to share their pain.

This ministry flows from a faith that sees God’s providence at work in every face of the poor. As St. James reminds us, “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?” (James 2:15–16). For Father Flavie, theology is never detached from praxis; compassion must always give rise to action.

Born out of the Crucible of Hardship and Hope
The AJ Kalinga Center was born out of Father Flavie’s passion and a simple yet profound vision: to show that the poor and the homeless are not invisible, that they matter, and that they are part of a larger community. In this way, the Center was not just a physical space, but a testament to living out the values of dignity and inclusivity. Its birth is a beacon of hope and inspiration for all who believe in the power of compassion and community.

Father Flavie, much like Saint Arnold Jannsen before him, encountered a world that seemed resistant to his vision. He was a man driven by passion and purpose, yet faced with numerous obstacles. But it was precisely in these challenges that Father Flavie’s determination grew stronger.

Flavie embraced the belief that God often calls us to create something new when circumstances seem most against us—just as Father Arnold had faced similar struggles in the founding of the Society of the Divine Word. “I was so driven to start this Center that I had to borrow money to start it,” Father Flavie said. Despite financial challenges and initial resistance, he persevered, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to his vision.

From this crucible of hardship and hope, the AJ Kalinga Center was born, and it is no surprise that it was named in honor of Saint Arnold Jannsen.

The Smell of the Sheep
Pope Francis once urged pastors to be “shepherds with the smell of the sheep”—leaders who live, laugh, and cry with their people, who are intimately familiar with their struggles and joys. Father Flavie embodies this. His ministry is not carried out from a distance but from the ground, where wounds are raw and cries are loud. He listens, ponders, and responds like Mary, who “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

To journey with the homeless is, for him, to travel home to God. It is companionship that reflects the heart of Jesus who, seeing the crowds, “was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

Light in the Darkness: Dambana ng Paghilom
Out of this same compassion was born the Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing), the country’s first memorial columbarium for victims of the drug war. Here, widows and orphans find dignity, comfort, and healing. Like the women who came to the tomb on Easter morning (Luke 24:1–6), they discover that love is stronger than death, and that memory becomes a seed of hope.

Rock Bottom Moments
In the middle of our conversation, Father Flavie’s voice grew heavy as he recounted standing before the coffin of a young man, innocent and slain without reason. His words faltered, his eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, he could not continue. “This was rock bottom,” he whispered. The pain of a life stolen, a future erased, and a family left behind weighed on him so profoundly that his own tears became prayer.

Yet for him, even “rock bottom” is not the end. It is the place where God’s voice says, “Time to get up.” In the Cross, he sees the path from death to resurrection, and in every coffin he stands beside, he entrusts the young, the broken, and the forgotten to Christ, the Lord of life.

An Encounter with the Pope
One unforgettable moment in his journey was his encounter with Pope Francis in Rome. Father Flavie presented the Holy Father with a statue of Christ breaking bread with a child—a gift from the homeless and the victims of extrajudicial killings. “Is this for me?” the Pope asked with childlike innocence. “Yes,” Father Flavie answered, “this is from the streets, the homeless, and the wounded.”

In that brief exchange, Father Flavie received three enduring lessons from Pope Francis: humility in power, wisdom clothed in innocence, and empathy without judgment. These lessons continue to guide his ministry and inspire all who hear his story.

A Brotherhood’s Support
Father Flavie’s ministry has not always been understood, even within his own religious family. Some confreres questioned whether such work truly belonged within the Society of the Divine Word. Yet, as the years passed and the fruits of the ministry became clear, a broader sense of solidarity grew.

When news broke on August 31 that Father Flavie had been chosen as a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, his confreres across the country and the world rejoiced. The Provincial Superior and Council offered their heartfelt congratulations, recognizing his work as a timely witness during the Society’s 150th anniversary. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, a close companion in this ministry of healing, also expressed his joy, praising Father Flavie’s courage to bring the Gospel into places of pain.

For Father Flavie, the affirmation he received was deeply reassuring—it confirmed that what once seemed peripheral had now become an integral part of the Society’s core mission of justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. This recognition was not just a validation of his work; it was a powerful reminder that his vision for the AJ Kalinga Center and Dambana ng Paghilom had found its place within the broader charism of the Society.

Challenges and Pockets of Hope
The journey has not been without resistance. Criticism, misunderstandings, and even threats have accompanied his mission. But he remains steadfast, seeing every challenge as a call to deeper faith. “For every rock bottom,” he says, “there are pockets of hope.”
A widow seeking a new livelihood, a homeless man grateful for a simple meal, a confrere volunteering time at Kalinga—these seemingly small encounters shine like sparks in the night. They remind him that God’s light never fails, even in the darkest valleys (Psalm 23:4).

Honored, Yet Humbled
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s most prestigious recognition of humanitarian work. While confreres and peers rejoiced, Father Flavie received it with humility. “This is not about me,” he said, “but about putting the plight of the homeless and the wounded into the spotlight.”

Like the servant in Luke 17:10, he sees himself not as triumphant but simply faithful: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” For him, the award is not an end but an invitation—to his Congregation, to the Church, and to society at large—to encounter Christ in the poor, to open doors, and to “feel the smell of the sheep.”

Called to Compassion
Father Flavie’s story stands as a profound witness that the Gospel is alive whenever compassion takes Flesh. His ministry is a living movement of mercy, rooted in the most profound theological insight of the Word made Flesh—the Incarnation. For Father Flavie, it is not enough to speak of Christ’s presence; he longs for those who come to the AJ Kalinga Center and Dambana ng Paghilom to experience it—to feel that Christ, in all his humanity and compassion, is present among them.

As Scripture reminds us in John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Father Flavie’s work is a concrete manifestation of this truth, where the divine enters the world not as a distant idea but as a living, breathing reality among the brokenhearted.

In Pope Francis’ words, these centers are like “field hospitals,” places where the wounded of society are received, healed, and shown that they are not forgotten. Here, the message of the Word made Flesh is not a doctrine to be discussed but a reality to be lived.

Father Flavie’s longing is that each person who enters these centers will tangibly experience the Incarnation. When Christ’s love takes Flesh, it reaches out to the poorest, the most marginalized, and the forgotten. This means that in these moments of encounter—whether bending over the coffins of the slain, tending to the sick, or offering a meal to a homeless person—Christ himself is present, walking, breaking bread, walking the streets and making his presence felt.

This article was born after a heartening conversation with Father Flavie, which came after a significant day spent processing the events of the September 8 celebration with the homeless. Through his confrere-to-confrere sharing, Father Flavie revealed the very essence of his ministry — a tangible embodiment of Dilexi Te, the Church’s call to love the least among us. His work makes the Word made Flesh not just a theological concept, but a lived reality.

This conversation itself became a moment of transformation as an SVD shepherd of the streets wholeheartedly presented the core of his mission. In that moment, the Lord called me to a somewhere, to a sometime, and to a moment of commitment. And in this, I realized how Father Flavie’s ministry continues to echo Christ’s love and compassion, calling us all to serve, to be present, and to respond — truly living out Dilexi Te in a world that desperately needs it.