‘I am the resurrection and the life’

The 7^th of October 2023 will forever be a sombre day for Israel and in like manner for the Vicariate for Migrants and Asylum Seekers in Israel. On this fateful day, among the estimated 1,400 people who lost their lives were 4 members of our Filipino Community: Ms. Grace Prodigo Cabrera, Ms. Lorie Viffarun Alacre, Ms. Angelyn Peralta Aguirre and Mr. Paul Vincent Castelvi. They were killed along with their employers during the attack by Hamas gunmen in towns located around Gaza in Southern Israel.

To commend their souls to the Lord, the Vicariate organised masses and different programs both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Migrant and Asylum Seeker Communities in Jerusalem gathered at the Salesian Monastery, Ratisbonne on the 2^nd of November (All Souls day) and had a mass at 9.15 pm in memory of all our dead, and in particular our dear friends killed on the 7^th of October. The mass was animated by the different Filipino communities and groups in Jerusalem and concelebrated by various priests who serve them. It was indeed a very emotional gathering as we remembered them and prayed for them. They will forever be missed dearly by the Vicariate Community, their families and friends.

May Grace, Lorie, Angelyn and Paul rest eternally in the embrace of their loving God. They continue to live on in our memories as we cherish the times we shared with them. In our grief as we remember them, may we move through each day with faith and hope in the love and mercy of our Lord who said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ [John 11:25].

(Anna Manyonga pbvm)