A Catholic bishop on Monday said acts of charity reflect God’s grace, as a Malolos orphanage marked its 40th anniversary.
Bishop Dennis Villarojo said love expressed through service to others returns as grace, emphasizing compassion for vulnerable children during the celebration.
“Charity has a way of going back to us, because that’s the way grace goes,” Villarojo told attendees gathered for the milestone event. “Love is repaid by love… whatever love we give to others comes back to us.”
He added that caring for abandoned and neglected children is an act pleasing to God and central to living out Christian faith.
The Bethany House of Sto. Niño Orphanage in Guiguinto, Bulacan provides temporary shelter, education and spiritual formation for children lacking stable family support.
Founded March 30, 1986, by Bishop Cirilo Almario, the orphanage began with eight children cared for by Dominican Sisters.
Today, it shelters 22 children, including a seven-month-old infant rescued from human trafficking, underscoring ongoing risks faced by minors.
In 1999, the mission expanded to include an adoption program to place children in loving families.
In four decades, the institution has facilitated adoption for more than 100 children, mostly placed with families in the United States and Europe.
Dominican Sr. Emiliana Bantigue said children need more than food and shelter, stressing the importance of belonging to a family.
“It is not enough to feed and shelter a child; a child needs a family because this shapes who they become,” she said.
Bantigue thanked benefactors for sustained support, adding that assistance for the orphanage continues across generations and remains vital to its mission.
She urged the faithful to support vulnerable children “as a way of sharing in God’s grace.”
