In the heart of the Philippines, one man spent his life making visible what St. John XXIII proclaimed as the “preferential option for the poor” and Pope Francis endorsed as essential: the Church of the Poor. Long before it became a buzzword, Bishop Julio X. Labayen, OCD, was living it.
He didn’t preach from a distance.
He walked the streets.
He listened.
He wept.
He learned.
For Bishop Labayen, the Church of the Poor was not about creating programs or preaching at the margins. It was mainly about recognizing Jesus incarnated in us and among us. It was about living among the people, immersing oneself in their daily joys and sorrows, and allowing that experience to shape the heart of pastoral care.
This is what he called “incarnational spirituality”—a phrase that captured not just theological insight, but a radical way of living.
To him, Jesus didn’t just come for the poor—He came as one of them.
If the Church was to be authentic, it had to do the same.
In 2003, Bishop Labayen helped lead the Interdiocesan Conference on the Sustainability of the Church of the Poor through Stewardship, an event that would later inspire significant renewal across dioceses, including the humble Prelature of Infanta. The seeds sown at that conference continue to bear fruit, decades later.
To honor this legacy, the Metro Infanta Foundation created the Bishop Julio X. Labayen (JXL)Memorial Award in 2021 as part of its Silver Jubilee celebration.
Since then, priests, lay leaders, and entire communities have been honored for living out the same vision: not a Church for the poor, but a Church of the poor.
This year, we honor Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, a man whose formation was marked by urban poor immersion, whose ministry speaks not of status but of service, and whose message is simple: “I am a
poor parish priest for a poor Church.”
His story reminds us: Bishop Labayen’s vision isn’t just a relic of the past. It’s a living invitation to all of us. The Church of the Poor is not a dream deferred—it’s a dream being built, right now, by people willing to step into the margins and call them home.
At Metro Infanta Foundation, we’re committed to continuing this story. Through grants, partnerships, and award programs like this one, we aim to build what Bishop Labayen envisioned.
Would you like to be part of that mission?
Your donation—no matter the size—helps form pastors, strengthen parishes, and keep the Church of the Poor alive and well in the
Philippines.
Thank you for helping carry this legacy forward. Give today and walk with us via any of the following:
- Zelle: infanta.org@gmail.com
- Your PayPal account:
a. Go to Menu
b. Scroll down to Send and pay
c. Scroll down to DONATE - Website: infanta.org
a. Click DONATE and follow instructions - Check made out to Metro Infanta Foundation and sent by regular mail to:
Metro Infanta Foundation
7350 Braun Way
Arvada, CO 80005
