Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.
In Manila, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva of the Society of the Divine Word led the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center on Maundy Thursday, March 28.
The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals – homeless persons, relatives of victims of the Philippines’ war on drugs, friends and benefactors of the center, a priest, and a co-church worker.
The gesture of washing the feet, particularly observed within the context of Christian liturgy, draws its significance from the New Testament narrative of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion.
During this meal, in a profound act of humility and service, Jesus washed the feet of his apostles. This was a task typically performed by servants or slaves, as feet would become dirty from traveling on dusty roads in sandals. By performing this act, Jesus not only inverted social norms but also imbued the gesture with deep theological significance.
By participating in or observing the foot-washing rite, Christians are reminded of the importance of humility, service to one another, and unconditional love — principles at the heart of Christian ethics and discipleship.
Photos by Angie de Silva
Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, leads the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Kalinga Center in Manila on Maundy Thursday, March 28. The event was marked by an expression of humility and service, reflecting the very essence of the ritual that commemorates Jesus washing the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. The priest washed the feet of 12 individuals. These individuals were drawn from the margins of society and the community surrounding the Kalinga Center — they were homeless people, relatives of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, alongside friends, donors of the center, a fellow priest, and a co-worker of Fr. Villanueva. Photo by Angie de Silva.
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