Center of Learning On Culture and Spirituality (LoCuS)

The LoCuS Ministry is engaged in the positive transformation of individuals and society towards faith, humility and obedience to God.  LoCuS promotes social justice through everyday spirituality.This is our arm for love for God. 

Locus Logo colors etc 4fff
Objectives

• LoCuS provides venues for developing personal spirituality, promoting spiritual brotherhood through conflict resolution and peace-making, and enhancing interfaith appreciation.




• LoCuS establishes centers of spiritual development locally and internationally, utilizing various approaches and platforms: research, publications, libraries, workshops and conferences, retreats, art (theater, film, visual), social networking, and others. The operations of these centers are run following the system of educational institutions. It creates a global learning community on spirituality and interfaith engagement.

• LoCuS endeavors to be the most trusted resource on personal and community spirituality and social justice.




Action Programs and Strategies
• Conduct researches on society – in particular its moral decadence - and share the results with relevant sectors of society; where such researches may be initiated solely by the LoCuS or in assistance to the church (of any faith), public sector, or the academe;
• Determine mode of sharing of results and the discussion of resolutions or offshoot actions, and provide such venue;
• Hold and follow through interfaith dialogues/ discussions on concerns related to the moral fiber of communities, whether as part of the chain of actions on the researches conducted or not; where such dialogues and discussions focus on means to address them – collectively and each on their own;
• Manage conferences or assemblies where participants may raise concerns and/or present resolutions to moral ills of society, social justice issues, or focusing on spirituality;
• Act as conflict mediator and/or peacemaker to resolve issues between or among faith groups;
• Publish DNFI research results or other materials by DNFI members or non-members; where such publications focus on moral decadence, on marshalling actions for social justice, and on growing faith, humility, and obedience to God;
• Embark on social networking and other modes of exchange of thoughts on community moral issues, social justice topics, or spiritual matters;
• Build centers of learning which may serve as venues of discussion, workshops and retreats, or as means to access spiritual leaders; where such centers are located locally or internationally;
• Produce materials that aid in interfaith dialogue, spirituality and social justice; where such materials are easily accessible to various sectors of society; and
• Harness members of various sectors (with emphasis on the church, public sector, academe) as resource for events, written discourse, or other materials for sharing; where a network of resources may be established.

LoCuS MINISTRY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

In line with the objective of its LoCuS Ministry to provide venues for developing personal and community spirituality, and promoting social justice, the Deus Noster Foundation went on pilgrimages and conducted recollection and research activities involving partner institutions and cooperating private individuals and public agencies. The DNFI embarks on a journey towards a higher level of spirituality for its officers, members, and volunteers through pilgrimages to churches and shrines that house the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, those that are dedicated to the Blessed Mother, and those churches located in poor communities.  More than 17 pilgrimage sites in Luzon had been visited such as The Shrine of The Holy Face of Jesus in Nueva Ecija, Kamay ni Jesus Shrine in Quezon, the Nuestra Señora del Santo Rosario de Orani Parish in Bataan, Shrine of the Nuestra Señora de La Soledad de Porta Vaga in Cavite, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de Manila Parish in Manila, and Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Marikina. 

To strengthen its partnership with the Religious of Good Shepherd (RGS), the DNFI developed a Recollection Program to raise the spirituality of the residents of the shelters run by the RGS. The first Recollection activity under this program was conducted on 10 February 2018 for the RGS’s Ruhama Center for Women, a home for unwed mothers and VAW victims. Lenten and Advent recollections for the women and children RGS beneficiaries were conducted in 2019.   


In 2015, the DNFI instituted a Research Program on Public Morals in which two research projects have been completed. The first study is entitled “An Assessment of the Implementation of the Local Government Code Provision on Public Morals by the Provincial Government of Cavite” which was presented at the 1st General Consultative Conference of Baybayin on 13 October 2017 in Marinduque State College and at the 10th UPLB-CAS Student Faculty Research Conference on 20 November 2017 in UP Los Baños. It is published in The Antoninus Journal, Issue 05, No. 01 in 2019 and can be accessed at http://theantoninus.com.ph/archives/25/. The output of the second research project entitled, “Formulation of an Assessment Tool for PA and Governance HEIs’ Implementation of the Constitutional Provision on Public Morals” was presented at the Association of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines (ASPAP), Incorporated National Conference and General Assembly on 15 November 2019 in UP National College of Public Administration and Governance. 

The DNFI has also initiated projects on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) to increase awareness on VAWC and help in its prevention.  As a start, the DNFI conducted in 2018 a focus group discussion participated in by women victims of violence.