Jessica Joy Candelario

Jessica Joy Candelario holds a doctorate in Practical Theology from St. Thomas University, Florida, USA. Her doctoral dissertation, Kapwa as Participation: Towards Re-membering the Filipino Passion (2020), explores how the Filipino concept of kapwa can inform a participatory Church attentive to the experiences of victims of violence, their families, and marginalized communities. She serves as Pastoral Coordinator of the CICM Bukal ng Tipan Center, where her work engages pastoral formation, community participation, and ecclesial renewal. She was invited as an expert to the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization and later served as a lay delegate to the 2023 Synod. She has contributed to theological reflection on synodality, listening, and participation, including through her article “Towards a Kapwa Church: Concept and Method” (2020). Her pastoral and theological work promotes a Church rooted in dialogue, solidarity, and the lived experiences of the Filipino people.