Sanctuary in Faith: A Descriptive Exploration on the Influence of Religious Devotion on the Well-Being and Personal Life of Catholic Students

Edgar R. Lumandas; Melvin G. Barete; Fremativo A. Vergara; Evan P. Taja-on

doi:10.55927/ijcet.v4i1.28

Authors

Edgar R. Lumandas School of Arts and Sciences, San Isidro College
Melvin G. Barete School of Arts and Sciences, San Isidro College
Fremativo A. Vergara School of Arts and Sciences, San Isidro College
Evan P. Taja-on College of Science and Technology Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/ijcet.v4i1.28

Keywords:

Spirituality, Mental Health, Religious Practices and Activities, Well-Being

Abstract

Religious devotion provides a meaningful framework for personal values, relationships, and a sense of purpose, significantly influencing well-being and personal life. Exploring Catholic students' practices highlights faith's unique role in fostering identity and resilience, offering insights into the interplay between spirituality and personal development in modern contexts. The research gathered insights through a structured online survey, utilizing adopted questionnaires to capture data on religious devotion, well-being, and personal life. Statistical analysis summarized the results, revealing patterns highlighting Catholic practices' impact on students’ overall development. The findings exhibit that religious practices significantly shape students’ personal lives, providing emotional stability, moral clarity, and a sense of purpose. Personal prayer emerged as a central practice, offering comfort and connection to faith, especially during challenging times. Communal activities strengthen students’ resilience and foster a sense of belonging within their faith community. These practices also contribute to students’ personal growth by promoting compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude, enhancing their relationships and social well-being. Furthermore, students perceive their faith as a guiding force that influences their decisions and helps them navigate life’s complexities with confidence and hope. This holistic impact underscores the importance of religious devotion in fostering identity, resilience, and meaningful connections in students’ lives.

References

Aguas, J. J. S. (2019). Catholic education in the Philippines. Encyclopedia of Teacher Education, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_147-1

Ball, H. L. (2019). Conducting online surveys. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(3), 413-417. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419848734

Baring, R. (2018). Emerging transitions in the meaning of religious constructs: The case of the Philippines. Religions, 9(12), 387. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9120387

Baring, R., Sarmiento, P. J., Sibug, N., Lumanlan, P., Bonus, B., Samia, C., & Reysen, S. (2018). Filipino college students’ attitudes towards religion: An analysis of the underlying factors. Religions, 9(3), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9030085

Batugal, M. L. C. (2019). A Deepening and Strengthening of Grace for a Lively Celebration of Faith: The Filipino Experience. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 18(54), 123-138.

Bautista, J. (2021). On the personhood of sacred objects: Agency, materiality and popular devotion in the Roman Catholic Philippines. Religions, 12(7), 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12070454

Berndt, A. E. (2020). Sampling methods. Journal of Human Lactation, 36(2), 224-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420906850

Bual, J., & Madrigal, D. (2018). The quality of Catholic education in a diocesan school relative to the Philippine Catholic school standards. Philippine Social Science Journal, 1(1), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v1i1.11

Burke, P. J., & Stets, J. E. (2022). Identity Theory: Revised and Expanded. Oxford University Press.

Calamba, P. C., & Magallanes, C. I. (2023). Spiritual well-being and resilience of emerging adults of a Catholic College in Central Negros. Technium Social Science Journal, 41, 169-183.

Castillo, R. C. A. (2018). Unpacking “Youth” and “Religiosity” in Being Catholic (2016). The Journal of World Christianity, 8(2), 165-176. https://doi.org/10.5325/jworlchri.8.2.0165

Cena, J. B., & Bual, J. M. (2021). Spiritual well-being of senior high school students of Philippine public schools. Philippine Social Science Journal, 4(4), 50-61. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v4i4.446

Del Castillo, F., & Alino, M. A. (2020). Religious coping of selected Filipino Catholic youth. Religions, 11(9), 462. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090462

Del Castillo, F., Del Castillo, C. D., & Alvarez, M. (2020). Spiritual well-being and its role on the sociality of selected Catholic Religious Novices. Religions, 11(7), 371. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070371

Del Castillo, F. A., Del Castillo, C. D. B., & Koenig, H. G. (2023). Associations between prayer and mental health among Christian youth in the Philippines. Religions, 14(6), 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060806

Dunlop, S. (2018). Being Catholic in the Contemporary Philippines: Young People reinterpreting religion, by Jayeel Serrano Cornelio. In Social Sciences and Missions, 31(1-2), 211-212.

Embalsado, J. V. M., Yabut, H. J., Miranda, J. O., Medina, A. K. S., Cruz, R. N. C., & Dumaop, D. E. (2024). Mediating role of communion, agency, and private practice on the relationship of spiritual experience and prosocial behavior of the Catholic Youth in the Philippines. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 45(1), 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2022.2153340

Entegro, E. A., & Del Castillo, F. (2021). Spiritual Well-Being of Selected Filipino Adolescence: Relevance to Religious Education. Sustainable Development, 9(1), 100-107.

Hartwick, J. M., & Kang, S. J. (2013). Spiritual practices as a means of coping with and ameliorating stress to reduce teacher attrition. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 22(2), 165-188. https://doi.org/10.1080/10656219.2013.808979

Jocano, F. L. (2019). Filipino Catholicism: A Case Study in Religious Change (1967). Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, 55.

Ma, W. (2020). Worship and Spirituality. In K.R. Ross, F.D. Alvarez, & T.M. Johnson (eds) Christianity in East and Southeast Asia (pp. 364-374). Edinburgh University Press Ltd.

Macaranas, J. R. G. (2021). Understanding folk religiosity in the Philippines. Religions, 12(10), 800. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12100800

Madrigal, D. V., Erillo, R. P., & Oracion, E. G. (2020). Religiosity and spiritual well-being of senior high school students of a Catholic college in the Philippines. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 8(1), 79-95. https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj2008.01.06

Mañez, J. E., & Yabut, H. (2022). Daily Spiritual Experience of Filipino Catholic Youth. Education, 34, 1-7.

Mishra, P., Pandey, C. M., Singh, U., Gupta, A., Sahu, C., & Keshri, A. (2019). Descriptive statistics and normality tests for statistical data. Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia, 22(1), 67-72. https://doi.org/10.4103/aca.ACA_157_18

Oracion, E. G., & Madrigal, D. V. (2019). Catholic identity and spiritual well-being of students in a Philippine Catholic University. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 7(2), 47-60. https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1907.02.04

Pham, T., & Del Castillo, F. (2020). Understanding the spiritual well-being of the youth in the Philippines and Vietnam: An exploratory study. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 8(2), 27-34.

Rachmad, Y. E. (2022). Educational Resilience Theory. Ravenna Mosaici Libri Internazionali, Edizione Speciale 2022. https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/w84rs

Sarmiento, P. J. (2021). Thematic Cultural Exegesis on Selected Filipino Catholic Youth’s Perception of the Saints. Religions, 12(5), 286. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12050286

Scharfe, E. (2021). Attachment theory. In Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 433-442). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_3823

Siedlecki, S. L. (2020). Understanding descriptive research designs and methods. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 34(1), 8-12. https;//doi.org/10.1097/NUR.0000000000000493

Soguilon, W.K. & Relator, S.L. (2022). A Study on Catholic Religious Practices in the Seminary as a Stress Coping Mechanism and Its Effects on the Well-being of Grade 11 Seminarians. Academic Letters, 4680; 1-15. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4680

Tajonera, C. F. J. P., & Madrigal, D. V. (2022). Correlating the psychological and spiritual well-being of junior high school students in selected Catholic schools in Central Philippines. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 10(1), 51-65.

Waters-Tozier, S. A. (2022). Spiritual Coping Methods of Philippine Mental Health Workers: A Qualitative Study [Doctoral dissertation, Azusa Pacific University]. Azusa Pacific University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses