A warm eulogy for Bill Cunningham MSC, family, community, mission in Eastern Papua

Written by Bill’s niece Jennifer Marchant from the family. (With the Sydney lockdown, the funeral was delayed – and fewer numbers able to be present. The Memories and Mass can be found on Youtube and the Province Facebook page.)

William Joseph Cunningham was born on the 19^th February 1925 at the family home at 11 Sutherland St Mascot, much to the excitement of his parents who welcomed their first born.

The family then grew 3 years later when they welcomed Marie in January 1928. Bill was only 7 years of age when his mother Kathleen passed away. In 1932 his father, William Joseph, married Mary Josephine O’Neill. In November 1933 the family welcomed the arrival of Monica.

Affectionally know to all as Fr Bill, Bill, Billy to his siblings or Uncle Bill to his nieces and nephews. He was a real character and always had a story to tell and a joke or two. It’s hard to put into words everything that Bill has done over the years and I know a lot of you have your own stories and memories of Bill and his great life and achievements.

Bill started his schooling at St Joseph’s Rosebery, which was run by the Sisters of Mercy. From a young age Bill loved to read and write. Bill then went onto St Mary’s Cathedral College where he was dux of the College with numerous academic honours.

When Bill was 14 he told his father that he wanted to become a priest, his father said no initially. He told his father that thoughts of priesthood had been with him for some time, and he was adamant that it was what he wanted to do. After some weeks and many discussions and prayers they gave Bill their blessing.

Bill entered the seminary at Douglas Park in Jan. 1944 to undertake his vocation and spent many years there growing more spiritually, and studying in preparation for his teaching and missionary work.  On many occasions his Father, Mother, Marie and Monica would visit. They all enjoyed the trip to see him and share stories.

Bill had a lifelong love of learning and teaching - he had a Bachelor of Teaching and a Master of Theology.  He also spoke many languages and had a real gift in the way he taught. He made his first profession on 26^th February 1945.

In July 1951 the family flew to Melbourne on their first ever flight to celebrate Bill’s ordination.  Bill was ordained a Missionary of the Sacred Heart on 22^nd July 1951 at St Patrick’s Melbourne by Bishop Mannix. In just a few weeks we would have been celebrating the anniversary of his 70th year of ordination.  

When we sat down with mum the other day and talked about Bill – or Billy as she called him one story came to mind.

Billy was a stirrer, mum said, and she was a shy young girl. Billy knew she was an easy target unlike Marie who was tougher, and he could always do something to stir Monica up. On one occasion he took Monica’s beloved cat and put it in a bag and hoisted it up the clothesline. The poor cat was swung around while Monica was in tears trying to get Billy to let it down. There was no end to Billy’s torment until Monica ran to get help from her mother – who then chased Billy around the yard until he let the cat back down and out of the bag.

Although Billy was a stirrer, he was an amazing brother and the bond that Marie, Monica and Bill had was like no other. In later years mum was honoured that Bill married her and Les our dad on the 11^{th of} April 1953.

Bill taught at Downland’s College Toowoomba, QLD 1952 – 1955. His ministry work then took him to many parts of Papua New Guinea, where he spent many decades in mission work and teaching religious education. They even made him an honorary Chief. He wrote a book “From Mission to the Diocese of Alotau – Sideia” Seventy-Five years of building the Church- Milne Bay Easter Papua.

Mum and Bill wrote to each other all the time and I know Bill appreciated hearing what was happening at home. We would send photos and sometimes audio cassettes. I can remember Annette, Christine, John and myself recording messages to Bill and we were trying to be so serious like news readers to tell him what we had been doing but it always ended up with us in fits of laughter and mum having to talk while we composed ourselves. I think he really enjoyed getting these and imaged he had a good laugh along with us.

Christmas time for the family was always a fun and special time, especially the years that Bill was on leave and able to come down from Papua New Guinea and join us. He would stay at the family home with Marie and would be waited on hand and foot – Bill didn’t like a fuss, but Marie had other ideas.  She would often set him up in the recliner in front of the TV with her version of TV dinner. During these visits home he would come over to our place at Sans Souci and catch up with us all. He would always bring with him a gift that the locals had made, either a carving or a basket and I think all of us have still have those cherished items.

When Bill was down in Sydney, he was always kept busy with a family commitment or two. Bill married both Chris and I as well as Christine and Peter and officiated at many of the family baptisms.

Bill never forgot a birthday and was always so diligent about sending us a card or letter for the occasion and offering mass for us. If he was home, you could always expect a phone call and in recent years an email as well. He knew everyone’s birthday and even those of our extended family and friends – I can guarantee they all too received a letter or call. He had time for everyone and was always keen to know what you were doing.

I remember Bill being at St Paul’s Pastoral centre for many years – he needed to be a teacher mechanic, builder and lots more to keep the centre running. I know on many occasions mum would organise a Bingo Day with all the Sans Souci ladies to raise much needed funds to be sent up to help build the church or provide resources for the school. I know Bill always appreciated the kind donations that helped so much. On many occasions we sent up movies for the children to watch and replays of football games to keep them entertained as the television reception only worked occasionally.  We really didn’t appreciate until we were older just how hard life was up there and the many things they didn’t have that we took for granted. This was Bill’s life, love, passion and vocation. I know it took some convincing for him to finally retire, and had he been able to stay longer he certainly would have.

Upon returning to Australia, he settled at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Kensington where he continued with assisting at local parishes and working with the parish prayer group. He still continued to write and loved his computer. Bill loved when the family were able to come the monastery to visit and have lunch there.

One of Bill’s last holidays away was a trip up to Ballina to visit his cousin Margaret and husband Len. I know Bill cherished this visit up to them and spoke about it often. Bill was always a great guest to have as he had so many stories to tell. His cousin Gerard and wife Therese often had Bill and Fr Issac over for an afternoon tea or dinner – I know Bill really appreciated these times with the family. With Bill goes a lot of history about the family– he knew the family tree and spent many hours recording all the details.

We would especially like to thank Fr Peter Guy , Father John Kelliher and Fr Steve Dives who have been so wonderful to Bill and our family over the years he has been at Kensington.

To Father Isaac who was one of Bill’s best mates – he drove Bill to many of our family functions and get togethers Including Bill’s 90^th birthday celebration. Fr Isaac would often drive mum to and from the bus stop when she was either visiting Bill or going to visit Marie at the nursing home.  I know the two of them loved watching the Rugby league together especially when it was a Souths and St George game – Bill like the rest of the family was a keen Rabbitohs supporter but Fr Isaac went for the Dragons so there was some friendly rivalry.

Bill loved his family, especially his sisters Marie and Monica who would do anything for him. I know the help they gave to him over the years meant a lot.

Bill’s last years were at St Joseph’s aged care facility and we thank the staff for their care of Bill.   When Covid hit it was harder to visit. Christine would take mum to see him, his eyesight was fading and so too his stories and jokes.

I know that everyone that knew Bill will never forget him.  He was an incredible man, adored Brother and Cousin as well as an Uncle, Great Uncle and Great Great Uncle to his many nieces and nephews and their partners.

Bill was a great friend to many far and wide – we will miss your stories and jokes.

Rest In Peace Uncle Bill.  

An Open Letter from the Provincial of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart - Australia

 An Open Letter from the Provincial of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart - Australia

13 July 2021

Today Anthony Caruana was found guilty of sexual assault committed during the 1980s.

On behalf of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart I want to extend our unreserved apology to those who have suffered so greatly as a result of the crimes committed against them.

That these men, as students, were abused by a person charged with their care and protection represents a profound breach of trust.

I want to say to each of them that we are deeply sorry that such events could ever have occurred.

I would like to affirm my statement that was made in October 2018:

As Provincial of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, I hereby commit to ensure that the human and systemic failures of the past that have enabled child sexual abuse in our Province to occur, are resolved; permanently and irreversibly.  I am determined the Province will learn from its past and use that learning to be a leading exponent of child-safe practice across our Province…

Humbly yours,

in His Heart,

Chris R McPhee msc

Provincial MSC Australia

A good covid ministry story, MSC Dublin

Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC writes on ministering through the COVID-19 pandemic in Killinarden, where long-standing issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, and abuse have been exacerbated by the past 16 months of lockdowns and regulations. I have been in pastoral placement in Killinarden for the last four years during my theological studies, and on a daily basis since October 2020. (From the Irish MSC Facebook page.)

During all this time I have accompanied Patricia Darling, a lay woman who has assisted, supported and advocated for the poorest, the most vulnerable and marginalised people in this community for the past 20 years. With great devotion, she tirelessly carries out a fundamental service. I am deeply indebted to her for all I am learning. The initial and essential step in the work we do is outreach: visiting people, meeting them where they are, listening to their stories with a compassionate and non-judgmental heart. Often, the basic assistance we offer is making sure that there is enough food and heating in people’s homes; in some occasions however, we have also provided carpets, beds and cookers. At the same time, we offer a safe place to talk, to listen to as well as to encourage, and whatever goes beyond our abilities is referred to experts and professionals.”

“Killinarden, west Tallaght, Dublin. Some of our missionaries have ministered here for a long time and know the place, with its people and their problems, inside out. People from other parts of the world may have just heard stories about it, as the area infamously and regularly hits the headlines. For those who do not know Killinarden, the concerns encountered here range from material and financial poverty to unemployment; from joyriding around the park to drug dealing around the corner; from people struggling with poor mental health to families shattered by addiction, resulting in the neglect or, worse, the abuse, of children.

“Addiction adds chaos to confusion.”

“COVID and the lockdowns added an extra burden onto the already precarious living conditions of families. COVID meant children being at home for months, with no in-person access to health services, GPs as well as mental health support. That is true everywhere. Yet, for families that struggle in normal times, COVID meant the uncertainty of being able to put something on the table; extra mental strain for both parents and children, often assessed only over the phone and resulting in the prescription of anti-depressants to children too. In-person psychological assistance was not always available and some people did not feel safe to engage with it over the phone or online. People who live in areas where there is a lot of illegal drug dealing and use tend to ‘self-medicate’. Not a day passes that we don’t witness drug-dealing at any hour of the day; often it is teenagers on their bikes that do the deliveries. In these conditions, many find it very difficult to manage their addiction, or relapsed with serious consequences. Addiction adds chaos to confusion. Some families are unable to follow any routine, which results in children regularly missing school.

There aren’t many outdoor facilities and distractions, and the park is often unsafe because of the drug-dealing and joyriding. People with very few resources felt forced to spend their days enclosed at home, which meant an increased risk of domestic abuse and violence. We know of some people that have fled the house with their children because of the abusive environment they were forced to live in. They feel that being homeless is a far better option for them.”

“We are the only ones knocking at the door, willing to listen.”

“COVID for us meant flexibility and adaptability. When schools were closed because of the lockdown, there was a high risk that some children might miss out on their daily meal. Thus, in collaboration with the School Meal Scheme and supported by the local gaelscoil, we provided food hampers to the most disadvantaged and numerous families. We assisted about 80 families every week. ‘Masked up’ and sanitiser in hand, we shopped, packed and delivered. Sometimes the delivery was our opportunity to link in with families and to keep the relationship with them alive, which was otherwise impossible due to the restrictions.

Even now that some restrictions have been lifted, we are the only ones knocking at the door and willing to listen to people’s stories. People do not miss the chance to let out their frustration, tiredness, anger and their sense of helplessness, all multiplied by the forced isolation. In fact, thanks to these calls, we have come across and dealt with domestic crises that otherwise would have passed undetected.

For very chaotic cases, we also have to prompt parents to send their children to school and encourage them to engage with support services that are available in the area.”

“COVID has reminded us of our powerlessness.”

MSC Ireland

“COVID has forced everybody to slow down or even to stop. During these months we have discovered new ways of living, but more importantly I think, we have rediscovered the importance of taking a break. It is not by chance that God rested the seventh day and commanded his people (which is us) to do the same as well, to take a break from work every seven days (Deut. 15).

Having more time for ourselves gives us the opportunity to remove all the clutter we have accumulated with our busy, production-oriented, personal-gain-focussed lives. It allows us to reorient our lives towards what is essential. This essential is our relationship with the loving God, which is also lived every day in our relationship with other people. Having more time for ourselves allows us to rediscover the original call that drawn us to service: “love one another as I loved you” (e.g. Jn 15:12). As Christians we share in the life of God, who is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6), and thus we are called to show these essential qualities in our lives. In particular for us Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we bring this compassion and abounding love of God to all we meet. For me this becomes a lived reality by caring for the poor, the marginalised, the vulnerable and the neglected people of Killinarden. To show them that they are not forgotten, but that they are loved for who they are. If in doing this we are able also to bring about some sort of justice, even better.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, COVID has reminded us of our powerlessness. That ultimately we can trust only on God’s love and mercy. That we are only passing here and we are made for something greater: eternal life with him.”

Bro Giacomo Gelardi MSC

Memento of Giacomo's profession

Khoi Nguyen MSC: Ongoing Formation Program

Report on the Sexuality Program 4-10 July 2021 – Ongoing human development

Thanks to Trieu Nguyen for photos

This sexuality program was initiated by Chris McPhee in 2020 as he saw this aspect needing attention and focus, especially for our young men who are still in initial formation and for those who have just been ordained and coming from overseas.

In July 2020, this program was cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown and restriction. This year, a similar situation happened but we decided to have it via Zoom. This was my first time running anything via zoom but because of the great participation from our men, Peter Anthony, Bartha Panayadimal, Danh Doan, Trieu Nguyen, Michael Nithan, Daniel Magadia, Anh Nguyen, with Mark Hanns sitting in, we were able to have very honest, enthusiastic and meaningful discussions and exchanges of ourselves and understanding about human sexuality.  

Robyn Reynolds OLSH

During the week-long program, we have Darren Burge fms, Robyn Reynolds olsh, and Phil Malone msc on the topics of sexuality and intimacy, sexuality and spirituality, sexuality and morality. These were great days of input and open sharing. We appreciate our guest speakers, for their wisdom, knowledge and sharing of their own experiences with us. I, myself, ran the rest of the program based on a reflective, discussive and sharing approach on the topics of ‘what is sexuality?’, gender issues, homosexuality, and self-care. There are more aspects that we can cover but time is a limit to the program. Apart from the group sessions, each participant has an hour individual time talking to Darren about anything they want to talk about or explore more.

I would like to thank each participant for their enthusiasm and energy they brought to the group, and especially thanking for who they are and being genuine about it.

I thank Chris for his driving force behind this program. Frank Dineen called me yesterday just to let me know that they had been praying for us as we were doing our program. Peter Malone kindly asked me to write up this report for our website. So, thanks to all!  

Philip Malone MSC, Zoom concentration

I have learned many things through running this program and by listening and understanding people’s different experiences in their sexuality. One thing comes to my realisation during the week. If there are as many spiritualities as there are people, I think we can say that there are as many sexualities as there are people. Each person has their own sexuality that we need to respect and understand. But we also share in the same sexuality that we call human sexuality and sexuality that is embedded and incarnated in all creation, that we can call universal. The call is to realise that the unity and the uniqueness can co-exist and co-present in life in different ways. We all are struggling with, and at the same time, enjoying our sexuality, together and in our own ways.

The way we live our sexuality today is the way how we incarnate God’s love in the world, whether we struggle or content, whether we fail or remain faithful, whether we dare or take caution, God never stops the flow of divine energy within our sexuality. Whatever God gives, God gives abundantly and unreservedly.

Sheer grace!

From the Filipino MSC Province

5 stories.

Our posting last Tuesday on the death for former Filipino MSC, Rustico Tan, has had almost 300 visitors. One confrere noted that he retained his spirit of justice from his MSC days.

A story from the Vocations Facebook: Frt. Gerwin professed as MSC for life while he was in the hospital because of Pneumonia and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Rather than be overwhelmed with fear, Frt. Gerwin courageously and joyfully committed himself.

Ben Alforque MSC and his work with the establishing of a school in Mindanao.

Community schools were envisioned to have all the capabilities of a full fledged learning institution, while giving primacy to the preservation of indigenous people’s (IP) cultural heritage, and conservation and sustainability of their ancestral lands. This idea first came into fruition with the establishment of San Luis Lumad Community High School in San Luis, Agusan del Sur Province (Mindanao, Philippines) on September 5, 1996, with the help of Fr. Benjamin Alforque, MSC, a school apostolate of the Missionaries of the Assumption.These schools continue to provide FREE education to indigenous children and youth.

Michael Angelo Acera Dacalos MSC,

Media MSC, News, Tik Tok postings, part of the Zoom team for the recent General Conference.

Bishop Narcisso V. Abellana MSC,

appointment, Bishops Conference Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People.

MSC Safeguarding and Professional Standards Policy

Peter Hendriks MSC, Deputy Provincial writes:

The Australian Catholic Safeguarding Limited (ACSL) which absorbed the Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPSL) was formed as a result of the Royal Commission to, amongst other duties, develop National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.

A publicly visible Commitment Statement is one of several criteria that is important in developing and promoting a culture of safety.

The MSC Commitment Statement was and all future MSC Safeguarding Policies and Procedures will be developed by the following process.

• A draft document is prepared by Meta Jackman (Director of Professional Standards and Safeguarding), Chris McPhee msc (Provincial) and Peter Hendriks msc (Deputy Provincial). This document is developed from a number of sources, including CRA templates, the ACSL Safeguarding Standards and documents from other institutions.

• It is sent to the Working Group for its first review. The working group consists of:

• Kimi Vunivesilevu msc – Parish ministry
• Rita Daniels – Schools’ ministry
• Alison McKenzie – Lay MSC and adult formation ministry.
• Mark Hanns msc – Formation ministry
• Priyo Susanto msc – Overseas ministry
• Stephen Hackett msc –

• The document then goes to the MSC Professional Standards Advisory Board (PASB)

• Ros Everett – Lawyer in private practice, and former President of the NSW Law Society
• Kathleen McCormack AM – Former CEO of CatholicCare Diocese of Wollongong, former member of the Pontifical Commission for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.
• Narelle McMahon – Senior Project Officer (Catholic Professional Standards Ltd); Protection and Prevention Officer (National Committee for Professional Standards); Child Protection Officer (Sydney Catholic Education); and teacher.

• The final stage is for it to be reviewed and endorsed by the Provincial Council:

• Chris McPhee msc
• Kimi Vunivesilevu msc
• Mark Hanns msc
• Peter Carroll msc
• Alo Lamere msc
• Peter Hendriks msc

All documents will be reviewed regularly and adjusted as the Standards themselves change from time to time.

The next two documents to be released will be the MSC Code of Conduct and the MSC Safeguarding Policy.

Rest in Peace, Annette Marskell, OLSH Parishioner, Randwick

Peter Hendriks writes: Annette Marskell OAM, an active parishioner of OLSH Randwick since 1967. She was a generous supporter of the Parish in so many ways and she had an extraordinary life. She was buried this week.

A tribute from the OLSH Randwick Bulletin from 2017.

The Story of Annette Marie Marskell OAM

Annette has been an active parishioner of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart since 1967. She was born in Mudgee NSW the youngest and sixth child of Nell and Ted Marskell. Her mother used to call the children the League of Nations because the ancestry on her mother’s side was German Catholic and Scottish Presbyterian and on the father’s side it was Irish Catholic and English Anglican – the Tykes, slang for Catholics, won.

Annette is very pleased that she was born on 24 May – the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the Patroness of Australia. She was educated at St Matthews College Mudgee by the Sisters of Mercy (the Bathurst congregation founded in 1867). She completed a day stenography course involving shorthand typing and bookkeeping at Mudgee Technical College.

After working in Mudgee for a few years Annette came to Sydney in November 1963. For 3 years she worked with a secretarial services firm in the city and lived at Strathfield. In 1966 she went on a working holiday to New Zealand. Returning to Sydney a year later Annette moved to North Randwick and began employment with AE Richards Pty Ltd a printing firm then based in Redfern. The firm closed in 1962 following the owner’s ill health.  The result?  Annette was retrenched after 25 years of service

1993 saw the start of Annette’s employment at Matthew Talbot Hostel for homeless men where she was assistant to the accountant. After 14 plus years she retired in 2007.  Annette is convinced that the work of the Hostel has changed the lives of many of the men who see the place as a haven for recovery.

Annette was a member of the committee for the parish Walkabout GROUP. Once a month buses were hired and driven by volunteer drivers. Elderly people who did not get out were picked up and taken for bus rides. They would be brought back to the Parish Centre for a singalong and afternoon tea prepared by the Catholic Women’s Combined Eastern Area Group. When community bus services commenced and began to cater for older citizens the Walkabout Group ceased its activities.

In the 1970s Fr Tony O’Brien formed the MSC Lay Associates in the parish and Annette became a member. The Associates meet on the first Sunday of the month after the midday Mass. And during Fr Peter Robinson’s time as Parish Priest she was a member of the Parish Council.

Another of Annette’s role is as a Counter – the first woman to be one and she has worked with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Group. She is also a Eucharistic Minister and for some time took Holy Communion to sick parishioners.

The Last Call Eucharist was commenced by Fr Chris McPhee in 2000 and Annette helped with its setup on Sunday evenings. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, she has stood down from some of her activities but still prepares the Shrine at Thursday’s  Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – she ranks that as her very special role -  and remains a Reader at Sunday Masses.

While OLSH is her church Annette has a special affection for St Mary’s Cathedral going back as far as her childhood. She is a Life Member of the Friends of the Cathedral and has been its Treasurer since 2011.

Travel and Horse Racing have been her interest for many years. Her father and her grandfather both owned and trained racehorses and Annette has attended every Melbourne Cup from 1963 to 2015.  She has been on a number of pilgrimages, including to Fatima and Lourdes and the Holy Land.

Cruising has been a great way for her to holiday.  She has visited many places with many Cruise Lines but her favourite is the Cunard Line where Mass is said every day. She jokes that she has had more trips than winning bets.

Annette was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on the Queen’s Birthday 2003 for services to the community particularly through the Catholic Parish of Randwick and fundraising for charitable organisations.

Editor’s note: Annette has donated the two Shrines of Mary Mackillop and Jules Chevalier and also the Statue of Jesus and Joseph in the St Joseph’s Garden

A Bob Irwin MSC headline – bilocation? Trilocation? More?

In collecting photos from our colleges for our files, we found photos of the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart – at Downlands, at Chevalier, at Monivae, at Daramalan.

Downlands

And the common denominator: Bob Irwin.

Chevalier

There is talk of bilocation. But, three – trilocation? But our – has anyone heard of quatrolocation?

Monivae

A brainteaser, but with the obvious solution: our colleges celebrate the feast on different days according to term dates and exams. But, quatrolocation is not a bad word (not recognised as a word by Word spellcheck!).

Daramalan

Rest in Peace, Rustico Tan.

Over the last decades, many MSC confreres have chosen to leave the congregation, starting a new life. Sometimes, we are in touch. More often, we lose touch. When those who have shared years of lives die, it is an opportunity to remember them and their lives.

Who knows where our lives lead us?

Rustico Tan was one of the Filipino students who came to Croydon for their theological studies in the late 1950s and through the 1960s. Rustico Tan was at Croydon in the second half of the 60s.  He returned to the Philippines in troubled times which had an intense impact on his life when he left the priesthood.  Here are two reports, one from the Catholic Asian network, Ucan, and one from the significantly name site, Defiant.

Ucan Report

A former priest and chief negotiator for a Philippine rebel group has been shot dead at his home in Cebu province, police said.

Rustico Tan, 80, was shot several times while he slept in a hammock at his home in the town of Pilar in the central Philippines on May 28.

Tan left the priesthood several decades ago and joined the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), a coalition of left-wing groups.  

He went on to serve as a peace negotiator for communist rebels in peace talks during the administration of president Corazon Aquino and was still serving the rebels as a peace consultant shortly before his death, according to police.

A police spokesman in Cebu denied rumors police may have been involved in the shooting due to Tan’s links to the rebels and their armed wing, the New People’s Army.

“Tan’s killing seems to have something to do with a personal grudge. An investigation is still ongoing,” Sergeant Florente Gorrea said.

Clearly, this killing has the aim of driving terror into the hearts of the people and their revolutionary forces

The Communist Party of the Philippines [CCP], however, blamed current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, saying Tan’s murder was part of an orchestrated campaign against senior rebel figures.

“The fascists are targeting peace consultants who are in their senior years ... Clearly, this killing has the aim of driving terror into the hearts of the people and their revolutionary forces,” CCP spokesperson Marco Valbuena said in a May 29 statement.

Several figures linked to the NDFP have been killed in recent years.

Peasant leader and activist Randall Echanis was killed in his home in Quezon City in the Philippine capital on Aug. 10 last year.

Anakpawis, a left-wing political party, said Tan was “summarily executed” following a directive from Duterte “to take no prisoners” in quashing communists in the Philippines.

Duterte’s spokesperson said on May 20 that communist rebels would be hunted wherever they were regardless of age. “Justice will catch up with them,” Harry Roque said.

www. Defiant report

The news item was about an alleged high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) who was apprehended in Barangay Pasil in Santander last Thursday night. When I further read the news report, this high-ranking NPA leader turned out to be Rustico “Paking” Tan, who was once known as Fr. Rustico Tan. Apparently, because it was too long ago, people forgot this priest-turned-rebel who once represented the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Right after the EDSA Revolt of 1986, when the Communist of the Philippines (CPP) held peace talks with the Philippine government, and thus CPP-NDF-NPA officials roamed free all over the country without fear of arrests, the Rotary Club of Cebu then had Fr. Rustico Tan as our guest speaker. After his speech, which revealed many of the plans of the communists, I asked him during the Q and A: If the CPP would get hold of the Philippine government, would Filipino intellectuals be sent to the countryside just like what they did in Vietnam or China when the communists took over? His answer was a resounding “Yes”!

Given the timing and similarities in circumstances, it won’t be surprising to learn if Tan was killed by agents of the state also. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time the former priest landed himself in trouble with Duterte’s armed forces.

In 2017, Tan was abducted by state authorities only to be resurfaced at a prison facility in Bohol. He was arrested on a dubious charge of 14 counts of murder, an allegation that was never substantiated to begin with.

The trumped-up nature of the charge was vindicated as the Tagbilaran City Regional Trial Court dismissed those charges in October 2019. Unsatisfied, state authorities again filed a fabricated murder charge against Tan in December 2019 which was still ongoing.

Tan’s last hearing was on 27 May, a mere day before his assassination. It is quite clear that Tan was going to beat another falsified criminal case against him, and hell-bent on silencing him, his enemies thought of doing so through extrajudicial means.

Tan was 80 years old, and along with his 74-year old colleague Reynaldo Bocala you have two elderly victims of extrajudicial killings. It is baffling to think that either one of them could be a threat to public safety.

It is also disgraceful that two peace negotiators, who were told in good faith that they would be immune to prosecution or to the belligerence of the state, would be slain in such a fashion. Neither of the two men was a combatant, they did not deserve to be targeted by the state’s armed forces.

The killings of Rustico Tan and Reynaldo Bocala show the Duterte regime’s disdain for the peace process. If you can’t even grant immunity to peace negotiators, how could you discuss peace in good faith?

Some significant July days for the Chevalier Family 2021

July sees the feast of Blessed Peter To Rot.

July also seems to have been a mission establishing month: MSC in Yule Island, PNG; MSC in Bangalore, India; MSC in Canada; MSC Sisters in Peru.

It is also a month of memories of murdered MSCs, in Indonesia during World War II, of Peter To Rot in New Britain and in Central America of Faustino Villaneuva.

2021 is also the year of St Joseph. Acknowledgement of images to monasteryicons,

1 July, 1885
Father Verjus, Brothers Salvator Gasbarra and Nicolaus Marconi arrive in Yule Island. The mission in Papua begins!!



2 July, 1985
Opening of the first MSC House in India. the original house was rented from the Holy Cross Fathers, in Bangalore.



4 July, 1885
Father Verjus celebrates the first Eucharist on Yule Island and 48 years later in 1933 Monsignor de Boismenu consecrates a chapel built on the site of the first Eucharist.



5 July, 1941

Unveiling of the statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Miribel, France. The statue is 33 meters high!



7 July, 1945

The death of Peter To Rot, Martyr and Catechist in PNG. He was beatified, 17 December, 1995.



10 July, 1980
Father Faustino Villanueva, MSC, from the Spanish MSC Province, is assassinated in Joyabaj, Guatemala.



11 July, 1946
The body of Marie Louise Hartzer is transferred from Thuin, Belgium to the Mother House of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Issoudun.



14 July, 1859

Father Jules Chevalier visits the Curé d'Ars, Jean-Marie Vianney. The Curé confirms Chevalier in his mission as founder! Two days after their visit, Father Chevalier and Piperon start a novena with the Curé d'Ars, who died shortly after on 4 August, 1859.



17 July, 1874
The church in Issoudun is erected as a Minor Basilica: the Basilica of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.



19 July, 1876
Father Chevalier buries his mother in Richelieu.


19 July, 1947
The first missionary group of MSC Sisters leave Germany to begin a mission in Peru.



20 July, 1926
Monsignor Couppé, MSC, founder of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, a local congregation in Papua New Guinea, dies at Douglas Park in Australia.



21 July, 1896
Father H. Linckens, MSC, is appointed Provincial of the newly-erected German MSC Province.


21 July, 1982
Father Eugene Cuskelly, MSC, former Superior General, is ordained auxiliary bishop of Brisbane, in Australia.



24 July, 1828
Jean Charles Piperon, one of Father Chevalier's faithful founding companions, was born about 50 kilometres from Issoudun, at Vierzon, France.



30 July, 1942

Monsignor Aerts and 12 Dutch MSC confreres are killed at Langgur, Indonesia, during World War II.



31 July, 1873
Father J.B. Chappel and Brother H. Dechâtre leave France for the very first MSC overseas mission: the mission in Canada! In 1875, they establish the first MSC residence in the USA, at Watertown, New York State. Former MSC Superior General, (2005-2017), Father Mark McDonald, MSC, was born and grew up in Watertown!


31 July, 1878
Father Chevalier signs the purchase deed of the Church of St James of the Spaniards, Piazza Navona, Rome. Today it is known as the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.