Fr. James Reuter, a Jesuit priest who has lived and worked in the Philippines since 1938 and whose work in Philippine theater, radio and television (not to mention political activism) has endeared him to many Filipinos, is being asked to leave his residence in Xavier House, which is being sold reportedly to raise funds for the order's financial shortfalls. This despite the fact that Fr. Reuter is wheelchair-bound, and doesn't have long to live.
A facebook site is holding a prayer rally for him (there is a petition here you are welcome to sign, just ignore the donation request if you don't feel like paying).
Mind you, nothing anti-Jesuit meant in any of this (I'm a fan of the order myself--maybe not an absolute and unquestioningly obedient fan, but a fan nevertheless). I'd written a letter to Fr. Magadia, the text of which follows:
Dear Father Magadia;
Heard about the forced move of Father Reuter and understand and am sympathetic to the plight of your order with regards to money...but I appeal to you not to force poor 'Papa Bear' (as we like to call him, sometimes to his face) out. He's old, he hasn't long, and he's lived there for a good portion of his life.
And I understand the need for money, but to sell an important portion of your, of our history--to make room for a supermarket? I hope this portion of the news isn't true.
Xavier House as I'm sure you know is a beautiful building, with its view of the Pasig River, its rich wood floors, its high ceiling and pillared ground floor, as old as the order's presence in the Philippines.
I'm also sure you know that Xavier House had a role in recent history--that it was the nerve center for the secret radio network that operated during the 1986 snap elections, when President Ferdinand Marcos ran against Cory Aquino and it seemed that the citizen's watchdog group NAMFREL was all that stood between Marcos and an uncontested victory.
Of course you're familiar with the fact that Father's network of CB radio units, coordinating from Xavier House, acted as a backup to NAMFREL. For two weeks after the elections, men and women who volunteered to work with Father radioed in the election results from NAMFREL's La Salle High School Greenhills to Xavier House, where it was safely stored in computer files. In the very possible event that the La Salle headquarters was raided (and there were one or two moments there, with hordes of Marcos sympathizers demonstrating outside the school gate, when the possibility seemed close indeed), we would at least have the election results--the truth, in effect--stored safely away. Marcos 'won' the election on paper, but thanks to NAMFREL (and, I like to think, our little network) we had an idea of the magnitude of cheating involved in his victory, and the indignation inspired by that information grew into the EDSA revolt--but you know the rest.
What you probably didn't know was that I spent possibly the finest and happiest moments of my youth in that house. I first met Father in the production of The Bridge (about Matteo Ricci), and through rehearsals for that play and by joining the various tours that followed I learned the virtues of teamwork, 'pakisama,' friendship, loyalty, discipline, patience, hard work. Everything I should have learned in the classroom or from my family but for one reason or another did not (either no one bothered to teach them to me--my school's main emphasis was on math and science--or I just didn't listen).
Father helped me listen, and think, and work, and grow. I joined his other productions (The Lady (about Our Lady of Fatima), historical pageants of one kind or another, a modern-day play exposing the abuses of child prostitution). It was a priceless if unconventional education that I would never trade for anything in the world, and if there's anything of value in me as a person and Filipino, I trace it to my years spent undergoing that education--my years spent under Father.
Maybe my proudest moment was helping Father run his backup network in 1986. Reading those returns over the radio, I was conscious of being--no matter how indirect, no matter how small--a part of history (I was, what, twenty at the time?), of helping insure a better future for my country. If you'll forgive the metaphor, I imagined the numbers I spoke into the radio handset were verbal bullets I was firing into this seemingly invincible dictatorship, hoping against hope to bring it down. My role probably wasn't significant, but from where I stand I believe it was the most important act I ever did as a young man--perhaps the only act I ever did as a young man that mattered.
And Father's help and guidance didn't end there. When I met the woman I would marry, I couldn't settle for anyone else--it had to be Father who would marry us and I was grateful and honored he agreed. Not a big wedding--there were maybe seven people attending. But we've been together fourteen years and counting, with three beautiful children, and even now my wife--who has met him maybe two or three times at most--speaks warmly and fondly of him, and what he's done for us.
So please, Father, it's not just 'Papa Bear' you're removing from his home--it's the memories, the lives, the youth and love and energy of scores of people, all over the Philippines, inspired by the man. Please show him--show us--some mercy.
A facebook site is holding a prayer rally for him (there is a petition here you are welcome to sign, just ignore the donation request if you don't feel like paying).
Mind you, nothing anti-Jesuit meant in any of this (I'm a fan of the order myself--maybe not an absolute and unquestioningly obedient fan, but a fan nevertheless). I'd written a letter to Fr. Magadia, the text of which follows:
Dear Father Magadia;
Heard about the forced move of Father Reuter and understand and am sympathetic to the plight of your order with regards to money...but I appeal to you not to force poor 'Papa Bear' (as we like to call him, sometimes to his face) out. He's old, he hasn't long, and he's lived there for a good portion of his life.
And I understand the need for money, but to sell an important portion of your, of our history--to make room for a supermarket? I hope this portion of the news isn't true.
Xavier House as I'm sure you know is a beautiful building, with its view of the Pasig River, its rich wood floors, its high ceiling and pillared ground floor, as old as the order's presence in the Philippines.
I'm also sure you know that Xavier House had a role in recent history--that it was the nerve center for the secret radio network that operated during the 1986 snap elections, when President Ferdinand Marcos ran against Cory Aquino and it seemed that the citizen's watchdog group NAMFREL was all that stood between Marcos and an uncontested victory.
Of course you're familiar with the fact that Father's network of CB radio units, coordinating from Xavier House, acted as a backup to NAMFREL. For two weeks after the elections, men and women who volunteered to work with Father radioed in the election results from NAMFREL's La Salle High School Greenhills to Xavier House, where it was safely stored in computer files. In the very possible event that the La Salle headquarters was raided (and there were one or two moments there, with hordes of Marcos sympathizers demonstrating outside the school gate, when the possibility seemed close indeed), we would at least have the election results--the truth, in effect--stored safely away. Marcos 'won' the election on paper, but thanks to NAMFREL (and, I like to think, our little network) we had an idea of the magnitude of cheating involved in his victory, and the indignation inspired by that information grew into the EDSA revolt--but you know the rest.
What you probably didn't know was that I spent possibly the finest and happiest moments of my youth in that house. I first met Father in the production of The Bridge (about Matteo Ricci), and through rehearsals for that play and by joining the various tours that followed I learned the virtues of teamwork, 'pakisama,' friendship, loyalty, discipline, patience, hard work. Everything I should have learned in the classroom or from my family but for one reason or another did not (either no one bothered to teach them to me--my school's main emphasis was on math and science--or I just didn't listen).
Father helped me listen, and think, and work, and grow. I joined his other productions (The Lady (about Our Lady of Fatima), historical pageants of one kind or another, a modern-day play exposing the abuses of child prostitution). It was a priceless if unconventional education that I would never trade for anything in the world, and if there's anything of value in me as a person and Filipino, I trace it to my years spent undergoing that education--my years spent under Father.
Maybe my proudest moment was helping Father run his backup network in 1986. Reading those returns over the radio, I was conscious of being--no matter how indirect, no matter how small--a part of history (I was, what, twenty at the time?), of helping insure a better future for my country. If you'll forgive the metaphor, I imagined the numbers I spoke into the radio handset were verbal bullets I was firing into this seemingly invincible dictatorship, hoping against hope to bring it down. My role probably wasn't significant, but from where I stand I believe it was the most important act I ever did as a young man--perhaps the only act I ever did as a young man that mattered.
And Father's help and guidance didn't end there. When I met the woman I would marry, I couldn't settle for anyone else--it had to be Father who would marry us and I was grateful and honored he agreed. Not a big wedding--there were maybe seven people attending. But we've been together fourteen years and counting, with three beautiful children, and even now my wife--who has met him maybe two or three times at most--speaks warmly and fondly of him, and what he's done for us.
So please, Father, it's not just 'Papa Bear' you're removing from his home--it's the memories, the lives, the youth and love and energy of scores of people, all over the Philippines, inspired by the man. Please show him--show us--some mercy.
Postscript (4.14.09): Eric in the comments section claims that the Inquirer article stating Xavier House was sold to SM is inaccurate (see here for the official Jesuit statement on the issue). At the time I'd written to Fr. Magadia, I only had that same article to go on (thankfully, I added the words 'I hope this portion of the news isn't true'--I can at least say I didn't take the article as gospel truth). I am aware that the Jesuits' financial problems are not unserious--much of their costs involve the medical care of aging Jesuits such as Fr. Reuter himself.
It's not an easy issue to resolve; at the bottom of it all is a shrinking pool of resources, around which everyone, Fr. Reuter included, is victimized. Can the Jesuits' problems be solved without making 'Papa Bear' leave? One can only hope...
5 comments:
Sweetly said. ; )
Walang Pilipinong dapat maging "squatter sa sariling bayan" (Ka Lean Alejandro)
newspaper account was false. hope you have read the jesuits' official statement on the matter.
"newspaper account was false"
You mean the Inquirer article? I heard. I haven't found an official statement, tho, would help if someone posted a link.
This is so touching. Very well said!
Moving forward, we were asked by Fr's Ateneo Glee Club alumni to help in a fundraising effort that is aimed to build a hospital in Father's honor. This will kick off May 21, 2009- Papa Bear's 94th Bday!
How can we say no to that, right?
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