Rapimento padre Michael Sinnott

•October 11, 2009 • Leave a Comment

sinnottSei uomini armati hanno rapito il padre irlandese Michael Sinnott (78). I sei banditi, alle 7 circa del pomeriggio, sono entrati nella casa dei padri Colombani nella città di Pagadian e trascinato Sinnott in un furgone davanti a testimoni sconvolti. Il furgone è stato trovato abbandonato e bruciato poco lontano dalla casa. I rapitori si sono poi diretti verso il mare e hanno fatto salire Sinnott a bordo di una imbarcazione a motore che poi si è diretta verso Tukuran e le coste di lanao del Sur.

La congregazione di padre Sinnott, la Società Missionaria di St. Columban, ha confermato la sua abduzione, avvenuta mentre stava passeggiando nel giardino della sua residenza. I confratelli hanno lanciato un appello per preghiere e per il suo immediato rilascio. Sinnott ha lavorato nelle Filippine dal 1957-66 è poi ritornato nel 1976 e dal 1998 era coinvolto nel programma in una scuola per bambini handicappati in Pagadian City da lui stesso fondata.

Il 28 agosto 2002, un confratello di Sinnott, padre Rufus Halley (57) , parroco della parrocchia Nostra Signora della Pace fu ucciso in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, per aver reagito ad un gruppo di armati che volevano rapirlo. Qualche anno prima il 27 ottobre del 1997 , un altro padre Colombano, Desmond Hartford fu rapito in Marawi City.

(Ricordiamo anche che nell Ottobre 2004 padre Vincenzo Bruno, PIME, dovette lasciare la parrocchia in Lantian, Diocesi di Pagadian, perchè minacciato di rapimento)

I padri Colombani sono nelle Filippine dal 1929.

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Heavily armed men barged into a Catholic convent and kidnapped a 78-year old Irish priest Michael Sinnott. At 7 pm the six gunmen entered the Columban House in Pagadian city, Zamboanga del Sur province, and dragged Michael Sinnott into a van in front of his horrified aides, they could not do anything because the abductors had powerful weapons. The van was later found abandoned and burned. The kidnappers then took the priest away by sea on board a motor boat toward Tukuran, lanao del Sur.
Sinnott’s group, the Missionary Society of St. Columban, confirmed his abduction, saying he was taking an evening stroll in the convent’s garden when he was taken by the gunmen. The group appealed for prayers for his safe recovery. Sinnott has worked in the Philippines for decades. The group said he was first assigned in the southern Philippines between 1957-66, then returned in 1976. Since 1998 he has been involved with The Centre and School for Special Children which he established.

On October 27, 1997, Irish priest Desmond Hartford, then the acting bishop of the Prelature of Marawi, was abducted in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte.
On August 28, 2002, Irish Columban Father Rufus Halley (57) was shot dead in Malabang, Lanao del Sur as he fought off abductors.

(in october 2004 father Vincent Bruno, PIME, had to leave the parish in Lantian, Diocese of Pagadian, because under treath of kidnapping)

The Missionary Society of St. Columban and the Congregation of the Missionary Sister of St Columban were born from the vision of two young priests Edward Galvin and John Blowick whom Providence brought together in the years between 1916 and 1920.
The first Columbans went to China, then in the Philippines [1929], Korea [1933], Burma [1936], and Japan [1948]. The Society responded to the urgent call of Latin America [1951] and Columbans went to the poor in the new urban settlements in Peru and Chile. The Society also responded to the missionary needs of the Church in Fiji. Still more recently we have gone to Pakistan, Taiwan, Brazil, Jamaica and Belize. Due to diminishing resources, the Society has since withdrawn its commitment to Belize, Jamaica and Brazil. There are presently over 600 Columban missionaries in the Society.

FatherStefano

•October 9, 2009 • Leave a Comment

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                            Father Stefano Mosca, PIME, LakeWood

RedLakeFlowers

•October 8, 2009 • Leave a Comment

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                                                        LakeWood, Zamboanga del Sur

FatherPops

•October 6, 2009 • Leave a Comment

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                                                     Father Fausto Tentorio, PIME, in Arakan Valley

RoadUp

•October 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

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From Manila

•October 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment

By Father  Christopher Guy Snyder, PIME

ste2Steve was pastor here in our parish in Manila for several years, so I asked him to show me around and help me to understand the working of this mission parish. According to Fr. Steve there are some 120,000 people in the parish! (Can you imagine?!) We began by walking around visiting the various buildings of the campus. There is a medical clinic and dental clinic which the parish runs. Although it is especially for the children, others are also allowed to come to receive free service.  We then went to drive around and visit the different neighborhoods of the parish. There is one part in particular – Purok1B (also known as the CAA) that really struck me. It is an area of squatters. Through the years they have just started building up housing there and eventually some of them went from quite disposable structures to something which could even be considered more permanent. The government does tolerate them and even tries to do things to help them out. However, if the government should ever need the land these people do not have guytitle to it.  
Of course, there are children everywhere, and it was such a joy. Being the big white guy I am, they all came up to see me. A couple of them even touched my belly to see if it was real! I would say “hello” and they would say the words they knew in English. They would also mimic every word I would say – that was kind of fun! (All schooling in Manila is done in Tagalog. They may learn English in school, but they don’t really start using it until college studies and/or beyond.) Fr. Steve also took me to one of the nicer “gated” communities that our parish serves. Here is a “black water” canal (I think that means sewage canal?) that runs next to our chapel. The flooding from last week’s typhoon (Ondoy) completely filled this canal and overflowed. The people were saying that the flood level was just about up to their necks at the spot where I was standing ! Can you imagine? 

more readings in  fr.Christopher blog

Repairing

•September 30, 2009 • Leave a Comment
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Ondoy: Alluvione in MetroManila

•September 28, 2009 • Leave a Comment
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Il dipartamento dell’ambiente e delle risorse naturali (DENR) ha incolpato dei massivi allagamenti in MetroManila, causata dal tifone “Ondoy” (Ketzana), al cambiamento climatico e alla degradazione dell’ambiente. “La natura si sta rivoltando contro di noi in un modo molto violento a causa della nostra negligenza, abuso ed incapacità di proteggere l’ambiente”, ha detto il Segretario dell’Ambiente Jose Atienza Jr. Allo scopo di rimediare al problema delle frequenti inondazioni, il DENR ha detto che proibirà il ripristino del 60 % delle strutture per la pesca, ora danneggiate in Laguna de Bay il grande lago ad est di MetroManila,  perche’ impediscono un veloce smaltimento, attraverso il fiume Pasig verso la baya di Manila, delle acque piovane particolarmente durante il passaggio dei tifoni. Solo qualche mese fa le autorita’ civili avevano detto che il problema alluvione in MetroManila sarebbe stata cosa del passato con l’installazione della nuova stazione di pompaggio in Tondo e la riabilitazione continua della rete di fognatura nella zona di Blumentritt . Un progetto che tuttavia e’ ancora da completare.

Una alluvione simile avvenne  tra luglio e agosto del 1972 (poco dopo, il 21 settembre,  Marcos impose la Legge Marziale) 600 furono le vittime , 350.000 rimasero senza casa e 250.000 ettari di risaie distrutti. In quella occasione i missionari del PIME si trovavano in Santa Cruz, Laguna, che fu completamente sommersa. Fu anche la piu’ estesa in quanto il livello delle acque di Laguna de Bay si innalzo’ di 2 metri e 30 centimetri il 4 agosto, dopo tre settimane di intense piogge. I padri Bonaldo e Alessi dovettero lavorare  parecchio per ospitare il maggior numero di persone nelle strutture parrocchiali ancora all’asciutto. Altre alluvioni del genere capitarono negli anni  1970, 1967, 1966 e 1948. L’urbanizzazione di Manila (ora MetroManila) inizio’ negli anni 50 e le aree attorno a Laguna de Bay, una volta risaie, sono ora densamente popolate.

A tutt’ora , stima ufficiale, 277 le vittime  (di cui 101 in MetroManila, 88 nella provincia di Rizal e il resto in Central Luzon) e 42 le persone ancora disperse.   374,890 gli sfollati in centri provvisori di assistenza. Ancora grave la situazione in Cainta.  In MetroManila, una metropoli di 13 milioni di abitanti, occorreranno circa 2 mesi per rimettersi in sesto.

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The Department of Enviroment and Natural Resources (DENR) has blaimed the massive floodings in MetroManila, caused from the typhoon “Ondoy” (Ketzana), to the climatic change and the degradation of the habitat. “The nature is revolting against us in a way much violent then before because our negligence, abuse and inability to protect our enviroment”, said DENR Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. “Ondoy” has given to MetroManila a lesson. In order to make up for the problem of the flooding, the DENR has said that it will forbid the restoration of the 60% of the structures of fish-pens damaged in Laguna de Bay, the great lake to east of MetroManila, because they prevent the fast disposing of rain water, particularly during the passage of typhoons. Only some months  ago the local authorities had said that the problem of flooding in MetroManila would have been a problem of the past with the installation of the new pumping station in Tondo and the rehabilitation of the drainage system in Blumentritt area. A plan however that is not yet completed.

A similar flood happened in 1972 between July and August  (soon after, on 21 september, Marcos imposed the Martial Law).  600 were the victims, 350,000 were the homeless and 250,000 hectares of ricefields were destroyed. In that occasion the missionaries of  PIME where in Saint Cruz, Laguna, a town that was completely submerged. On 4 Agust 1972 the water of  lake Laguna de Bay  raised 2 meters and 30 centimeters above the normal level. Fathers Bonaldo and Alessi had to work much in order to accommodate the greater number of persons in the parochial structures, still in dry ground. Other big floods  happened in 1970, 1967, 1966 and 1948. The urbanization of Manila (today MetroManila) began in the 50s and areas around Laguna de Bay, once ricefields, are now densely populated.

Up to now, government officials esteemed at 277 the number of victims (101 in MetroManila, 88 in the province of Rizal and the rest in  towns of Central Luzon) with 42 persons still missing.   374,890 those accomodated in temporary relief centers. Serious the situation in Cainta.  MetroManila, a conglometate of cities of 13 million inhabitants, will be needed approximately 2 months to recover from this disaster.

Laughing

•September 27, 2009 • Leave a Comment
405

Laughing is a celebration of the good . . and it helps in how to deal with the bad

InTheRiceField

•September 26, 2009 • Leave a Comment
404

Your teeth are important . . . in many ways