Among Ven
FRAIL OF health but soaring in spirit.
That was Among Ven Samson the last time I saw him – at the recognition rites for the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards capping the Pampanga Day celebrations on December 11 last year.
We embraced each other not so much as fellow MOKA awardees as still-a-penitent son to an ever-forgiving father.
Yes, Among Ven and just-out-of-the-seminary me had some issues back when he was my parish priest in Sto. Tomas in the early ‘70s. So much water has not only gone under the bridge but even flooded my town since then, and we have reconciled. But still, some pangs of guilt and remorse are just too deep to finallyb heal. And I am now in mourning.
Anyways, Among Ven, barely audibly exulted, “ikwa ke mu rin” holding the MOKA trophy.
You long deserved it, Among. I told him as we posed with his beloved Atching Claring for photographs.
Among Ven stands out among the MOKA for culture recipients. No mean feat is his translation of the Bible in the Kapampangan language, and as great an opus is the Kapampangan Dictionary. These, aside from his translations of novenas and other liturgical rites.
It would have been to the eternal shame of the Kapampangans had he been bypassed anew in the last MOKA.
It was Easter Monday when I got the text message from Ronnie Tiotuico, president of our Mater Boni Consilii Seminary Alumni Association that Among Ven had his own Passover – to the kingdom of the Father.
And soon our website filled up with sharings of experiences with Among Ven.
From our elder brother Rey Deang, president of our alumni group in the US and Sta. Ana townmate of Among Ven:
“He loved the priesthood to the end. He ceased his ministry because he respected the priesthood so much, even when he was offered a post in Iraq as a Catholic Priest, he took it on but later quit, because of his state of life at that time. He enjoyed his work there, and the opportunity to be with Armenian Christians.”
Another US-based elder brother, Verne Quiazon, summed up our collective feelings for our mentor thus:
“Fr. Ven was a man of talent, dedication and integrity. The Church in Pampanga would have been the poorer but for the voluminous work of translations that Fr. Ven has done and in the process he also advanced Kapampangan culture and literature. A cynic might say that others would have taken up the work Fr. Ven has done anyway but it would be difficult to match his scholarship and dedication.
Fr. Ven's dedication is deeply rooted in is faith: he was faithful to his priesthood, to his Church and his family. He was a priest to the very end and he will always be Among Ven to me. He loved the Church dearly and kept on doing her work even after he has left active ministry. And his love for his family is a strong testament to married love in a world where the family is constantly being barraged and damaged by an hedonistic and materialistic environment.
Fr. Ven's integrity is a challenge to the Church. He could have stayed on an active priest with a family on the side - a number of priests actually do. But he chose to do it by the rules - dura lex, sed lex. Celibacy is not a divine imposition, it is not even biblical - most of the apostles were married and were family men. In the past, priestly celibacy was a witnessing to a life totally dedicated to the ministry. Now, that the family as an institution is under constant threat and barrage, married priests would be strong witnesses to the sanctity of married life and the family.
Apu Ceto is a pastor very much after Christ's image and heart. He is not one to condemn sinners but would break bread with them. It is so very Apu Ceto to have been the last person to spend time with Among Ven during his last minutes of his earthly existence. Even from afar, I can feel Apu Ceto's great love for his priests and he makes no distinction between the good ones and the bad ones. He loves them all - like God loves us all.
I pray for both Among Ven and Apu Ceto and thank God for having blessed my life with these two saintly persons.
May Among Ven rest in peace.
May Apu Ceto's tribe increase."
Aye, Verne, we, the sons of our Mother of Good Counsel, all say “Amen.”
That was Among Ven Samson the last time I saw him – at the recognition rites for the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards capping the Pampanga Day celebrations on December 11 last year.
We embraced each other not so much as fellow MOKA awardees as still-a-penitent son to an ever-forgiving father.
Yes, Among Ven and just-out-of-the-seminary me had some issues back when he was my parish priest in Sto. Tomas in the early ‘70s. So much water has not only gone under the bridge but even flooded my town since then, and we have reconciled. But still, some pangs of guilt and remorse are just too deep to finallyb heal. And I am now in mourning.
Anyways, Among Ven, barely audibly exulted, “ikwa ke mu rin” holding the MOKA trophy.
You long deserved it, Among. I told him as we posed with his beloved Atching Claring for photographs.
Among Ven stands out among the MOKA for culture recipients. No mean feat is his translation of the Bible in the Kapampangan language, and as great an opus is the Kapampangan Dictionary. These, aside from his translations of novenas and other liturgical rites.
It would have been to the eternal shame of the Kapampangans had he been bypassed anew in the last MOKA.
It was Easter Monday when I got the text message from Ronnie Tiotuico, president of our Mater Boni Consilii Seminary Alumni Association that Among Ven had his own Passover – to the kingdom of the Father.
And soon our website filled up with sharings of experiences with Among Ven.
From our elder brother Rey Deang, president of our alumni group in the US and Sta. Ana townmate of Among Ven:
“He loved the priesthood to the end. He ceased his ministry because he respected the priesthood so much, even when he was offered a post in Iraq as a Catholic Priest, he took it on but later quit, because of his state of life at that time. He enjoyed his work there, and the opportunity to be with Armenian Christians.”
Another US-based elder brother, Verne Quiazon, summed up our collective feelings for our mentor thus:
“Fr. Ven was a man of talent, dedication and integrity. The Church in Pampanga would have been the poorer but for the voluminous work of translations that Fr. Ven has done and in the process he also advanced Kapampangan culture and literature. A cynic might say that others would have taken up the work Fr. Ven has done anyway but it would be difficult to match his scholarship and dedication.
Fr. Ven's dedication is deeply rooted in is faith: he was faithful to his priesthood, to his Church and his family. He was a priest to the very end and he will always be Among Ven to me. He loved the Church dearly and kept on doing her work even after he has left active ministry. And his love for his family is a strong testament to married love in a world where the family is constantly being barraged and damaged by an hedonistic and materialistic environment.
Fr. Ven's integrity is a challenge to the Church. He could have stayed on an active priest with a family on the side - a number of priests actually do. But he chose to do it by the rules - dura lex, sed lex. Celibacy is not a divine imposition, it is not even biblical - most of the apostles were married and were family men. In the past, priestly celibacy was a witnessing to a life totally dedicated to the ministry. Now, that the family as an institution is under constant threat and barrage, married priests would be strong witnesses to the sanctity of married life and the family.
Apu Ceto is a pastor very much after Christ's image and heart. He is not one to condemn sinners but would break bread with them. It is so very Apu Ceto to have been the last person to spend time with Among Ven during his last minutes of his earthly existence. Even from afar, I can feel Apu Ceto's great love for his priests and he makes no distinction between the good ones and the bad ones. He loves them all - like God loves us all.
I pray for both Among Ven and Apu Ceto and thank God for having blessed my life with these two saintly persons.
May Among Ven rest in peace.
May Apu Ceto's tribe increase."
Aye, Verne, we, the sons of our Mother of Good Counsel, all say “Amen.”
posted by A.Caesar Z. Lacson at 9:16 PM
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