La Salette, PHILIPPINE BEGINNINGS (Santiago City)

 

Fr. Emery DesRosiers, M.S.

Fr. Conrad H. Blanchet, MS in 1949

Fr. Maurice Cardinal, M.S.

There was a La Salette presence – although an unwilling one – in the Philippines before the Congregation decided to accept a mission there. Three Missionaries en route to Burma in 1940 were forced info Japanese concentration camps outside Manila. One of them, Fr. Fred Julien, M.S., had made a promise that if he got out alive he would return to dedicate a shrine to Our Blessed Mother. Future events facilitated his keeping that promise.

In 1948 the American La Salette Province of Immaculate Heart of Mary, based in Attleboro, M.A., accepted the invitation to open a Filipino mission in the war-torn area of lsabela – war-torn not only as the after effect of World War II, but also because Communist rebels roamed the mountains. Most people still carried guns when they left home.

Four La Salettes – three priests and one brother, under the leadership of Fr. Conrad Blanchet, M.S., who was later to become the 10th Superior General of the Congregation, sailed to Manila and later traveled north to Santiago, Isabela.

The ravages of war were still evident everywhere. Schools, churches, government buildings, family homes and rice fields lay in ruins. There were no bridges over the rivers; most highways and roads were but dirt pathways. One can only imagine what a boost the arrival of these La Salette Missionaries was in this vast and very Catholic area of Santiago, Isabela, where for years there had only been one priest. This was to become the center of their missionary activity.

In the second group to arrive a few years later was Fr. Emery DesRosiers, M.S. After years of missionary activity, he returned to the United States to become the La Salette Mission Procurator in Southbridge, M.A., thus providing substantial financial aide to the fathers and brothers in the Philippines. Now 90 years old, he resides| with the retirement community in Hartford, CT.

Among the third group to arrive was Fr. Maurice Cardinal, M.S. I had met him at various times throughout the years. I knew him best, however, from monthly newsletters he had written during his years as a missionary in the Philippines. Last August I met him again, this time in Moreno Valley, CA where, at 86 years of age, he had just arrived to retire.

Fr. Maurice Cardinal was born on December 11,1923 in Laconia, NH. He was one of 8 children in a family where Catholic values prayer and the Sacraments played an important role. Both at home and at Catholic school young boys were urged to think of the priesthood. Of the six boys from his class who entered a High School seminary, only Maurice decided to go to the La Salette seminary in Enfield, NH. H had come to know La Salette Missionaries because from time to time they came from the seminay to his parish church to do ministry. Perhaps not even young Maurice knew exactly why he went to the La Salette Seminary rather than the diocesan    one. A happy consequence was that he would be closer to home and his family would be able to visit him frequently. He persevered in his vocation, made his religious profession as a La Salette Missionary in 1944 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1950.

Fr. Maurice wanted to go to the missions. During his seminary training he had been active in the Mission Club and had his eyes set on Madagascar. But with the Attleboro Province now focusing on the newly opened mission in the Philippines, he was asked to go there instead. His answer was, “Yes!”

He left a few months later for Manila. His trip north from Manila to Santiago was a memorable one. He traveled in a new Jeep with one of the brothers. Coming to a swollen river they noticed where the large-wheeled animal-drawn carts were crossing. So they followed, only to sink deeply into the sandy bottom. They asked passers-by to push them across but to no avail. Only when offered a few pesos in recompense were they willing to pitch in. They agreed, however, not to push them across to the other side but only to push them back to the bank from which they had come. So they had no choice but to return to Manila!

When Fr. Maurice eventually got to Santiago, he lost no time steeping himself in ministry. For years, due to a lack of priests, Catholics were deprived of regular reception of the Sacraments. Baptisms, Communions, Confirmations were usually possible only during the annual fiesta honoring the parish patron Saint. Throughout the year weddings and funerals were presided over by elders of the church. Now with the arrival of La Salette priests and brothers, regular visits to towns and villages had become the norm, even though there was a danger in doing so with Communist rebels wandering the mountains. Mostly the rebels respected the missionaries, but going out could be dangerous.

For sure, destroyed churches had to be rebuilt but more important still was the rebuilding and strengthening of Catholic communities. In accepting this mission, the local bishop had asked the La Salettes to focus on education. There were quite a few Elementary Schools in outlying towns and villages but very few High Schools. So they focused on setting up High Schools. Soon not only the main city of Santiago, but also the smaller surrounding cities of San Mateo, Aurora, Roxas, Jones, Ramon and others had High Schools.

Besides the educational factor, schools were also a great arena to help deepen the faith and promote evangelization. With the missionaries bringing in funds to build and operate schools, the local people were urged to rebuild the churches. They did so, raising funds by holding fiestas and other activities. The lives of people changed; the vitality of towns and, villages increased; the faith revived.

Education has continued to be one of their central focal ministries – so much so that today there is a La Salette school system in Isabela, with a University of La Salette in Santiago. Fr. Maurice was an essential element in

building and animating schools.

Fr. Maurice held a variety of ministries that touched the lives of men, women, children, couples, families and his fellow La Salettes, as parish assistant, pastor, director of schools, Vice Provincial, animator of the Cursillo Movement and Marriage Encounter. He was open to whatever was needed, with a special interest in reconciling ministries. Cities, towns and villages were subdivided into barrios, sometimes as many as 25 in larger cities. Working with these small yet important entities, local leadership was achieved – both faith-centered leadership and civic.

The Filipino Province has nourished because of the zeal of those first missionaries like Fr. Maurice, but also because of the spirit they instilled in the young Filipino La Salettes who were to replace them. They extended their ministries to India, Myanmar, Australia and back to the United States. Fr. Maurice went to Hawaii for three years, then to Apple Valley, CA, for seven years, then back to Hawaii for ten more years. Now he is back in California.

Although retired from administration, he remains a priest willing to minister wherever people need his gifts. Well done, good and faithful servants!

(originally published in Vision and Mission, Oct., 2010)

REFERENCE;

https://www.lasalette.org/about-la-salette/la-salette-news/la-salette-news-worldwide/190-philippine-beginnings.html