Three Wise Men of 2013

Happy New Year, dear readers!  Hope you all had a wonderful season.  Like in the previous year, I have picked my wise men of the year. Two have unfortunately passed away towards the end of last year. Without further ado, here's my Three Wise Men of 2013!

Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 - 5 December 2013) was the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Known as the first black president of his country, Mandela was instrumental in dismantling apartheid (a system of racial segregation). He did so by tackling racism, poverty, and inequality and by fostering racial reconciliation.  Regarded as "the father of the nation" and "the founding father of democracy" in his country, he wasn't spared from criticisms such as his friendship with known dictators (e.g. Fidel Castro and Muammar Gaddafi).  He had a number of quotes.  For me, one stood out.   "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

Mandela's legacy is the wisdom of being free and working side by side with others regardless of race, color, or creed.

June Keithley-Castro (10 March 1947- 24 November 2013) was a Filipina actress, broadcast journalist, and wife of the late broadcast journalist Angelo Castro Jr. A mentee of the late Fr James Reuter, she had a key role during the final days of the Marcos dictatorship. Working for 14 long hours in Radio Veritas and later in Radyo Bandido (when Veritas was bombed by Marcos' henchmen), she appealed on her countrymen to go to EDSA to protect the mutineers.  In grateful recognition, she was accorded the Philippine Legion of Honor during the time of President Corazon Aquino.  She later received the EDSA Spirit Award from President Benigno Aquino III. A known Marian devotee, Castro hosted a documentary on the Virgin Mary's apparition in Lipa, Batangas entitled "A Woman Clothed with the Sun". Lately, she was diagnosed with cancer.  During an interview she told Tina Monzon-Palma how cancer has spread in her body and commented "At that point he (God) has taken away all fear...he has given me great peace. I knew he was in control."

Castro teaches us the wisdom of being brave to face, speak, and stand for the truth without counting the cost. 

Pope Francis has been our reigning pope since 13 March 2013.  From then on, he has wowing us with his many gestures and pronouncements: from living at the hostel instead of the papal apartments to wearing black shoes instead of the traditional red; from washing the feet of youth prisoners during last Maundy Thursday to embracing a man totally disfigured due to a genetic disease; from speaking against frivolous spending by the Church (read: He suspended German bishop who spent $3M on a marble courtyard) to redirecting Vatican employee bonus to charity; from acknowledging atheists as good people to denouncing judgment against homosexuals ("If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good intentions, who am I to judge?"); from inviting some homeless men to his birthday meal to amending Vatican law to make sexual child abuse a crime; from condemning the violence in Syria to speaking against the Church's 'obsession' with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception.  Recognized as Time's Person of the Year 2013, the Holy Father has been seen as a blessing for the Church that has been rocked with scandals during the time of his 2 predecessors.  

Ever since becoming bishop, he has chosen "Miserando atque eligendo" (lowly but chosen) as motto.  He has retained this for his coat of arms as pope. No wonder he has taken to heart these words in his ministry such as the examples mentioned earlier.

This beloved pontiff imparts us with the wisdom of being humble - a true hallmark of a servant whose heart is after that Jesus the Good Shepherd - so that those humbled (e.g. the poor, the outcast, the sick, etc.) may have hope.

These three wise men have left or, as in the case of Pope Francis, has been giving us gems of wisdom for us to take.  As we usher in the New Year, let us follow their example. Have a wisdom-filled 2014!

The Great Ilocano

When this title is mentioned, who comes into your mind?  Perhaps it's either of 2 former Philippine Presidents who hailed from the North and whose contribution to the country is worthy of praise or derision whatever side of the political fence you belong to.  Way back in January, a late Ilocano prelate, was brought into the limelight when the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia (Vigan)  formally opened the cause for his beatification and canonization.  Is there another great Ilocano in the horizon? Read more!

Born to a wealthy family in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Alfredo Florentin Verzosa was a priest of that big archdiocese. It has been said that when he was parish priest of Bantay, he fought hard against the onslaught of  the Aglipayan schism in his parish.  According to the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart's website: "He (Verzosa) took it upon himself to protect, revive and strengthen the Catholic faith wherever he was assigned and devoted all his time to priestly duties. He converted barrio people to the faith, risking his own life in the process."

Appointed Bishop of Lipa in September 1916, he became the first Filipino bishop to be assigned in what was then a budding diocese.  He was also the first Ilocano bishop.  True to himself as a pastor and teacher of souls, Bishop Verzosa embarked in the formation of people by building seminaries, churches, and schools in his diocese. He invited missionary congregations to assist in spreading the faith.  His top agenda though was catechesis. Together with Mother Laura Mendoza, he founded the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart in 1920.  Apart from that he also had catechetical centers established across the diocese.  Fr. Manny Guazon wrote that “It would not be baseless to call Bishop Verzosa the ‘Father of Catechesis (of the Diocese of Lipa)’. His passion for catechetical apostolate must have planted and nourished the Catholic faith of Batangueños.”

A man known for practicing what he preached, Bishop Verzosa was a humble and holy man.  Story has it that he would pray 15 minutes before and after the Mass. Another story goes that when he heard that a priest was having an affair and was thus breaking his vow of celibacy, he would confront the priest - with tears in his eyes - and convince the erring man of the cloth to repent. Although unable to speak in Tagalog, he employed 2 priests to be his interpreters to ensure that his message reaches out to all members of his flock.

In the aftermath of World War II, he used the war damage reparations fund that Lipa received to reconstruct affected churches. It was said that he devoted all the income of the diocese to this project, plus what he inherited from his family.


The Virgin Mary's alleged apparition in the Carmel Monastery of Lipa links up with Bishop Verzosa's story.  Fr Ericson Josue, a priest from the Diocese of Laoag and Theology professor at the Vigan Seminary once said "“When the alleged miracle became a sensational issue, he had to go to the monastery to tell the nuns to turn down the issue but he was entering the monastery, he was greeted by the phenomenon, “the shower of rose petals,”.


In 1950, he was asked to vacate the bishopric of Lipa. Albeit a few accounts would say that the good obispo was removed from office due to fiscal mismanagement, some quarters maintain that politics was behind this.  Watching June Keithley's documentary entitled "The Woman Clothed with the Sun" on YouTube gave me an impression that indeed politics had the upper hand in Verzosa's retirement. One priest who worked with him even remarked "Church of Christ, governed by men" (or words to that effect). In the same video, another man of the cloth -this time a bishop - contested the mismanagement accusation saying that Verzosa even used his own personal money to defray costs in the diocese.

Four years after his retirement, he died in Vigan "practically a poor man, having exhausted all his inheritance for his Episcopal ministry, but rich in the sympathy and admiration of pious priests. Still, he died happily with the thought that he had served God and his Queen, the Blessed Virgin Mary and his Church with all his heart and might."

Bishop Verzosa seemed to have died in oblivion, but with the Archdiocese of Lipa's formal approval of the Lipa Apparition in 2009 and Fr Josue's research, his life has resurfaced.  Indeed as the Lord said in Isaiah 55:10-11:

For just as from the heavens, the rain, and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

For his missionary zeal, self-emptying love for his flock, and undaunted faith in the Lord, Apo Verzosa (as he would have been addressed by the Ilocano faithful) deserves to be raised to the altars. At a time when vocations to the priesthood is challenged, at a time when we put more importance on what we gain (e.g. wealth, power, prestige, etc.) rather than what we could give,  his example is worth emulating and celebrating.  In my book, he is the great Ilocano!

Bishop Verzosa, pray for us!

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Speaking of Iluko greats, there's another Verzosa whose holiness I hope would be recognized by the Church soon - Sr Pilar Verzosa, founder of Pro-Life Philippines. Sr Pilar and Apo Verzosa belong to the same clan. During her life, Sr Pilar was a staunch Pro-Life campaigner.

Another Pinay that's on my list is Aurora Quezon, wife of President Manuel L Quezon.  A simple woman who preferred to stay in her bahay kubo than the presidential palace, she was the country's Queen Mother.  I am touched when she declined the pension that Congress proposed to be given to her. She couldn't accept it as it was against the memory of her husband AND it was not wise to do so in light of the many women who lost their husbands and sons during the war at that time.

Such self-emptying life and service which, frankly speaking, is lacking or absent in the lives of those whom this world consider as great!