As I write this post, the Padre is still in captivity with no proof of life since his abduction two months ago.
The Padre has been working as a missionary in a parish in Zamboanga Sibugay after saying mass, he was captured by armed men and since then no contact with the Padre or his kidnappers has been made.
I just attended mass at a Carmelite monastery celebrated by priests from the Padre's mission. In the homily, the priest said that a letter from his niece read: I am not worried about you because I know you are a true disciple. In these times, I use to wonder about the relevance of missionaries. I realized that I have a very limited view of their roles. I was brought up and made to believe that they were to convert natives to the faith. And my tearse Catholic education did not make a change. It was the Padre's abduction in a way which made me realize that doing missionary work is not converting others who don't believe but also converting those who believe into understanding. Christ did not come and forced Himself on us. He came and showed us and in the process made us see good in our paths to Redemption. And the Padre has been doing that. As a true disciple, as I gathered, one need not be afraid. The Padre's abduction has been touching lives and is becoming a strong statement of his work.
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