Father Joeker

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

‘STAT’ STRUCK

During our Renewal Course in Steyl, Holland, our group was to report last. ‘That’s good,’ I thought, ‘since many things would have been reported already.  I’ll just shorten my report.’ ‘You must report all the details even if they have been reported already,’ said Fr Peter McHugh SVD, our professor, who at once read my intentions. Luckily, while I was reporting, photographers of Steyl Mission Magazine, Stat Gottes, barged in to take pictures of our class, distracting my audience. Saved by the bell!

COMMON GROUND

When the Philippine Consulate opened in Ghana in February 2001  the ceremony began an hour late. In his welcoming remarks, Mr Alex Quarmyne, a Ghanaian married to a Filipina and the first Honorary Consul, said, ‘Ghana and the Philippines have many similarities – one of which is time. The Philippines has “Filipino time”, just like our “Ghana time”’.

EAGER DEFENDER

Back in our house in Accra, I was asked why I was delayed coming back from my vacation. I was about to answer when suddenly Fr Thomas D’ Mello SVD from India sprang to my defense, ‘Because Father Joe easily forgets and at times he doesn’t remember’, he said amidst the group’s laughter.

MISNOMER

I shared this story with the Pink Sisters in New Washington, Aklan, one Holy Week. A mother and her son visited a convent where they found the Sisters at their Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament, encased in a monstrance. Curious, the son asked the mother about the monstrance and received a good explanation from her. A week later, during her home visits, one of the Sisters saw the boy running excitedly to his mother saying, to his mother’s embarrassment, ‘Mama! Mama! She’s here! She looks like the monstrance!’ Bowing low in apology, the mother explained, ‘Sister, he means, your face radiates the Lord. As the monstrance carries the Lord so does your face reflect Him,’ an explanation that delighted the visitor. A ‘monstrous’ escape indeed!