Updates on kidnapped Irish Columban priest.

MSN carries some stories on the kidnapping in the Philippines of Columban Father Michael Sinnott here under 'Latest National News'. There is an error in one headline: 'Italian priest' should read 'Irish priest'.

I haven't got any news from Columban sources about the reported sighting of the kidnapped priest. Please keep praying for his safe return. One hopeful thing is that so many are expressing their dismay at what has happened. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has denied any involvement. I believe them.

Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, on kidnapping of Fr Michael Sinnott

Sto Niño Cathedral, Pagadian City

Today's Philippine Daily Inquirer carries an article, Father Mick: a fighter for victims of injustice, by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo on the kidnapping of Fr Michael Sinnott last Sunday night in Pagadian City. Ms Doyo is one of the finest journalists in the Philippines, especially when it comes to the Church and its mission.

The article among other things, highlights Father Sinnott's love for children:

Eleven years ago, he set up Hangop Kabataan Foundation and a small school that attends to special children, including the blind, deaf and mute, colleagues said.

The school is about half a kilometer from the Columban house in Pagadian City, where Sinnott was seized.

After his heart surgery and needing to reduce his workload, Sinnott devoted his time to his charitable project.

“He considers the life of the children as more valuable than his own,” said fellow Columban missionary Fr. Sean Martin.

“Father Sinnott is very well-loved here,” Pagadian Mayor Samuel Co said. “He takes care of children, whether Christians or Muslims, especially those who are in need of attention due to physical disabilities.”

Full article here.

Statement by Bishop of Pagadian, Philippines, on kidnapping of Fr Michael Sinnott

Sto Niño Cathedral, Pagadian

FR. MICHAEL SINNOTT, A MAN OF PEACE

The priests, religious and lay people of the Pagadian Diocese are deeply saddened by the forcible abduction last night of Fr. Mick Sinnott, a Columban priest who has worked for a long time in the diocese and is giving an invaluable service to the people, especially the children, through the Hangop Kabataan Foundation. (This is the school for children with learning disabilities and for deaf children that Fr Sinnott opened about 12 years ago).

As we urge the people to pray for his safety, we also appeal to his abductors to treat him with respect and release him soonest. Fr. Mick is not in the best of health and badly needs his daily dosage of medicine. Whatever medicine he may have with him may only be good for a day. It is urgent that some arrangements be made to ensure that Fr. Mick gets his medicine.

So, let me reiterate my appeal to the good sense of the abductors to respect and provide Fr. Mick with all his needs, especially medical needs. He is a man of peace. Please allow him to go back to his charitable work.

+ Emmanuel T. Cabajar, C.Ss.R. DD.
Bishop of Pagadian
October 12, 2009

Update on kidnapped Fr Michael Sinnott

RTÉ Radio One, the main national radio station in Ireland, carried interviews this morning on Morning Ireland with the Columban Superior in the Philippines, Fr Patrick O' Donoghue, and with Fr Dan O'Malley, who lives in the same house where Fr Michael Sinnott was kidnapped last night. Father O'Malley is at home in Ireland at the moment.You will find links to the interviews here.


Pagadian City Hall

Columban priest abducted in Pagadian City, Philippines

Columban Father Michael Sinnott was abducted last night, Sunday 11 October, at 7:20 from the Columban house in Pagadian City by six armed men. He was the rector of the Columban seminary in Ireland when I was ordained in 1967. Father Sinnott was ordained in December 1954. Apart from his stint in the seminary he has spent all of his priesthood in the Philippines, mostly in Mindanao. I remember his first words in class when he was assigned to the seminary in Ireland: 'I wish I were back in the Philippines'.

Some years ago he had heart surgery. In recent years he has been working with young persons who are deaf and with children who have learning disabilities. Please pray for his safety.

Here is an Associated Press report by Jim Gomez:

MANILA, Philippines — Heavily armed men barged into a Catholic convent and kidnapped a 78-year old Irish priest late Sunday in the volatile southern Philippines before spiriting him away in a motor boat, an official said.

The six gunmen entered the Columban House in Pagadian city, Zamboanga del Sur province, and dragged Michael Sinnott into a van in front of his horrified aides, regional police commander Chief Supt. Angelo Sunglao said.

"They could not do anything because the abductors had powerful weapons," Sunglao told The Associated Press.

The van was later found abandoned and burned near the convent. The kidnappers then took the priest away by sea on board a motor boat toward a town called Tukuran, Sunglao said, citing fishermen who saw the abduction.

Police have been dispatched to pursue the kidnappers and rescue Sinnott, he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but suspicion could fall on Muslim guerrillas who have been fighting for a separate homeland in this region of the predominantly Catholic Philippines for decades and have in the past kidnapped foreigners, including priests.

Al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants and insurgents from the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front have a presence in the vast Zamboanga peninsula but Sunglao said it was too early to pinpoint any group.

Sinnott's group, the Missionary Society of St. Columban, confirmed his abduction, saying he was taking an evening stroll in the convent's garden when he was taken by the gunmen. The group appealed for prayers for his safe recovery.

Sinnott has worked in the Philippines for decades. The group said he was first assigned in the southern Philippines between 1957-66, then returned in 1976. He has been involved in a school for handicapped children since 1998.

Several priests have been kidnapped in recent years in the region.

An Italian priest, Giancarlo Bossi, was kidnapped allegedly by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf in nearby Zamboanga Sibugay province in June 2007 and freed after 39 days. The rebel front denied any involvement. The government then denied speculation that a ransom was paid to win Bossi's release.

Another Italian priest, Giuseppe Pierantoni, was abducted by a gang with links to Muslim rebels as he celebrated Mass in a church in Zamboanga del Sur in 2001. He was safely rescued by troops after six months.

In 1998, a third Italian priest, Luciano Benedetti, was kidnapped by suspected Muslim militants in Zamboanga del Norte province then freed after several weeks, reportedly in exchange for a huge ransom.

The 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been engaged in on and off peace talks with the government, has denied any involvement in kidnappings for ransom or any alliance with the smaller and more violent Abu Sayyaf.

The Abu Sayyaf is believed to have about 400 fighters. U.S. and Philippine security officials say it has received funds from al-Qaida and is suspected of sheltering militants from the larger Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Other reports: Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Irish Times, RTÉ (Irish national radio and TV service), Philippine Star.

'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord' - First Joyful Mystery

Fr Donnchadh Ó Floinn was a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin who wrote 201 short meditations in Irish Gaelic for The Far East, the monthly magazine of the Columbans in Ireland, from March 1949 and April 1967. In 2003 they were published by Foilseacháin Ábhair Spioradálta, which specializes in spiritual books in Irish and is run by the Jesuits, under the title Aibhleoga Crábhaidh, ‘Sparks of Devotion’. Fifty of these had come out in book form before under the same publisher in 1957 with the title Caoga Árdú Meanman, which could be translated as 'Fifty Raisings of the Spirit’. The editor of Aibhleoga Crábhaidh was Fr Iognáid Ó Maoleachlainn of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.

Father Ó Floinn’s spirituality was suffused with a deep devotion to Mary and many of his short articles were reflections on the mysteries of the rosary, though not in a systematic way. He sometimes returned to the same mystery a number of times.

During this month of October I’ll try to post translations of some of these. I’ll start with the First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation.

The Annunciation, El Greco, painted between 1595 and 1600. Like Father Ó Floinn, El Greco was drawn to this theme and did paintings of it in 1568 and between 1608 and 1614.

The Handmaid of the Lord
Banóglach an Tiarna

‘The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary’ – imagine that bright and glorious spirit in conversation with the young girl in the little town of Nazareth, and listen carefully to her answer. What should a person say when she receives a message from heaven? Should she say nothing at all? Or a lot, putting herself down? Mary gave as an answer only a dozen or so words, but those dozen words were full of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord’ – there are two things to note about that answer: firstly, it is the first thing every creature should say, because it shows the most basic root of our nature; secondly, it is an answer that embraces the whole life of the Virgin Mary- from Nazareth to heaven and from that March day to the edge of eternity.

Each person is by nature a slave of God. But it’s mostly to creatures that we are slaves: we are slave to ourselves, we are slaves to the gods of gold and silver, we are slaves to things that are insignificant, or to things, however noble and beautiful, that are passing – what wonder then that we become anxious when we’re at war with our own nature?

But Mary - who never spent a moment as a slave except to her Son: in Nazareth taking care of their little house; in Jerusalem watching during the Passion; waiting patiently to be taken to heaven; yes, and even in heaven today, the Queen of angels, isn’t she still the Handmaid of the Lord, guiding the Church and sharing graces?

Greetings from Murwillumbah, Australia

Greetings from Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Ausralia, not too far south of Brisbane, Queensland.