AFTER all the tears and united prayer vigils for kidnapped Columban Father Michael “Mick” Sinnot, city residents are now preparing to wave their flags and roll the red carpet for the priest who is set to arrive here next week.
Accompanying Sinnott will be his superior in the Missionary Society of St. Columban (MSSC) Fr. Patrick O’Donoghue.
Sinnott was freed by his captors last Nov. 12 in Zamboanga City. He flew to Manila for a series of medical tests and is presently resting at the St. Columban House in Singalong.
The Interfaith Forum for Solidarity and Peace, the same group that held a sequence of prayer rallies during Sinnott’s captivity and the staff of Hangop Kabataan Foundation said they are very happy on news of the Irish priest’s homecoming.
Bishop Emmanuel “Manny” Cabajar said Sinnott will be here on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and will then proceed to the Hangop Center in Aquino St., a stone’s throw from the San Jose Parish, where his well-wishers will render a short program for him.
Cabajar added that he is set to give his welcome address, to be followed by an interpretative singing performance by the children of Hangop, then a reading of the Bible by Fr. Dodo Suarin and the Koran by Sultan Maguid Maruhom.
Maruhom is the chairperson of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society in Pagadian and executive director of Ummah Fi Salam, a Muslim faith-based organization working with the Catholic faith-based Socio-Pastoral Institute (SPI) implementing a Christian Aid funded interfaith program entitled “Building Darusalam or Peace Communities” in urban poor Moro communities in Zamboanga del Sur.
After the scripture readings, representatives from the tri-peoples group—Subanen, Muslim and Christian—will share their stories and encounters while Sinnott was in captivity for 31-days.
Governor Aurora Cerilles, who created and chaired the Crisis Management Committee tasked to look for Sinnott, will likewise deliver her message. Sinnott will then give his response and O’Donoghue, his closing remarks.
Cabajar commented that the incident befalling on Sinnott, his safe release and his homecoming played a part in giving a moral lesson to the faithful in their everyday experiences, in their effort for solidarity, the hope for lasting peace in Mindanao and as an inspiration to help and promote Sinnott’s selfless mission to Zamboanga del Sur.
Meanwhile, the MSSC in Ireland, through Fr Malachy Smyth, who is based in Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath, thanked the role played by the media in covering the abduction and subsequent release of Sinnott.
“Even though the ordeal happened on the other side of the world, people in Ireland were able to stay in touch with events through the competent way the press dealt with the kidnapping. This was a great relief to his family, to his Columban colleagues, to his friends and to a large segment of the Irish public who showed such sympathetic interest in the plight of this courageous missionary,” Smyth said in the Columban’s blog.
“We believe that this sustained coverage by the media helped in no small way in bringing the kidnapping to a peaceful resolution. As missionaries we knew from the previous kidnapping of the late Fr Desmond Hartford (1997) and the late Fr Rufus Halley (2001) that the kidnapping could have ended in great pain or even death. A happy ending, without violence or any loss of life, was our fervent wish and prayer,” he added.
“We are also grateful that the media brought to the attention of the Irish people the sterling service that Fr Michael and missionaries like him have given in economically poor communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America for decades,” Smyth wrote.
REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA