Fastbreak Reunion sa Union City, CA

Muling nagkita-kita after 37 years ang apat na Atenista...si Ando, Mel, Jess and Larry.

Siyempre kasama ang mga naggagandahang mga taga Canossa.

Ayan muna kuwento to follow...hehe.

Balik Tanaw sa Old Manila

Thank you very much Digital Image 2004 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries for the following pictures.

Mga classmates inabot ninyo pa ba na ganito ang mukha ng Maynila at Makati?

Sta. Cruz, Manila

Fort Santiago

Escolta

Pasig River(View from Post Office Lawton)

Manila(View from a building in T.M. Kalaw)

Dewey Blvd(Now Roxas Blvd.)

Quiapo Church

The Famous Avenida(Sta. Cruz, Manila)

Ayala, Makati

Maraming Salamat!

Pabling, Jun, Willie, Danny, Gemi,and Rouel,

After 37 years ay nagkita-kita rin tayo. Maraming salamat!

Ang sabi nga ay ang mga high school friends ay ang mga masayang kasama lalo na nga at umabot na tayo sa ganitong idad ng singkwenta. Dahil tayo ang magkakasama nuon habang nagdidiskubre sa ating mga buhay...

First 'ligaw'
First love
First 'basted'
First kiss
First beer
First 'yosi'
First barkada
First 'bomba' movies
First party

At lahat pa ng mga insecurities, pagsubok, at kakornihan ng buhay habang tinatahak ang ating pagbibinata.

Ang sarap pagkuwentuhan ang nakaraan after 37 years...so sweet and woderful...kasi parang kaylan lang ay dala-dala natin sa ating mga balikat ang mga problema nung high school at parang di yata natin malulusutan ang mga ito. At habang isa-isang binabalikan ang mga alaala ng mga taon sa loob ng school at talagang tunay na we had a great time reliving all those precious moments.

Ang daming kuwento ng lahat...ang sarap makinig ng kuwento na parang andun kaming lahat sa front-seat ng movie habang binabalikan ang bawat eksena ng mga pangyayari sa loob at labas ng school. May mga pangit at magagandang kuwento pero ang lahat ay naiwang magagandang alaala. Parang di yata maiiwasan ang mga pagsubok at conflicts nung panahon na iyon at kung isipin ko pa ay mukhang parte iyon lahat ng growing-up
together at makita ang ating mga sarili sa pakikibaka sa mga challenges ng high school life sa Ateneo.

Parang revelation ang ibang kwento sa mga asawa na nakikinig sa bawat naaalalang mga pangyayari ng pitong Atenista. Nandun ang kasarapan at casualness ng kuwento at biruan kahit unang pagkikita ito after 37 years...tunay na magkakapatid kay Kristo. Na siyang naging minolde ng Ateneo sa ating buhay.

Tatlong araw at gabi na di mapuknat sa kainan, kantahan, sayawan, kodakan, kuwentuhan, biruan at tawanan...tulog at paligo lang ang pahinga. Iba-ibang topics ang pinag-uusapan...sobrang lawak. Very matured ang dating ng kuwentuhan at biruan sa mga topics nang...health, family, love-life, buhay-buhay, at sex!! We all thought that was funny... na parang pinatutunayan na lagi tayong high school boys trapped in our now 50++ na katawan at buhay...hehe.

Ang sabi nga daw..."high school classmates are our friends for life". Andyan na magiging lawyers, doctors, business partners(o drinking partners), etc., at kaya makakasama natin sila sa ating buhay. Kapag nasa abroad ay malamang tutuloy tayo sa ating mga classmates ang vice versa. Sila ang mga taong ating pagkakatiwalaan...na madalas parang isang tunay na kapatid. At naalala ko tuloy ang kasabihan na "friends are the siblings God forgot to give us".

Sabi nga daw ng marami ang panahon nung high school ang isa sa pinakamasaya sa buhay ninuman. Pero ako...Itong reunion natin natutunan ko na nagiging mas masaya at di makakalimutan pa even after 37 years...na kung saan ang dating magkaka-eskwela ay nahasa ng mga ekspiriensya ng buhay at nahinog sa inabot na taon ng buhay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

Lahat Kay Kristo.

Chicago Seven

(PASENSIYA NA KUNG DI MAPANOOD ANG VIDEO DITO SA BLOG, I-CLICK NA LANG ANG WATCH ON YOUTUBE.DI PO KASI PUBLIC ANG VIDEO NA ITO. SALAMAT PO!)




Nagkita-kita ang pitong magkaka-eskwela ng Ateneo de San Pablo batch 1973 sa Chicago pagkatapos ng 37 years. Plus Boyet Diawatan('76) & Gabby Ilagan('70). Kasama rin ang mga naggagandahang mga dilag ng Canossa.

Nakapaka-memorable ang lahat ng mga nangyari. Kuwentong boys muna.

Unang-una ay nagpapasalamat kami sa Panginoong Diyos na naging tagumpay at napakasaya ang pagtitipon na ito sa Chicago. Pangalawa ang pasasalamat sa mga nanguna upang ito ay maging tagumpay. Maaraming salamat sa mga taga Chicago Jun/Asha, Boyet/Ely, Gemi, Danny at ang mga nangumbida sa mga kani-kanilang tahanan.

Jun/Asha - Maraming salamat sa pag-ampon sa amin. Binusog at inispoiled mo kaming lahat sa inyong tahanan. (Ang mga Atenista ang tumuloy sa bahay nila. Mga Canossa sa ay kina Boyet/Ely)

Gemi - Maraming salamat at nagkita-kita tayo. Sobrang bait ninyong magkapatid(Boyet/Ely) para maging tagumpay ang ang pagtitipon sa lahat ng araw.

Danny - Maraming salamat at nagkita rin ang 'Baon Gang' after 37 years at sa iyong pag-aasikaso sa grupo sa mga lakad hanggang sa huling araw.

Teka to be continued muli...kuwentong other boys.

Naito muna ang paunang mga pictures at video.

Reunion Invitation July 16-18, 2010

We Cannot Forget

Brother James Dunne, S.J. (1935-2003)

Part I (delivered at the wake Mass on Wednesday, July 17)

When Jim Dunne graduated from Grade School he asked his parents if he could become a Franciscan Brother. His parents asked him to wait for a few years.

Jim then enrolled at La Salle Academy in Lower Manhattan (not far from the future site of the Twin Towers). He enjoyed his stay with the Christian Brothers and he played on the varsity basketball team.

He then enrolled at Saint John’s University, in Brooklyn (not far from Queens (New York) where Jim Dunne lived). While he was studying in college Jim worked part time as a messenger for a firm on Wall Street (Lower Manhattan).

In 1956 Jim entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Saint Andrew on Hudson.

Sometime after Jim’s first vows as a brother he studied at the Georgetown University Hospital (Washington D.C.) and he received a certificate as a Practical Nurse. For a few years he served as Infirmarian at various scholasticates and colleges in the New York Province.

In 1966 Jim was assigned to teach English and Religion to first year students at the Ateneo de San Pablo. He was to stay there for eleven years until the Ateneo was closed.

Jim Dunne was a great believer in listening to book reports. For some years he heard over 1000 book reports a year. These reports would last fifteen minutes (for a total of 15,000 minutes, or 31 eight hour working days a year).

Jim was an active member of the Rotary Club and the moderator of the Rotary Club’s Interact Club for youth. Every Saturday morning he would train poor boys in marathon running (around Sampaloc Lake). Many of his charges won medals on the local and provincial levels.

Jim Dunne was a hard worker but he was not work-centered. He was people-centered. He loved to be with his Rotarians, his runners, his students, his friends on the faculty, and his fellow Jesuits. He loved to go out with the faculty for merienda after a full day’s work and they loved having him with them.

Jim Dunne was always concerned with the health of those in his care even if he was not so concerned with his own health.

He was accident prone. When he was twelve years old he was the catcher on a local sandlot baseball team. Somehow, someone took a full swing with the baseball bat and hit Jim Dunne on the back of the heard.He was knocked out and he didn’t recover until his mother spoke to him in the hospital. Jim was forever cracking a bone in his left or right elbow. If it wasn’t his knee it was a sprained ankle.

Jim Dunne was an encourager. He never got over-enthusiastic but he encouraged those who did. He had balance and because of this superiors gave him positions of authority. He was made Director of the school in 1972 until it closed in 1978. Jim was also made an honorary citizen of San Pablo City.

Jim rarely lost his patience but if he did he immediately invited the person out for a merienda. After that, the second part of the friendship was more solid than the first part. They say that when you crack a bone, calcium forms over the crack and the bone is stronger than it had ever been before. Some of Jim’s friendships were like that.

They say that detectives sometimes work in pairs and one detective makes it hard for the suspect. Then the second detective comes in with a soft approach. When there would be disciplinary case in San Pablo I would sometimes insist on justice. Jim Dunne would always go for mercy. Jim Dunne often saw the vein of gold inside a student who had got himself in trouble. He saved many students by believing in them and following up on them. Many students have never forgotten what he did for them.

Jim Dunne tried his best to learn Tagalog. He did not succeed with great success but it was not because he did not give it his best shot.

Jim was a very good judge of people: students, teachers, parents, and Jesuits. His judgments were always insightful and charitable.

He had a fantastic memory for names of students and Alumni. He was a good speller. Whenever I had my doubts about a spelling and there was no dictionary available, Jim Dunne never failed me with the correct spelling.

He loved to come home and tell stories about his students, his runners, the Rotarians, the teachers, his visit to a sick person in the hospital, etc. He didn’t hesitate to tell stories about his own occasional foibles.And his stories got better and better in the telling.

He had plenty of time for others. No one ever felt rushed in his presence.

He couldn’t sing but he loved to listen to good music. He also loved to read good paperback books. He always was on the look-put for good spiritual books which could help him personally and also which could help him in giving recollections and talks.

Jim never showed any bitterness when the Jesuits were required to leave San Pablo City. He remained just as positive and up-beat as he always was.

He died when he was 67 years old, 47 years a Jesuit, 36 years in the Philippines, 24 years at the Ateneo de Manila, for 16 years I lived in companionship with him, and for XXX 11 years he served and laughed with the people of San Pablo City.

I am sure that the Master has already said to Jim Dunne what he said many years ago, “Well done, you good and faithful servant!”

Part II (delivered at the funeral Mass on Saturday, July 20)

Eighteen years ago someone said to me, “Why don’t we say good things about a person before he dies? Why do we wait to say these things after he has died?”

I agreed with these sentiments and I decided then to write down all the good things that I could say about Jim Dunne. I discovered that what I had written had turned into an anticipated obituary.

Before typing the final copy I showed the draft to Fr. Jim O’Donnell and to Fr. Jim O’Brien for their comments.

I typed up the obituary and I gave a copy to Jim Dunne. I also gave a copy to Jim’s brother (Richard) as well as a copy to the assistant to Fr. Provincial (Fr. Hernando Maceda). Perhaps this copy is still in the files of Brother Dunne. I still have my own copy which I show to you now.

Jim’s move to the Ateneo de Manila in 1979 did not change him in any way. It only gave him more exposure to more people.

He was still positive and up-beat and especially interested in people who were finding life hard.

Early every morning he would take long fast strides to the Ateneo high school to teach Religion and to his office as Student Counselor. He moderated the Paya basketball team and then the Prada team. Little by little he was given more and more responsibilities. He became the Head Student Counselor, the Head of the College Residence Halls and the Prefects, the Director of Student Affairs, Director of Spiritual Formation, Director of Admissions in the High School, the Assistant Principal for Formation and the Head of Campus Ministries. When Fr. Joe Cruz became ill, Jim Dunne was made Acting Principal for some months.

Jim Dunne was also given more responsibilities among his fellow Jesuits.He was made a House Consultor in the Jesuit Residence. He represented the Jesuit Brothers in meetings outside the Philippines. He was elected by all Jesuits in the Philippines to be a delegate to the Philippine Province Congress. In 1991 the Ateneo de Manila University awarded him the Bukas Palad Award for his “unselfish work.”

Jim Dunne didn’t waste money but he didn’t hesitate to spend money on the needy and on poor students. I noticed this especially because I myself sometimes am reluctant to let go of money. Jim was truly bukas palad.

Jim Dunne loved to come home to the Jesuit Residence and tell his stories about his boarders, his applicant to the high school, their parents and intercessors, the students he visited in the hospital, the basketball players, their coaches and the referees. His stories sometimes went on late into the night but he never failed to be awake at 4:30 A.M.

He supervised the high school Exposure Program among the poor. He reorganized and revitalized the Days With the Lord, attending over 185 sessions.

He loved to see wide screen movies. He loved comedies, musicals, and the dramas of the Philippine Repertory Theatre. Two parents always gave him season tickets (for two ) to the Repertory. Jim would always invite with him a boarder, a teacher, or a Jesuit who needed a break (me, sometimes).

He was secure in his vocation as a Jesuit brother. He never envied anybody. Though he had many good qualities which others did not have he never showed pride over others. He knew that he was exactly where God wanted him to be and doing exactly what God wanted him to do.

I cannot imagine anyone taking Jim’s illness as well as he took his illness for more than ten years.

Jim never wanted to neglect his friends and the Alumni in San Pablo City. He would always attend their reunions every December 30, Rizal Day, and coming back to Manila by car we would have so much fun talking about people we had seen. “Did you see so and so? Did you hear what happened last month?” etc.

Three nights, ago, when many friends from San Pablo City came to the wake of Jim Dunne, we had a very nice reunion with many stories. When I was returning to the Jesuit Residence from the wake, like so many times in the past, I wanted to share with Jim Dunne the many things that had happened at the wake. But there was no Jim Dunne to share them with.

Someday I will share with Jim Dunne the stories of his wake. It will be just like old times, as we had done during his 36 years in the Philippines.

Well done, Jim. You have truly been a faithful servant — and friend.

John Chambers, S.J.

Remembering Fr. John Chambers, SJ

He was “Johnny” to his family. He was a gold standard athlete in the days of his youth. He was the team captain of the Bronx-Manhattan PAL Junior basketball champions. He was a heartthrob baseball player. He was a dashing young gentleman during his senior prom. That was John Chambers before he entered the Society of Jesus in 1951.

As a Jesuit, Fr John Chambers had several loves in life.

First, John loved his students. The students he taught at the Ateneo de San Pablo, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola College of Culion, and Ateneo de Zamboanga University, he loved them all. He personally related with them. He touched their lives deeply.

He was always available for students: confessions, small talks, Masses, counseling and so on. During recess time, one would notice him standing, smiling and interacting with students. One student, after learning the death of John, exclaimed: “The Ateneo de Zamboanga University lost 40% of its character.” Now, I’m wondering how we can survive with what is left.

Second, John loved life and laughter. People have often asked him: “what is the tubao on your left shoulder?” To that question, his response was: “I’m celebrating Life. Isn’t Life worth celebrating?” His laughter was infectious. One member of our community remarked: “John was lighthearted.” He had a way of making us laugh when we were so serious about life, although I must admit sometimes he was the only one laughing at his jokes. He had a way of initiating a conversation when no one was talking. He had a way of laughing at himself – one that certainly made him go through life with a fair amount of humor.

Third, John loved preaching. Once I asked the late Fr John Moran SJ: “Who is your favorite preacher?” Without batting an eyelash he said: “John Chambers.” Even if some of his jokes with matching theatrical and facial expressions were repeated, sometimes they were still a smashing hit. His homilies were simple and clear. Often they led people to encounter the Lord. One need not agree with him at times, but he delivered his points in clear and simple terms.

Fourth, John loved the Society and the Church. He loved the company of his brother Jesuits. He was certainly a community man. He took care of me in Culion in 1993-94 when I was a baby priest, although I must confess we had a Spartan way of life. Back in Culion he told me that he missed the company of his brothers. Culion was (and perhaps still is) an isolated island. During our time together, there was no internet, no texting, no cell phone. Once a week there was a newspaper, and since it had to be shipped from Manila, it was one week delayed. By the time it reached Culion, we knew more or less the news through the radio. He loved to be with the people in Culion. He was always available for them. Despite two hours of riding on a banca (motored launch) to go to a destino (a far-flung chapel), he never complained, although he would remind people to be on time – one of his persistent never-ending crusades.

Finally, John loved Christ. He was truly Christ-centered. The title of his Sunday reflections published as books for lay people is: With Eyes Fixed on Jesus. In his homilies, there was always this constant reference to Christ being the center of our lives. Today, on this feast of the holy innocents, it seems fitting that we send off a man who in some sense was childlike. He had a “free child” in him. He liked sweets. He loved ice-cream and pastries. Playful, cheerful, smiling, jester, jolly - these are some words that one can use to describe his childlikeness.

John expired shortly before Christmas midnight. At the moment of the birth of Jesus, it was also his birth to new life. With grateful hearts we thank the Lord for giving us John Chambers – a man of great loves. John constantly reminded us to celebrate life, all the more then must we celebrate his birth to a new life.

---Excerpts from the

Homily on the Occasion of the Funeral of Fr. John E. Chambers, SJ by

Fr. Antonio F. Moreno, SJ

Fr. John Chambers, SJ

Dr. Guillermo M. Pesigan, 1945-2005

"To presage a safe journey here and in the next life, Filipinos arm themselves with prayers, magical incantations, novenas and anting-antings, or amulets, until the soul passes through rocks, rivers, caves, falls and peaks, all of them 'doorways' that lead to Celestial Bliss." (From "Soul People")

Dr. Pesigan died last Saturday, April 16, 2005. It was only last December that he discovered he had lung cancer. His friends evenraised money to help him pay his hospital bills.

A wake was held in the Ateneo de Manila University, at the Immaculate Conception Chapel, Gonzaga Hall, until midnight last night. His body is now in San Pablo City, his home town in Laguna.

He is survived by his family, including a handful of grandchildren.

Gimo, as his friends call him, received his MA in 1980 from the Ateneo. He later received his Ph.D. in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines. More recently, he served as President of the American Studies Association of the Philippines. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo, the first college established by the local government of San Pablo City.

Dr. Pesigan, an Associate Professor in the English Department, has been teaching most of his life at the Ateneo. He started teaching at Ateneo de San Pablo (sometime during the late 1960s and early 1970s) and later moved on to Ateneo de Manila.

Aside from teaching, his life's work focused on understanding the deep and old cultures in Laguna, particularly communities like Ciudad Mistica in Mount Banahaw.

His books include Old Ties and New Solidarities: Studies on Philippine Communities (Ateneo Press, 2000), which he co-edited with Charles JH Macdonald, and his more famous Dulang-buhay ng Bundok Banahaw: Karanasan ng Ciudad Mistica (UP, 1992).

Related links:

• Dr. Pesigan's home page, last updated November 2000
  
• His Syllabus for English 13, last updated September 2000

Dr. Pesigan was interviewed for a feature article in Tipong Pinoy, the newsletter by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, October 8, 2004 issue:

"Ayon kay Guillermo M. Pesigan,... ang mga Pilipino daw, naaagpawan ang krisis at mga problema sa pamamagitan ng pananalig at relihiyon. Ito raw ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagsasabi ng 'Bahala na, Bathala,' na nagpapahiwatig na isinasa-Diyos na lang natin ang lahat. Ang sabi ni Pesigan, buo ang pananalig natin na ang kamay ni pag wala tayong maisip na solusyon sa problema. Ang 'bahala na,' ay hango sa Bathala ang huhubog ng ating kapalaran. Bumabalik tayo sa pananalig ng ating cycles--pagtatanim at pag-aani--sa pagtingin natin sa krisis."

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