HE GAVE ME A "B+"

Meet Father Leonidas Contos.

A rather dapper, sophisticated and distinguished man, wouldn't you think? And he was.

It was 1988 and I needed to take a class from outside the Dominican school of theology where I was matriculating.

The Dominican school was one of nine different theology schools that made up a consortium. To ensure that students took classes in more than one school, it was required that students take no less than one third of their classes from schools other than the one they were registered at.

I was loathe to take any classes from the Protestant schools (all far left liberal). I couldn't find an enticing class at that time with the Jesuits and the Franciscans, so I decided to take a class with the Greek Orthodox! At least they believed in the divinity of Jesus, had valid orders and greatly esteemed the Virgin Mary!

On the first day of class, I sat down with two other students. Yes, there were only three of us taking some class with Father (and Doctor) Leonidas Contos, a Greek Orthodox priest who sounded and acted more like an English parson. Cool, suave, debonair. Always in clerical collar and tweed jacket. A native of Connecticut, he earned his doctorate from Oxford.

He spoke in soft tones and leisurely, as if he were speaking to a handful of intimates, and he was!

We were graded on only one thing - a final paper at the end of the semester.

I decided to write a paper showing how even the Greek Church in the early centuries believed in papal supremacy as evidenced by their actions. I read the early Greek church histories : Eusebius, Socrates and Sozomen. Greek historians for a Greek professor!

I tried to show from the Greek historians themselves that, in practice, if not by explicit statements, the Greeks looked to the Bishop of Rome as having the final say in church controversies. I showed how Athanasius and many other orthodox bishops fled to Rome when the Arians took control of diocese after diocese. How the Bishop of Rome believed he had the right to scold erring bishops in the East and order them to set things right. And how eastern bishops bristled at papal reprimands. Obviously, eastern bishops felt the weight of Roman pronouncements. So forth and so on.

When I got my paper back, I saw that Father Contos gave me a B+.

A small sacrifice to make in defense of papal supremacy!

TAN EBI'

Down the street and on the other side of it lived two older sisters whom I knew only as Tan Ebi' and Tan Da.

Later I learned that Ebi' meant Nieves and Da was for Soledad. Tan Ebi' never married and so kept her maiden name San Nicolas. Tan Da was married and her married name was Mesa.

Like many of the older Chamorro women I knew when I was a child, the sisters were quiet and gentle. Tan Ebi' seemed to be the more sprightly one and Tan Da the more serene. Like many of us who didn't live far from the church, they would walk to Mass.

Those were the days when children were seen, not heard. I couldn't speak Chamorro anyway. Tan Da it seemed spoke more English than Tan Ebi'. Till the day she died, I never heard Tan Ebi' say a single word in English, though I am sure she spoke some.

It was when I was already a Capuchin brother than Tan Ebi' finally started speaking to me, and even more when I became a priest. It was all in Chamorro.

She would almost always tell me, "Hågo på'go si Påle' Román," "You are now Father Román," or words to that effect. Påle' Román was a pre-war Spanish friar with a longish white beard and a long nose and I suppose I reminded her of him.

Tan Ebi' was a member of the Franciscan Third Order and often wore her brown dress to Mass, as seen in the picture above.

There isn't really much else to say except that people like Tan Ebi' made me feel good about myself and the world I grew up in. Nice, simple people. Religious. They came to Mass and talked to God and all the saints. Nothing ostentatious. Gentle and sincere smiles.

I miss seeing people like Tan Ebi'.

THE 1978 CAUCUS

The 15th Guam Legislature (1979)

Front (L-R) : Unpingco, San Agustin, T Palomo, Espaldon, Kasperbauer, Blas, Taitano, Charfauros, Quan, Santos, Quitugua

Back (L-R) : B. Palomo, Crisostomo, Duenas, Aguon, Tanaka, Underwood, Bamba, Lamorena, Sudo, Perez


In my late teens, I was very involved in Guam politics. Every day after school, I could be found at the Guam Legislature. I was also a member of the Guam Youth Congress three terms and Speaker of the last of those terms.

In the 1978, we saw the election of a Republican Governor (Paul Calvo) and a legislature with a Republican majority. That was a first and it hasn't been repeated very often to have both branches of government in GOP hands.

As usual, I was hanging around the Legislature the evening the 14 members of the Republican majority of the newly-elected 15th Guam Legislature met in caucus to elect the new speaker. The caucus started around 6pm and all the employees had left the building. Only the security guard, a man we all called Balajadia, was left behind and he could not leave the building.

Besides myself and a good friend, the only other people present in the entire building were Kin Blaz, Executive Director of the Guam Legislature, and Bob Torres, one of the campaign leaders of the victorious Calvo-Ada team. Both were hanging out in Kin Blaz's office, waiting to see who might be elected Speaker. Rufo Taitano would come in and out of the building, also curious who would win the speakership. Other than us, no one else was around.

The caucus met in the back meeting room and we were told to stay a certain distance away, so as not to hear the voices in the caucus. My friend and I hung out in the lobby area of the building next to the session hall.

DINNER FROM CHIN FEE

At around 7pm, Katherine Aguon walked out of the meeting to call my friend and I to the meeting room. At the door, we were asked to go pick up dinner for the caucus members. Benigno Palomo gave us cash (easily $100 or more) and asked us to get the food from House of Chin Fee, an old Chinese place. We were not told to order anything specific. My friend and I went and got an assortment of Chinese standards sure to please everyone.

YET ANOTHER DINNER

Closer to 10pm, the caucus was over and we heard who won. But, the senators wanted to celebrate with yet another meal and insisted that my friend and I go with them. This time, dinner was at King's at the Gibson Shopping Center, what is now Guam Premium Outlets. My friend and I sat at the same tables with the senators but at our own corner.

THE WINNER

When the caucus first adjourned close to 10pm, my friend and I went into the meeting room to put it in order. I saw notes with vote tallies left on the table. But it was impossible to put together, from those notes alone, how the voting went all night.

But, the next day, one of the senators told my friend and I the whole story. I will leave out some details, as so many of these individuals are still with us!

The Republican majority were looking at three candidates for speakership. Tommy Tanaka, Frank Blas and Tony Palomo. For some reason, the Republicans agreed since the beginning that the candidates had to lose twice before one was elected Speaker.

There was no clear winner on the first ballot. But, by the 2nd ballot, the candidate who garnered the fewest votes earlier decided to take his name out of the race. Thus, the 2nd ballot was between two candidates only, and Tommy Tanaka was the man who won speakership on that 2nd ballot.

Also elected that night was the powerful Rules Committee chairman, and that went to Tony Unpingco.

AN EDUCATION IN LIFE & HUMAN NATURE

I was only 16 years old when I witnessed, to some extent, the election of the Speaker of the 15th Guam Legislature.

I spent three years in my teens actively involved in politics, as soon as the school bell sounded the end of the school day.

This experience was quite an education that I believe helped me prepare for the priesthood, where one has to know human nature very well, among many other things.

WHEN SISTER "SAVED" THE SCHOOL

Sister Marie Pierre Martinez, RSM

Sister Pierre (RIP), who is being buried today on Guam, did not claim to save the school. But others said that she did.

The school was Mount Carmel School in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan. The time was the early 1970s.

Capuchin Father Arnold Bendowske, pastor of Saipan, with the help of the Mercedarian Sisters and the lay people, opened the school in 1953 and gradually expanded the school to include high school grades by 1957, the first and only high school in Saipan at the time.

By 1969, the school started to enter a period of uncertain direction. The Mercedarian Sisters no longer provided one of their own to head the school as principal. A layman was hired as principal. The school's finances were not in good shape. There were fears that the school might have to close.

It was then that Bishop Felixberto Flores, in 1972, turned specifically to Sister Pierre to accept the challenge to go up to Saipan and take over the school and, in essence, save it from being closed.

After discussing things with her superior, she said yes. She asked that she be allowed to ask another Mercy sister of her choice to join her in Saipan in this new mission. This request was granted and she asked then-sister Therese Perez (Quichocho) to accompany her to Saipan.

Sister Pierre (front, center)

with clergy and religious in Saipan

Front row : Sr Bertha Salazar, MMB, Sr Pierre, Sr Felicia Plaza, MMB

Back row : Fr Tony Egan, OFM Cap, Fr Arnold Bendowske, OFM Cap, Fr Jose Villagomez, OFM Cap

A UNIQUE SOLUTION

When Sister Pierre began the school year, the Trust Territory government had stepped in to assist the school in staying open. The government had every reason to do so. It had only opened the public high school in 1969, and since the island already had an established, Catholic high school many years older than the new public high school, the government never planned for the public high school to handle all the island's high school student population. If Mt Carmel had closed, the public high school would not be able to absorb all the students in need of an education. The government had every motive for stepping in to help keep Mt Carmel School open.

The government therefore agreed to be responsible for Mt Carmel School's finances for one year; to collect the tuition money and pay the bills, dipping into government funds when necessary.  No public money would go directly to religious activities. With finances more or less on a stable footing now, Sister Pierre put her energy into getting together a good faculty and winning back the trust and confidence of parents.

Originally agreeing to head the school for one year, by the end of that year, everyone was begging Sister Pierre to stay on at least one more year. Things were getting better and better.

Both Sister Pierre and Sister Therese agreed to stay one more year. It was clear that the school would not close now. The school stayed open, and is open and running to this day.

When the two sisters packed their bags and prepared for their return to Guam, the government and people of Saipan expressed in many ways, officially and personally, their tremendous appreciation for the sisters, especially for Sister Pierre. Quite simply, as Bishop Flores said to Sister, she had "saved" the school.

THE "ONE" DEMOCRAT

Antonio Borja Won Pat and Ana Salas Perez Won Pat

My family was almost exclusively Territorial and then Republican.

Only recently have some, in the younger generations, supported other parties.

Many in the family also keep very quiet about politics.

But back in the 1950s and 60s, the more vocal members of the family were publicly Territorial and then Republican. Five members of my family have been elected senators; all of them Territorial or Republican.

But the one Democrat some of my older relatives very openly supported was Antonio Borja Won Pat. This was interesting on several counts.

First, my Uncle Ben Reyes, a two-term senator (they were called Congressmen in the 50s and 60s) was not only in the party opposite Won Pat, Uncle Ben was also one of those in the 3rd Guam Legislature who booted out Won Pat as Speaker and put in his place Francisco B. Leon Guerrero.

Secondly, in those days, campaigns often involved personal attacks. Won Pat and Uncle Ben were always in rival parties and, though I never heard that they ever personally attacked each other, some of their colleagues certainly did.

Thirdly, Won Pat was said to have been a Mason or, at least, not closely allied to the Church. Uncle Ben, on the other hand, and especially his vocal wife, Auntie Ana, were "church people."

But it wasn't just Uncle Ben and Auntie Ana who supported Won Pat when Won Pat ran for the U.S. Congress election after election. My very religious grandma and grand aunts did the same, though more quietly.

I remember my Auntie Ana telling me in the 1970s, and I wasn't even a voter yet, "He's the only Democrat I vote for." Of course, only she knew what she did in the privacy of the voting booth.

The reason was personal. Won Pat's wife, Tan Ana, was a distant relative and close friend. In fact, in post-war Sinajana, the Won Pat's were neighbors until he packed up and moved to Washington, DC in the mid 60s as our Delegate and then Representative. The Won Pat house in Sinajana still stands, though now in another owner's hands.

Tan Ana'n Won Pat was a Perez on two sides; her father's non-Chamorro side and her mother's Chamorro side. The blood connection was through that maternal line.

But it was more than blood. Uncle Ben, or Auntie Ana, I forget which, was a godparent to one of the Won Pat kids. Old man Won Pat was not churchy, but his wife Tan Ana remained a practicing Catholic.

The Won Pats, parents and children

When Tan Ana passed away in the mainland and her remains were brought to Guam for final burial at the Veterans Cemetery, I was asked to officiate at the Catholic rites because of this family connection.

THE OTHER EXCEPTION

"Doc" Sanchez

Politics often brings out some funny sides to people's personalities and the election of 1976 certainly did with Auntie Ana.

Not only did she support another Democrat, she supported one who was running against Won Pat!

Pedro C. Sanchez, popularly called "Doc Sanchez," had been an academic all his life. In 1974, he was president of the University of Guam but decided to make a go of politics and run for governor. He lost the primary, coming in number two after Ricky Bordallo.

In 1976, he decided to challenge Won Pat for the Washington seat as a Democrat.

He got Auntie Ana's Republican vote.

When explaining why she supported him, she told me it was because of two things. First, she was proud of his PhD - a Chamorro who got the highest academic degree possible.

Secondly, and in her own words, she voted for him because "he brought a soul into the Catholic Church." Sanchez's wife, Flo, was born a Methodist but became a Catholic (and a very devout one) to marry Sanchez.

So, Auntie Ana said, "Even though he's a Democrat, I'm voting for him because he brought a soul into the Catholic Church."

No animosity towards Won Pat. But, this alone was enough reason for Auntie Ana to change her vote.

When Doc Sanchez lost the primary in 1976 against Won Pat, Auntie Ana went back to supporting her compadre.

LAY MISSIONARY

Philip Holzmeister

Lay missionaries - men and women who are neither priests, nor religious brothers nor sisters - have been a part of Church ministry since the first days of the Church in the times of the Apostles.

Many times they get little to no attention. So, it's not surprising that many people outside of the older people of Yoña would have heard of Philip Holzmeister.

He was one such lay missionary who have a large part of his life to the parish of Saint Francis in Yoña.

Having attended Saint Francis School myself for six years, I remember seeing Phil, but I had no idea who he was and why he was always seen at Saint Francis Church.

His brother, Father Adrian Holzmeister, was a Capuchin priest. Through him, Philip learned about the Guam mission and its many needs.

It was a time of tremendous building projects - churches, rectories, schools and convents - as Guam was recovering from World War II and as the island population expanded.

Saint Francis Church & School, Yoña

1950s

Phil found himself going to Yoña to help Father Alvin LaFeir, one of the primary "builder missionaries." The photo above shows the huge parish complex that Father Alvin spearheaded. Most of the labor came from the volunteer parishioners. Phil certainly had a lot of work to do every day. His work included physical and manual labor in the construction and thereafter the maintenance of the parish buildings.

Phil was a quiet man who drew no attention to himself. As a lay missionary, he was not paid a salary but the Capuchins took care of all his material needs, which were few.

When Phil died, he was buried alongside the Capuchin friars in Togcha.

REST IN PEACE, PHIL

He gave his life to the Church on Guam.

even his body lies in our soil.

A GENTLE REPROOF

I must have been 13 or 14 years old; just entering my rebellious teen years.

One particular day I was giving my Auntie Ana (above) an especially hard time just being a contrary, noisy chatterbox, bouncing off the walls, really.

Not once in my whole life did Auntie Ana ever lay a hand on me, though I did see her spank others. But, that day, her patience was wearing thin with me and, what she didn't do with her hand, she did with her icy stare and sharp scolding.

Uncle Ben (above), on the other hand, was the incarnation of gentleness.

I suppose he had had enough, too, but he had a different approach.

In a very calm tone, he said to me, "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Every boy wants to be shown something. I followed him into his little study, where he kept all his books and filing cabinets.

He took down his huge Webster's Dictionary and looked up a certain word. When he had found it, he pointed to it and  asked me to read out loud the term and its definition. This was it :

As soon as I read it, I felt a tinge of guilt.

Uncle Ben's method of "correction" spared me an abundance of guilt and humiliation. His method gave me just enough guilt to quiet me down. Not only did I quiet down, Auntie Ana and Uncle Ben continued with their day as if nothing had happened. I don't think I was ever rambunctious again with Auntie Ana.

Not only did he correct my behavior, he made me increase my English vocabulary!

Sometimes, this is all we need in order to correct ourselves :

Uncle Ben was a wise man.