What Does Mission Mean to Me?

Fr. Peter gives supplies to a graduate of the Indigenous Peoples’ Education Program. Much of Father’s Missionary work has been spent tirelessly fighting for equal opportunities for these neglected people.

By Fr. Peter Geremia, PIME

Fr. Peter Geremia, PIME Missionary in the Philippines, has seen much of the uglier side of inequality and government persecution during his time in his Mission homeland; including violence that ended in the martyrdom of two of his close friends. However, these threats have never been able to deter him from his Mission of mercy.

I discovered “mission” by becoming a missionary. I grew up in Italy near Venice during World War 2, which caused many killings and destruction in our area. I heard that the war spread to the whole world, so I began dreaming of becoming a missionary to spread peace all over the world. At first, it was mostly a sense of adventure, then I got to know the PIME missionaries and I entered their seminary in Treviso, a town in ruins because of the war.

After college, I was sent to Detroit, USA for theology. That was the time of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II. Pope John XXIII and the Vatican Council launched a deep renewal of the Catholic Church: from a European church to a World church, from Latin liturgies to liturgies in all languages of the world, from Western Culture to World Culture, from no salvation outside of our church to salvation for all.

At the same time, the renewal movement led me to discover the original historical Jesus, and His original Good News: His Mission to build the Kingdom of God starting from the Poor, as a new way of life and a new system uniting people in sharing everything. The new vision of mission challenged me to become a witness or an agent of the Kingdom of God. Then, I discovered that God and His Kingdom was already present among the poor who help each other in solidarity while they suffer oppression by the global economic system of exploitation which continues to cause wars, destruction of the environment and mass poverty all over the world.

I volunteered to live among the squatters in Tondo, then in Mindanao among Tribals, Muslims and Christian Settlers struggling to survive in apparently hopeless situations. I discovered that the starving masses could not experience the Good News of Jesus to the poor in the beautiful churches and liturgical shows where the rich show off their wealth, their pride and glory, while continuing to exploit the poor. Staying with the poor, I felt Jesus’ presence when they gradually united in grassroots organizations practicing mutual help but also claiming their rights as God’s children.

Fr. Peter says a Mass in the mountains of the Philipppines.

I discovered that Jesus’ Kingdom is open to all who practice His way of Mercy and Compassion and become Good Samaritans like Him. This Kingdom is not very visible externally, but it grows in families and organizations and communities where people care for one another and share what they have and what they are, ready to ask forgiveness and to forgive, so as to experience the “Koinonia” or the common life, leading to the Justice and Peace and Joy of the Kingdom. I keep on asking, “Is it possible to spread this Kingdom all over our crazy world? Are we sure that we ourselves have entered this kingdom and practice this common life of sharing?” I continue to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom in our Masses or Liturgies among the Christians and in seminars and dialogues and community programs among the Tribals, Muslims and Christian farmers. I repeat Jesus promise “Seek you first the Kingdom of God and all things will be given to you” (Mt. 6:33)

Now, after a missionary journey which lasted for 45 years in the Philippines, a journey full of adventures, I’m still pursuing this mission. I survived several attempts to kill me, two of my companions, also PIME missionaries, Fr. Tullio Favali and Fr. Fausto Tentorio, were killed as well as many lay collaborators. I was imprisoned and accused of rape and robbery, I was denied the renewal of my visa since the time of Marcos, because I was in the list of rebel priests, until the time of President Gloria Arroyo who gave me a peace award… Along with many lay collaborators, we continue to share the joy of serving the people in remote areas and we arouse expectations of solving many problems. However, we always find new problems and new obstacles, but still our dream of the Kingdom gives us a vision of hope and a purpose worth risking our lives.

Now I am not as active as I used to be, but I continue to pursue this mission and to pray as Jesus taught us to pray in the Our Father “May Your Kingdom come!” (Mt. 6:10) For me this prayer summarizes the whole Our Father and the whole mission of Jesus and our mission now, and I like to repeat, “May your kingdom of Justice and Peace, Mercy and Compassion come soon!.”