FATHER JOEKER Pinoy in Ghana

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

At the entrance to our retreat house in Sunnyside, Baguio City, there are two roads: one leading to the majestic and imposing Crusaders of Christ Church and the other to the simple Holy Roman Catholic Church. I happened to be walking beside a family on their way to the Crusaders for Sunday service but the two children suddenly turned up the road going to the Catholic church whereupon the mother, in shock and anger, shouted, ‘Hindi iyan!’ (not that one). ‘Oh, come, come . . . you’re on the right road’, I urged them as the mother looked at me speechless.

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On our way to Boase village, I was covered all over with rashes. I was so itchy I couldn’t but keep from scratching myself - rather disturbing, because I was driving. Even worse, I felt as if millions of ants were crawling over my palms. The only relief was to keep clapping like charismatics. But when we arrived at Boase, to my surprise, the skin rashes vanished.

 Suddenly I felt so weak and dizzy, gasping for breath, all my companions silent. Finally I opened all the windows of the car, adjusted the seatbelt to a reclining position, ready for the prayers for the dying. Incredible as it seemed, a cool breeze like a mild typhoon started blowing as if rain was coming, so strange under a burning sun. Thanks to the breeze, I was able to breathe. When everything was normal again, I asked the catechist why they had all been silent when the rashes suddenly disappeared, he said, ‘Honestly, Father, we knew that weird sickness. Many died when that skin rashes re-entered Boase. We were afraid to tell you.’ The whole thing for me was akin to chickenpox.

The news spread about the ‘cool breeze blowing suddenly’ and people believed it was divine intervention. I was told it increased the faith of the people in Boase. There again God - the real Joker - writes straight in crooked lines.

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Before the Sunday Mass started, some of our students rushed to my office to exchange some paper money for coins.

Sensing their intention, I gave 500-cedi coins instead of the 20-cedi coins they wanted. Asked by my catechist ‘Why 500?’, ‘For the collection during the Mass. See!’ I said to the catechist, who smilingly urged the students to be on time for the Mass.

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I was hearing the confessions of our students when one young lady, her head covered with a white veil and clasping a big white crucifix to her breast, came to confess. She looked weird. I kept wondering what she was doing. After confession she said, ‘Please Father, bless my crucifix’. Only then did I realize she was bringing it to be blessed

You may write Fr Joseph Panabang SVD at PO Box 55, Osonson, ASESEWA, L/R, GHANA