He Taught Us How To Love
By Niall O’ Brien mssc
Fr. Eddie Allen died at the Columban Headquarters in Batang, Himamaylan on Saturday the 3rd of March at 8:30 in the morning after a long illness in bed. He was 94 years old age and had worked in the Philippines for the last fifty years. I am sad that I was not in Negros and able to attend his funeral, as I was in Ireland getting a medical check up.
A Mystery
There is a little mystery about Eddie. He never learned to drive or at least he never drove here in the Philippines; he never built any churches or organized schools; he lived quite life in the Convento, going out when called but he was ever into initiating any evangelizing projects or social projects. Yet, he was the most popular and sought after Columban priest in Negros. I don’t think the word popular is the right word. He was not interested in popularity, maybe I sold say the “love”. The most loved Columban priest.
His Secret
Fr. Eddie took a stand on social justice and if necessary spoke to people directly about the need for justice for the poor, but he managed to do this without alienating them. So what was his secret? He listened and was available at all times to people who had problems. I think he gave many hours each day to listening to people’s problems. His favorite quote was from the Gospel of St. John, the words of Jesus: Without me you can do nothing. He never tired of quoting this to his visitors and he made it the central truth of his own life.
Just like that
Two little incidents come to mind: as an old priest in Himamaylan he was blessing a vehicle for someone; after doing the blessing he said to the woman who was requesting the blessing, “And how are your yourself?” She responded by sitting down with him and pouring out her problems for a long time. And she became one of his special friends, just like that.
During his long illness I used to read out to him the letters and card he had received, even if they had been read out before. One occasion I red from a Filipina, married happily in Boston, to whom he had been a spiritual director for years. In the letter she said simply: Fr. Eddie, you are the one who taught me how to love.
We use word saint about our friends too lightly. Though in the epistles of St. Paul he calls all Christian “saints”...I think he means “called to be saints”. Those who knew Fr. Eddie know in there hearts that her really did answer this call and I think the people of Kabankalan are lucky to have him buried there amongst them. May his call presence remind them all of us how to love.
P.S. Fr. Eddie’s last years were difficult but he was surrounded by the care of Mila Villavicencio and her nurses, doctors and friends. Those of us watching from the sidelines knew that nowhere in the world was a sick person so cared for or so cared for our so cherished as was Fr. Eddie. We, Columban Fathers, will be forever grateful for such love.