Walking the Way of the Cross

 Photo: The sign for Francis Douglas Way

On July 27 we remembered the anniversary of Francis Vernon Douglas. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington, who joined the Columbans in 1938. He was assigned to the Philippines where he looked after the parish of Pililla.

In 1941 the Japanese invaded the Philippines. In 1943 the people of the parish of Pililla were preparing to celebrate their fiesta (St James the Apostle) on July 25 when the area was closed off.   The Japanese rounded up and interrogated 250 men from the area where Fr. Francis worked. On July 24 they took Fr. Francis to the parish of Paete where he was beaten and tortured. He was then taken from there on July 27 and was never seen again.

When we built our new house almost 10 years ago, we had the chance to name the two new private roads that were added. We called one Bobbio Court to remember the final monastery established by St Columban in Italy and the place of his burial. The other we named Francis Douglas Way.

Coming back from a walk recently and seeing the sign for Francis Douglas Way, I found myself mulling over the idea of a “way”.  The early Christians were known as followers of the Way, disciples of the one who told them that he was the way, the truth and the life.  It is clear from the gospels that his way was a way of the cross. Many of his contemporaries were awaiting the coming of the messiah but they were expecting a powerful leader who would free Israel from the Romans and restore her former glory. Jesus told his apostle on several occasions that he would be rejected and killed. He understood that the opposition to him from both the religious and political leaders was going to lead to his death. Knowing this, he did not waver from the way that lay ahead.  Francis Douglas walked that same way of suffering and death. We pray on his anniversary that just as God raised Jesus from the dead, Francis is now raised to new life with him.

I was also reminded recently of another Columban martyr who also bears the name Francis.  Fr Frank Canavan is mentioned in the book “The Story of Us”. This is a collection of essays drawn from information gleaned in the census of 1926. It provides a snapshot of what life was like in the early days of the Irish Free State.  At the time of the census, Frank was 11 and close friends with his neighbour Brian O’Flynn.  The article by Kate O’Malley mentions that both Frank and Brian were in Korea when the Korean War started. Brian escaped but Frank was one 89 people who died on the infamous death march in the winter of 1950. He was literally walking the way of the cross and along the way ministering to the sick and old among the 700 people on the forced march. He died of pneumonia on December 6, 1950.  

May we be inspired by those who have gone before us on the way.

Fr Pat O'Shea lives and works in Aotearoa/New Zealand