On this Sunday afternoon I thought I would introduce you to one of the best men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He had a real impact on my life. He was a Franciscan Priest and Missionary named Father Bruno Hicks. I was called to mind of him when I came across this on the Internet.
Remembering Bruno Hicks ...
Mar. 16‚ 2010
To the Editor:
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Father Bruno 30 years ago. I am convalescing from a stroke and thinking about what happened to my old friend. He played a large part in some major decisions in my life, and put on several talks about world hunger and poverty at St. John's in San Lorenzo. He was the best, the most sincere person I have ever known. I was sorry to lose touch with him and glad to see he went on to do great works as he wanted to. He once told me my 3 bedroom house could house 10 Filipino families. I, who had felt poor as a single mother, suddenly felt quite rich.
Marie Paoletti
Hayward, CA
Although I am no longer a member of the Catholic Church I was brought up Catholic. My parents had a soft spot for the Franciscan missionaries. Father Bruno was a guest in our house many times. He was a missionary in the Philippines during the corrupt reign of Ferdinand Marcos. I was a teenager during those years. I was getting politically involved. To my conservative mother's dismay and my middle-of-the-road Dad's amusement I was turning into the progressive that I am today.
Father Bruno never treated me like a little kid. He was willing to sit down with me and talk about the poverty he saw in the Philippines. He told me about the corruption of the Marcos regime and the oppression of the people. He was not blind to the problems in his Church or in our government. In his own quiet way though he did what he could to help counteract corruption where ever he found it.
I have always loved theater and went on to major in it at college. I remember one evening Father Bruno and I talking about the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita. He told me about the attempts that were made by the Argentine government to try and keep the musical from being staged.
He was one of the wisest councilors I have ever known. He was never too busy to talk to someone in need of guidance. Being the only girl and always feeling the odd one out in my family his quiet help made it possible for me to live my life the way I wanted. He reaffirmed that I was a good person. He supported my efforts in helping the fight against poverty, prejudice, and inequality. He helped in the fights for social justice.
When I think of Father Bruno I think of blue chip stamps. Our parish and a couple others sponsored Father Bruno's mission in the Philippines. He had several towns to minister too. We sent clothes and medicines as often as we could. What he needed most though was a jeep. We discovered that you could purchase a jeep with blue chip stamps. Lots and lots and lots of blue chip stamps. Somehow our house became the repository of blue chip stamps. To this day if you ask what would be my most unique nightmare it would be a room full of sheets of blue chip stamps that need to be pasted in books. We finally were able to buy a baby blue jeep and ship it over to the Philippines.
Not long after receiving the jeep the Marcos regime arrested Father Bruno and threw him in jail claiming he was trying to overthrow the government. They confiscated his jeep. It was only after many months that we managed to get Father Bruno free. He was deported back to this country. He set up shop in one of the poorest parishes in the San Francisco Bay Area. He never recovered his health from his prison days. He never complained and continued to help and guide so many people.
There are serious problems in the Catholic Church. I am well aware of that. I am also aware that there are people like Father Bruno who has done so much good for so many people. He helped make me the progressive I am today. He showed me how to help and support others in their fight for justice. He was a good man and I am glad that others like Marie remember this man who loved all and fought so hard to better the lives of those who no one else were willing to fight for.