FATHER ERIC'S CHAMORRO MINISTRY

For the past nine years, Father Eric has spent every October in the West Coast of the US mainland, where thousands of Chamorros live and who look forward to hearing Mass and sermons in their native Chamorro language. In San Diego County alone, an estimated 35,000 Chamorros live.

The Saint Jude fiesta in San Diego is always on Father Eric's schedule. Depending on the year, the Saint Francis of Assisi fiesta is also included. These fiestas are held at the Sons and Daughters of Guam Club House, located in San Diego.

At the people's own request, Father Eric offers another Mass in honor of Padre Pio for the healing of the sick, for whom individual candles are lit. After Mass, the relic of Padre Pio is venerated by all.

Another standing commitment is Mass at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. This is held in honor of Our Lady of Camarin, patroness of Guam, and is scheduled as close to December 8 as possible. This year, December 8 happened to fall on a Saturday, the usual day this Mass is celebrated.

In Chamorro fashion, all events are followed by a meal of some kind, so that the Chamorro community can bond in fellowship.

Besides the spiritual, Father Eric almost always offers some historical or cultural presentation, for the education of the community. This year, his topic was on two historic Chamorro Catholic priests, Father Jesus Dueñas, who was beheaded by the Japanese in 1944, and Monsignor Oscar Calvo, another priest during the war who lived till the year 2000. Both priests played important roles in the life of the people of Guam during the war. Father Eric's presentations were held in two places this year, San Diego and Los Angeles.

FRIAR CONTRIBUTES TO GUAM HISTORY WITH DOCUMENTARY

Historically, the Capuchins all over the world have made contributions to the study of history, culture and language in many locations. Having sent many missionaries all over the globe, the Order has often been the first to document these things in many lands.

On Guam, the Spanish missionaries Fr Roman promoted the Chamorro language and Fr Pastor started collecting historical material. American Fr Julius Sullivan wrote the first published history of the Marianas mission.

Now, local-born Pale' Eric Forbes produced and narrated a documentary about the history of the Chamorro people. One year of fundraising provided money for the project and one year of filming and editing ended with the production of the documentary in dvd format.

The response from the public has been tremendous. The dvd is currently on sale in Guam and online.

With Governor & Mrs Eddie Baza Calvo at Guam's Government House

At the San Diego, California premier

Signing the DVD at Guam's Government House

Newspaper Feedback

http://www.guampdn.com/story/opinion/2015/12/30/am-chamorro-success/78005262/


http://www.guampdn.com/story/life/2016/01/09/am-chamorro-documentary-success/78399438/

PALE' ERIC'S JUBILEE

A second 25th priesthood jubilee was celebrated by the Guam friars last September when Pale' Eric offered a Mass of Thanksgiving for his 25 years of priestly life.

Pale' Eric was ordained on September 8, 1990.

The Mass was celebrated at his home parish church of Saint Jude in Sinajana.

FRIARS PRESENT AT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

BROTHER GAVIN

This past week was Catholic Schools Week and today marked the end of this observance with a conference for all teachers in our Catholic schools.

Two Capuchin friars were asked to make presentations during this conference - Brother Gavin Diego and Father Eric Forbes.

FATHER ERIC

Concelebrating at the Mass for this conference, presided by Archbishop Apuron, OFM Cap, was Father Andre Eduvala, OFM Cap.

FATHER ANDRE (far right)

L.A. CHAMORROS GATHER FOR DECEMBER 8

It started some years ago when the Guam Medical Referral Office thought it would be a good thing to enshrine an image of Our Lady of Camarin, Guam's patroness, in the chapel of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, where many Guam patients receive medical care when referred to mainland doctors.

Once that was accomplished, an annual Mass to celebrate her feast of the Immaculate Conception began, observed on the Saturday closest to December 8th or on the actual date when it falls on a Saturday.

Since 2009, a Guam Capuchin, Father Eric Forbes, has come every year to celebrate and preach.

There are always a hundred or more participants, mostly from the Southern California area but there are always a few from Guam and elsewhere.

Whenever there happens to be Guam patients in the hospital, especially in ICU, Father Eric goes to their rooms to visit and sometimes anoint them. One year, a family, not Chamorros, were looking for any Catholic priest, as their loved one was close to death and Father Eric anointed the patient moments before death.

Every year, the standing committee of volunteers who organize this event reach out to the Chamorro community to help provide for the luncheon after Mass. There is always a nice spread of food and people spend hours after the Mass in fellowship.

BIBA SANTA MARIAN KAMALEN!

FR ERIC'S MINISTRY WITH CHAMORROS IN THE MAINLAND

Every October, Fr Eric gets invited by several Chamorro communities in California to preside and preach at their patronal fiestas and other Masses. This actually lasts into early December, and most years he also conducts Chamorro Culture Seminars.

A large crowd of people gathered on a Friday morning for Mass for the sick, with the veneration of the relic of Padre Pio following Mass.  The Mass was held at the Guam Club in San Diego.

St Francis Fiesta

San Diego, CA

St Jude Fiesta

El Cajon, San Diego

St Jude Fiesta

Vancouver, WA

GUAM FRIAR'S DISPLAY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE

Fr Eric with Governor Eddie Calvo and First Lady Christine Calvo

For the entire month of March, which is Chamorro Month, Capuchin Father Eric Forbes held his Exhibit of pre-war religious life on Guam at Government House, the official residence of the Governor of Guam and his or her family.

At the invitation of First Lady Christine Calvo, Fr Eric assembled a collection of pre-war photographs and artifacts depicting the religious life of Guam's Catholics and Baptists in celebration of Chamorro Month, the month set aside to honor Guam's indigenous culture.

With the help of volunteers, displays were set up recreating scenes from Guam's pre-war past.  It was this faith in God that helped Chamorros endure the hardships of World War II.

A crowd of over 200 people attended the Opening of the Exhibit

Archbishop Apuron blessed the Opening ceremonies

Perusing photos from the 1920s and 1930s

People of all ages came

Many schools came on private tours

GUAM DEVOTION CONTINUES IN THE U.S. MAINLAND

Pale' Eric at Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

Our Lady of Camarin, Guam's beloved patroness, is so much a part of our Chamorro heritage that Chamorros from Guam who live in the U.S. mainland continue to observe this devotion, usually associated with the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

At Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, CA, where patients from Guam seek medical care, an annual Mass on the first Saturday of December continues this tradition.  Capuchin Pale' Eric Forbes has been celebrant and homilist at this Mass for several years in a row now.  Every year, no less than 100 Chamorros and spouses/friends of Chamorros attend.  Patients from Guam are visited in their rooms, as well.

Chamorro devotees of Our Lady of Camarin light candles in her honor at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Pale' Eric at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC

Over in our nation's capital, on the other side of the country, Chamorros in the DC area observe their own annual devotion to Our Lady of Camarin with a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

This past December 8th was the first time Pale' Eric was invited to participate.  Before Mass, he gave the congregation of about 80 people a half-hour talk on the history of this devotion.

The Chamorro community in the DC area, which includes parts of Maryland and Virginia.  Some traveled from even farther away to be at the Mass.

PALE' ERIC RECEIVES KUAM CAREFORCE AWARD

Guam Capuchin Pale' Eric Forbes was one of four recipients of the KUAM Careforce award in 2013.  The winners were announced this past November.

KUAM,  a leading Guam news media company, recognizes four individuals in the community for their service to the island in various spheres.  Pale' Eric was selected this year for his cultural advocacy work, maintaining a well-known blog showcasing Chamorro culture, history and language.  He also has given many cultural workshops in the US mainland and is now working of producing a documentary on the history of the Chamorro people.

Brothers Gavin Diego and Ryan Charfauros were also present at the awards ceremony.

GUAM CAPUCHIN SPEAKER AT ASIAN-PACIFIC ISLANDER CATHOLIC CONVOCATION

U.S. bishops are beginning to pay more attention to a growing sector in the Catholic population in the country - the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.  California ranks high in these numbers, with members coming from a great variety of cultures.

In Southern California, the Chamorro population is significant.  Many of them have become leaders and active members of their parishes.  A Chamorro sits as a member of the steering committee for this First Convocation of Asian-Pacific Islander Catholics in the Western Region.  Guam Capuchin Father Eric Forbes, well-known to the Chamorro communities in California, was asked to be a keynote speaker at this event held at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on October 5.

The Chamorro participants at the Convocation.  Chamorros came from as far north as Seattle and as far south as San Diego, with Reno Bishop Randolph Calvo, a Chamorro, in attendance.

AT THE CATECHETICAL CONFERENCE

At the Catechetical Conference of the Archdiocese on Guam, two friars participated as speakers.  Father Jose Villagomez spoke on Liturgical Ministries : What You Need to Know.

And Father Eric Forbes spoke on Sacraments : Beliefs and Practices Among Guam's Catholics.

GUAM FRIAR ON CHAMORRO LANGUAGE PANEL IN GERMANY

 

The University of Bremen (Germany) has a strong linguistics department and great interest in the former German colonies which include the Northern Marianas.   The University held an international conference on Colonial and Postcolonial Linguistics from September 3-8 and invited Guam friar Fr. Eric Forbes, OFM Cap to be part of the panel on Chamorro, the language of the Mariana Islands.  Joining him were Dr. Robert Underwood, President of the University of Guam, and Dr. Rosa Salas Palomo, a professor at the same university.