By Msgr. Noel C. Burtenshaw

Father Jack Druding was not ready for the happenings in Cebu over in the Philippine Islands, but he was so glad to be there. And he was so glad to have it all happen.

The assistant pastor from St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro was in the Philippines at the invitation of his friend, American missionary, Monsignor George Tomichek. It was February 1981 and Pope John Paul II was making one of his flying transcontinental visits. Monsignor Tomichek was assisting with the arrangements for the many different papal stops.

In Cebu, the very cradle of Christianity in the Philippines, Father Druding found himself in the residence of Cardinal Julio Rosales. The Holy Father had made one of his stops and was staying overnight with the Cardinal. At a distance Father Jack had observed the Pontiff at dinner the evening he arrived. “He just said a hurried hello to everyone,” says Father Druding. “He was tired, the crowds had been large.” But a much closer connection was to be made the following morning.

“Monsignor Tomichek and I decided next morning to have Mass together early. So at about 4 a.m. we went to the Cardinal’s private chapel and concelebrated. We were taking a few minutes of thanksgiving when the door opened and in walked the Holy Father alone.”

After a short prayer, the papal intruder made the stations of the cross going around the little chapel from one station to the next. Then he knelt and took a rosary from his white cassock and prayed his beads. “It was a really big thrill,” says Father Druding, “to be there with just Monsignor Tomichek and the Holy Father in that little chapel.” More was to come.

As the Pope left he beckoned to the priests and outside they chatted delightedly for a moment. “It was marvelous to get that opportunity,” remembers Father Jack, “but then he suggested we have a cup of coffee. We went to a small dining room and the three of us sat together over the morning coffee. By the way, the Holy Father took his coffee black.”

The conversation was about the Church in the Philippines and the Church in the United States. “He was very impressed by the way the American Church so willingly shared with the rest of the world,” says Father Druding. “Especially he was impressed with our support of the missions. And he was particularly interested in the project of our own parish here at St. Philip Benizi.”

The people of the Jonesboro parish have adopted a new parish in Mindanao in the Philippines. This community has one priest, who is building a church as he attempts to serve 30,000 Catholic families. “The Holy Father asked me how many families wee in our parish in Jonesboro and I told him under a thousand. He commented that there is so much more for the priest to do in the Philippines. And they are so poor over there.”

The priest serving the parish in Mindanao, which by the way is called St. Philip Benizi, was in the hospital at the time with complications directly connected with malnutrition. “St. Philip’s sends about $150 per month,” says the Jonesboro priest. “And many of our parishioners are doing a lot more. We really have adopted the parish.”

As the early morning group drank coffee, Pope John Paul was eager to discuss the work of the Church and especially all he had seen in his travels through the Philippines. “He came back to the enormity of the work in the missions,” remembers Father Jack. “He said that not only are the parishes so huge, but they all have many, many mission churches to serve, too. His mind and his prayers were very obviously with the people he was visiting.”

The quiet encounter with this charismatic Pope was soon over. His schedule called for a quick plane ride to his next stop, the city of Davoa. He gave his smiling warm goodbye to Father Druding and was gone. “He was gone out of sight,” says Father Jack, “but never out of mind.”

Father Druding would meet many interesting people in his travels in the Philippines including the magnetic Mother Teresa, but none left an impression like Pope John Paul. “I’m appalled at what happened,” says Father Jack. “In every way he is a man of peace. May his recovery to full health be very speedy.”