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Catholics picket for 30th week
By Chris Wong
Members of the Concerned Catholics Of Guam marked their 30th week of protest in front of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña yesterday, a humid Sunday morning. A younger voice at the protest, Father Duenas Memorial School student Jude Concepcion, 15, came out to support his grandfather who was picketing for the permanent removal of Archbishop Anthony Apuron. “I don’t really know much about it,” Concepcion said, referring to the details over the controversy that has surrounded Apuron's departure amid sex abuse allegations. When asked if this issue comes up in school among his friends, he said, “People my age ... not really, they don’t really think about it,” he said. “A lot of us know a lot about what happened, but we don’t really care to support it. We talk about it, but we don’t really do anything about it.” After acknowledging that his grandfather and many other manåmko', or senior citizens, have been protesting since last year, Concepcion said, "I should just try and start something and ask (his friends) to come over and help out, and see if we can actually do something about this, make it bigger." Saddened by complacency Theresa Tayama, 50, a friend of CCOG, also picketed in support of the protestors. “It saddens me to hear and know that there’s been a lot of complacency," she said. "I think there aren’t any definite rules and procedures put in place with how to deal with (the allegations against former members of Guam's clergy), and they’re just not being enforced. Part of the reason why we (CCOG members and supporters) are here today is to bring awareness to that." She grew up as a Catholic and left the island for about 20 years. After her return to the island, she said, "It saddens me that many of my friends and family had moved away from the faith." "My experience having lived off island is that I was able to grow in the faith. Because I lived amongst Protestants and being subject to all the questioning drew me to do more research, homework and rely on the guidance of some priests." Tayama was a parishioner from St. Mary’s Parish in Savannah, part of the Diocese of Memphis in the southwest region of the state of Tennessee. “There comes a time in your life when you gain more experiences you come to rely on, what you need to have to get you through. From those experiences, you form your own beliefs, and those you grew up with become deeply rooted and seeded,” she said. “I was in a very good place, where I came to learn through my church family in the states what church family was all about, and so I was able to have a comparison. Sometimes you can’t compare if you don’t know the difference, right?” she said. “That’s one reason why I’m here – I realize the difference, between we as Christians, the duty and the role of our archbishop, and our priest is to lead us spiritually to be closer to God.” Since returning on island, she said she had spoken to members of the clergy about her faith and noted a response by some saying “‘Well, I don’t know, you’re going to have to talk to the archbishop.’ I’m thinking, no you’re going to have to engage me with more than that. 'Cause I read this in our Catechism, this is what it is, and that’s my understanding. Maybe you should read up on it, because it’s going to help you shepherd people like me who are afraid to come and talk to people like you because of your collar,” she said. Comparison to states One comparison she had drawn from her time in the states was, “The monsignor I was with in the states was such a man of humility." She did say she's impressed with Coadjutor Archbishop of Agana Michael Jude Byrnes and the work he has done so far after being appointed by Pope Francis to take over Apuron's duties. “I’m really impressed with him coming forward and being guided by the Holy Spirit, and him being a new face, and coming in with rules and setting parameters for us to succeed, to move forward, and to build upon what we already lost. It’s his job to bring back his lost sheep like he said.” Tayama, who works at the Department of Corrections, said Byrnes celebrated Mass at the prison and in one conversation, Tayama said Byrnes said prison ministry drew him into the priesthood. "And for that, I have even greater admiration for him,” Tayama said. "Some of my co-workers who have been up there for a while said it was the first time ever that a bishop had ever visited the prison for Mass, and I’m thinking, 'Isn’t that so sad.'" Tayama said she will continue to pray for Byrnes. Tayama said her experience having lived in the states gave her the confidence to speak up and "stand against what is wrong.” “My family is like, ‘Why are you out there protesting? You should just leave it to the church, and leave it to God,' but maybe we are leaving it to God and this is God’s way of guiding us,” she said. According to Vangie Lujan, secretary of CCOG, the organization will hold a village meeting in the Tamuning community center on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. to discuss its leadership's meeting with Byrnes.
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