HAGåTñA (GUAM)
Pacific Daily News [Hagåtña, Guam]
October 16, 2023
By Haidee Eugenio Gilbert
A group of devout Catholics is withdrawing its $2.3 million offer to buy the chancery property in Agana Heights where the late Pope John Paul II, who later became a saint, stayed overnight in 1981.
That’s because The Phoenix Foundation, despite all its best efforts, has been unable to raise the full amount to complete the purchase from the Archdiocese of Agana within days of the Oct. 17 federal bankruptcy court-approved extended deadline.
This means the prime property, with a sweeping view of Hagåtña and the bay, will be in the market for sale once again.
Its sale is part of the court-approved deal to settle the clergy sex abuse claims and get the archdiocese out of bankruptcy. The property’s appraised value is $2.3 million.
“We’re heartbroken to withdraw our offer to purchase the property. All we wanted is to help preserve the significance of the chancery property, where the pope who became saint stayed once,” Phoenix Foundation vice chairman Benny Paulino, a former adjutant general of the Guam National Guard, told the Pacific Daily News on Monday.
Chris Felix, also a member of The Phoenix Foundation, on Monday said the foundation is still short of about $250,000 to complete the $2.3 million purchase.
“It saddens me, it saddens the whole Phoenix Foundation that we weren’t able to raise the full amount,” Felix said. “I was already here when the pope, who became a saint, came to visit the island. He’s so far the only saint to visit Guam. I attended that Mass he celebrated. It’s just so sad that the sacred spot where he stayed, the bishop’s house, would be sold to someone outside of the church.”
Felix said despite the setback, he couldn’t thank the donors enough for their generosity.
All the donations made, he said, would be returned to the donors, since the purchase won’t go through.
“We started returning the donations, dollar for dollar. There’s also a donor who agreed to maintain his donation to cover certain expenses. I can’t thank the donors enough. There were donations of $50, $100, and they’re heartfelt, along with the big donations, they’re all phenomenal. Unfortunately we needed much more to complete the purchase,” Felix said. “The generosity that people have shown, I’m so thankful. People are willing to help despite what the church went through.”
The foundation will be formally withdrawing its purchase offer on Tuesday, Paulino said. The archdiocese deferred comment as of press time.
Phoenix Foundation’s goal in buying the prime property on San Ramon Hill is to preserve the chancery complex’s historic and religious significance, and allow the archdiocese to continue its use for the Catholic Church, Paulino and Felix said. A majority of the Guam population is Catholic.
Pope John Paul II rested and stayed the night at the chancery some 42 years ago. That’s so far the only time a pope has visited Guam. The pope was canonized and became Saint John Paul II some three decades after his Feb. 22 to 23, 1981 visit to Guam.
On Aug. 1, The Phoenix Foundation issued a call out, asking the public for help in raising some $500,000 of the $2.3 million it needed to complete the purchase. Only about $250,000 more was raised as of Oct. 16.
“Like I said, we’re sad and heartbroken by this. But we will return every donated amount. The Phoenix Foundation will continue to exist as a foundation,” Paulino said.
A last-minute miracle to still save the purchase is now unlikely, Paulino said on Monday, given that the deadline is Tuesday.
The chancery complex is among the archdiocese’s prime properties for sale, under order from the bankruptcy court.
Proceeds of the sale were supposed to cover some of the church’s bankruptcy costs, help pay for some of the archdiocese offices’ relocation to the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagåtña, and help settle the claims of about 280 survivors of Guam clergy sexual assaults that happened as far back as the 1950s.
More than 80 archdiocese properties, including those near or adjacent to Catholic parishes and schools, are up for sale to help settle the abuse survivors’ claims.
Paulino had said with the property “back in the market again,” the next potential buyer won’t necessarily share Phoenix Foundation’s vision of preserving the chancery complex’s place in Guam history.
The property where the chancery complex sits was donated to the archdiocese in 1950 by the estate of Henry Flores Nelson.
The property is home to the offices and functions of the archdiocese, such as the archbishop and chancellor offices, the Marriage Tribunal, the Safe Environment Office, the Catholic Schools, Archives, Finances and Communication sections, among others.
The bankruptcy court also earlier approved the $3.5 million leasehold sale of the archdiocese’s FHP/TakeCare property in Tamuning.
Haidee Eugenio Gilbert is managing editor for the Pacific Daily News. Contact her at hgilbert@guampdn.com.