Martyrdom of Bisho Benjamín de Jesús, OMI, Bishop of Jolo

During the 50th Jubilee of OMI’s presence in Jolo, Bishop Benjamin shared ‘Thanks be to God I preserved in His service! If God gave me the grace to be faithful for the past 27 years as a religious and 21 years as a priest, I hope and pray that by the grace of our OMI Golden Jubilee celebration, I will be able to persevere unto the end, singing praises to God for the good things He has done in me and through me to the people that I serve. Oblate vocation is truly a gratuitous gift of God to me. I am an ordinary human being, weak, vulnerable, but God used me to proclaim his love and compassion to others.’Our brother Benjamin was born on July 25, 1940, in, Metro Manila just prior to World War II. His earliest years would have been surrounded by occupation and war. He was the youngest child of six. Two of his sister became Carmelite nuns. This speaks of a family whose faith was rooted in prayer in the midst of difficult times.His life was that of reconciliation through simple friendships. He lived out the meaning of The Preferential Option for the Poor” regardless of one’s faith, culture or status. Our brother Ben worked hard and encouraged the 1987 peace agreement between the State and the Muslims in Mindano. Actions on behalf of justice, peace and the integrity of creation is an integral part of evangelization. R9a.After meeting with government official he was in front of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, when two men, one middle-age the other a mere youth shot him at point blank range. In the pursuit a female bystander was killed and five civilians were wounded when police traded fire with the suspects, who escaped through a crowd in a central town, army officials said. All but one of the assassination of religious leaders has never been solved, yet his memory is still alive in the hearts and the lives of the all the people of Jolo.Ben was a bishop with and for the people. Many would call him Padel Bin , for he was with the people at times of celebration and at times of sorry. He would visit with the little children at school and spend time listening to the elders. An imam (Muslim leader of prayer) said of Ben, he taught me to be prayerful” and ceremonies and celebrations for Haliraya (Id al-Fitr) marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan were cancelled to mourn the Bishop. We will always be close to the people we whom we work, taking into account their values and aspirations”. (Const. 8)Bornand July 25, 1940First Vowsand 1961Perpetual Vowsand May 31, 1964Priesthoodand 29th December 29, 1967Ordination as Bishopand January 06, 1992Diedand Martyr on February 04, Jolo, Sulu, Philippines, 1997