MAKATI: August 6, 2014 --After almost a decade
of enduring suffering on his bed of sickness, Fr Dominic
Curto, SDB, returned to his Creator last August 1, 2014.
He was 92 years old. Later, on August 3, his bier returned
to Sta. Cruz, Laguna, the town he served as parish priest.
It was a Sunday when the whole of the Philippines
celebrated the feast of St John Marie Vianney, patron of
parish priests. People of the barrios, oratorians, parish
benefactors and those who collaborated with the Salesian
works in Sta. Cruz came to pay their last respects.
Fr Dominic contributed much to the propagation of the
Catholic faith in Sta. Cruz. The works he had begun in
1978 together with Fr John Andreu and Fr Rolando Fernandez
proved to be worthwhile. But the greatness of his works
was more than the structures he built, the latter
evidenced by the many chapels, schools and the
strongly-founded parish church. Actually, the most
important thing he did was to lead some people back to
being in communion with the Catholic Church after they had
been led astray by claims of miracles from another
Christian sect. And this achievement has remained visible
even since the Salesians left the place. Catholics are now
the majority of the populace; it was the reverse when Fr
Dominic first arrived in the town.
The life of Fr Dominic Curto was indeed larger than life,
as Fr Eli Cruz put it in his written eulogy, read by Fr
Danny Torres at the burial mass last August 4 at Don Bosco
Canlubang. He was indeed an adventurer as he journeyed
through life in three remarkable places in the world,
namely India, Bhutan and the Philippines. He was a true
missionary. He was an evangelizer in action, a practical
one, as he converted through doing good works and offering
kind assistance. He was a builder. But, more than anything
else, he was an initiator of a burning love for God.
He suffered much. His Salesian life brought much pain to
his heart. Imprisonment in his early years was capped by
sickness in his final years. The blows he received from
unfortunate separations from his different works seemingly
pointed to defeat. However, they were actually victories,
for they were all done with love and the desire to conform
to the holy will of God. This made him strong. This made
him a true follower of Christ!
Fr Dominic has always been remembered for his
constructions, practically built with little consideration
to aesthetics, cement-laden and filled with a good number
of steel bars! This external edifice may now be clearly
understood as an interior spirituality, a life lived with
God through sufferings endured and embraced with love.
“Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit, sit nomen Domini
benedictum.”
-------- THAT REMARKABLE MAN FROM
SHANGRI-LA The life story (ongoing)
of Fr Dominic Curto SDB
austraLasia #711
ROME: 29th August (2003)
-- Fr Dominic, indomitable missionary and raconteur,
already celebrating 25 years in the Philippines with 9
years in Bhutan and 30 years in India as a warm-up! How
could one encapsulate such a lifetime in a few words? The
stories just tumble out of him after 'pranzo at the
Pisana', and austraLasia
could not resist seizing upon the remarkable interlude in
Bhutan as a reporter's dream. I mean, to dream of
Shangri-La is one thing; to meet one of those who takes
his place in that royal kingdom's history is quite
another. Let Fr Dominic tell his own story ...
"The Technical School was opened on request of the then
Paro Penlop (1964), so as to train young lads in trades.
The first Salesians in charge were the late Fr Philip
Giraudo and Fr Giaime. A few years later, they were joined
by Fr Dominic Curto and Bro. Gabriel Garniga. The King and
Queen (now Queen Mother - Ashi Kesang Wanchuck) used to
visit the school very often and showed their appreciation
to the Fathers for their valuable educational system. The
Fathers were told that Bhutanese lads understand
only the stick. We never used it! “Fathers,” the
Queen remarked in one of her frequent visits, (almost
monthly). “I see that you have formed a family with your
boys” – “Yes, the students are good boys”, Fr Philip
answered. The Queen added: “It is your dedication and
sacrifices that work.”
On another occasion, the Father was called to see the
Queen at the Namseling Palace. She had two couples as
guests: one from the U.S. and the other from Switzerland.
She introduced the Father to the guests: “Here is Fr. N.N.
who works very much for our poor Bhutanese youngsters. We
feel very grateful to the Fathers. "
During the 7-day coronation feast of her son as king, the
Queen Mother and the new King often sat for hours
chatting with the Fathers while watching the
Bhutanese dances. At the last dinner, the Father
took his plate and lined up for a self-serving with at
least 150 foreign guests viz. Ambassadors, high
officials of different Governments: viz. U.S.,
Switzerland, U.K, China, Australia etc. The Queen
approached him and said, “Father, you are my real
brother who works much for my poor Bhutanese.” Next she
took the plate from the Father and went to fill it
with the goodies of the dinner. “Father, you work a lot
and have to eat,” she muttered.
She had the Father sit at her very table to eat. During
the Queen’s travelling from Thimphu – Phuentsholing, a
6-hour drive, everybody had to stop by the side of the
road, get out of the car and bow to the King and Queen as
they passed by. But whenever she spotted a Father, she had
the long car line wait. She would move out of her car,
approach the Father and ask him whether he was okay. She
would then call her attendant and order him to bring gifts
(fruits or anything) to the Father: “Father you need
them”, she would say.
In 1983, she invited Frs Philip and Dominic as royal
guests to Thimphu. She had them put up at the Bhutan Hotel
at her own expense. Often she enquired whether the Fathers
were alright and warned the manager to comply with any
request of theirs.
March 2000, Fr Dominic was invited by the Don Bosco Past
Pupils to visit Bhutan. Besides the past pupils, the
whole family of Fr Kinley (Tshering) SJ. treated the
priest as their real Father. Fr Kinley was a Buddhist lad,
but endowed by God with special spiritual gifts. He was
baptised in 1974. He wanted to die a martyr, and
proclaimed before the King and his council that he was a
Christian. After some trials and discussions, the
King allowed him to remain a Catholic but he bade him not
to teach the Christian religion, because a Bhutanese, he
said, has to be a Buddhist. The lad, then 17, told the
king “Poen, I shall not preach in public, but in private,
I’ll say what I feel.” After his baptism, Kinley ran a
very profitable business in the country. He was the most
outstanding and enlightened person in the Kingdom. After
10 years he left a very profitable career to become a
Jesuit priest of the Darjeeling Province. Before entering
the Jesuit novitiate, he came to Santa Cruz [Philippines,
and the scene of Fr. Dominic's 25 years work in that
province], to get acquainted with a Christian environment.
From Kurseong he now visits Bhutan nearly every month and
says Sunday Masses for the Christians who work there.
Once, Fr Kinley’s mother told the Father: “Lobe” (teacher)
whenever you enter my house, I feel the sun enters it.”
This year, she said again: “Lobe” (teacher), kadingche La”
(thank you) for having made my son a Christian
Lama.”
It was time to take a break. I needed it more than Fr
Dominic. Tomorrow he returns to the Philippines. Are the
Salesians presently in Bhutan? Nepal, yes. Bhutan no, but
Fr Dominic could not resist a comment there either. Let
him conclude...
"Some of our past pupils have suggested me to start an
association of the past pupils of Don Bosco. Sangey
Tenzing, past pupil and now director of the whole of the
Bhutan telecommunication system, suggested he would print
the news on the weekly paper, “Kuensell”, several
times, so as to notify all the members to attend the
meeting. What a wonderful idea! Don Bosco will again
enter Bhutan and guide the youth to be just what he
wanted, i.e. 'honourable and useful citizens' of Bhutan
and of heaven, God willing. Don Bosco loves the Bhutanese
youth, who still follow their untainted, and simple
Buddhist way of life."
---- ADDITIONAL INFO
What wasn't printed in the interview at that time was that
the Bhutanese lad who became a Catholic and then a priest
was baptised by a Salesian. Fr Kinley tells the story
himself: "I saw a crucifix the first time when I entered
the school chapel," (it was a Cluny run school) he
recalled, adding that what first impressed him "as a child
from a Buddhist cultural background" was "why the man was
crucified." Father Tshering said he wondered
if "the man" had done something wrong. "This led me to
find out more about the man and his mission." He joined
catechism classes and "came to know the man on the cross
was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born as a man to
redeem us from sins." His search continued at Darjeeling´s
Jesuit-managed St Joseph´s School. "Catechism inspired me
to become a Catholic and I asked the Jesuits to baptise
me, but they refused," Father Tshering said, so he
approached Salesian priests then working in Bhutan´s
Kharbandi village near the border with India.
Will Don Bosco enter Bhutan again, as Fr Dominic
predicted? Salesian Archbishop Menamparil (now emeritus,
of Guwahati) visited all Catholic families there in 2011.
The country has become more open and democratic. But the
future Salesian influence may be of a different nature.
The technical school we built in the 1970s is now the
Royal College of Science and Technology, part of the Royal
Bhutan University. Two years ago ago, the Consul General
of Bhutan in West Bengal and Assam, His Excellency, Dasho
Tsering Wangda, inaugurated the fifth academic year of
Assam Don Bosco University at its Azara Campus. DB
University's Vice Chancellor, Fr Stephen Mavely sdb,
expressed the University's desire to begin a vibrant
collaboration with the Kingdom of Bhutan in the field of
higher education.
Let's conclude this long but fascinating missionary tale
with a comment by another, younger missionary:
"As a technical man I admired him, he was like a Da Vinci
... so many practical and 'village-technology type'
approaches to the needs of mission life. Like for example,
the lack of electricity (frequent power failures) in the convent,
made him transform all the convent lightings into a 12V
car-battery system... where even the fluorescent-white
lamps were running as if there was an ordinary 220V system
in place... this was 30 years ago!
He was such an enthusiastic person... I think my
missionary vocation had received a nudge because of him
too..."
