MELBOURNE and CEBU-PUNTA PRINCESA: 28-05-10 -- We try to
resist, gently, too many obituaries in these pages, because there would
be a considerable number of them, but the resistance is not too strong!
The lives and the deaths of our confreres are part of us and they are
uplifting. Nothing could be more true of two men from our Region who
have gone to their reward in recent days, Fr Jim Carroll, from the
Australia Pacific Province, and Fr Anthony Gilcour from the South
Philippines Province. What follows are excerpts either from news
items sent in, or homilies or other notices regarding the passing of
these two great men, cobbled together to give it all something of a
unity.
They both loved numbers! So firstly, some biographical numbers on both
of them. Fr Gilcour, who would have been 92 had he survived till May
30, was a native of Holland who became a Salesian in 1940 and was
ordained on July 4 1948 in the Netherlands. He left shortly afterwards
for the missions (Hong Kong) and when all foreign missionaries were
expelled from China came to the Philippines 1954 (Victorias, Negros was
where he landed) where he remained for the rest of his life. Fr
Jim Carroll, on the other hand, would have turned 86 in a few weeks -
he was born on 12 June 1924, in Australia but of Lebanese background,
something of which he was fiercely proud. "He delighted in telling us
that his mother had spent a number of years in Lebanon as a young girl
and how his great uncles came to Australia with gold in their
belts". Jim was ordained priest in Turin on 7 July 1954.
But they loved numbers - really! Fr Anthony found ways to analyze
complex math equations and simplify their explanations in the
classroom. In his younger years, he gave seminars to teachers to
improve their teaching in Mathematics and geometry. When he slowed
down, he had his wheelchair positioned in the canteen where he could
still encounter the students during their break. Fr Jim on the
other hand was a provincial economer for 21 years and brought an early
(very!) form of computerization to that office long before the rest of
us even knew it existed! (I know that I was the one who eventually
consigned the antiquated machine to the rubbish tip!). Indeed, as
a boy before joining the Salesians, in his final year of high school he
won the State exhibition for mathematics. He could handle numbers
of another kind too - dual or triple or more roles! At one point
in his life he was Bursar and Farm Manger at Rupertswood, and Rector of
the House of Formation and Provincial House at Oakleigh many miles away!
What they loved, more than anything, apart from their families, whom
they loved deeply, was Don Bosco and the Salesians and Don Bosco's
mission. Fr Gilcour, in various parts north and south in the
Philippines spent hours in the confessional, available to Salesians and
students alike. "Towards the end of his life he was particularly fond
of being with the alumni and their families. Fr Anthony showed a great
example of being able to minister the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
regularly sitting in the confessional box for hours, even traveling
long distances to accommodate requests for the Sacrament". Fr
Carroll, when he first came into contact with the Salesians at
Rupertswood (the province's motherhouse), "was immediately impressed by
the Salesian warmth, and the close relationships that existed between
the Salesians and the boys at ‘Rupertswood.’ He was
particularly impressed by the remarkable
Brothers of that era".
These two men have made unforgettable contributions to their provinces
and to the Salesian mission to the young. There is much more that could
be said about them and in their respective provinces has been said
about them, especially in the homilies which farewelled them to eternal
life. Should you want to read up on all that, we can make this
material available or put you into contact with someone who can.
As Fr Jim's Provincial said at the Requiem, "Don Bosco has many
faces...." and each of these men was a unique face of Don Bosco.
"Indeed, it will never be repeated in its uniqueness". _________________ AustraLasia is an
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