Fr. Emmanuel Mijares, “Am” to family and friends, was born on January 1, 1958, in Ibajay, Aklan, on the island of Panay, in central Philippines, to a deeply religious family. He lived a peaceful childhood, sharing it with Rhoda, his elder sister, and his brother Diore, the youngest of the siblings. At the age of 12, he entered the minor seminary where he became known for his gentle and joyful manner. Even if provoked by some of his fellow students, he always responded with a disarming smile. Committed to his studies and sports activities, he obtained excellent results in both. Towards the end of his adolescence, he went on to the major seminary to study philosophy and theology in preparation for the priesthood.
On April 5, 1982, he was ordained priest for the Diocese of Kalibo, Aklan. His first assignment was at the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila. There he met a focolarina at work who introduced him to the community of the Focolare in Mariapolis Peace in Tagaytay. From June 1984 to May 1986, he underwent a period of formation in the spirituality of unity at Scuola Epi, the Focolare’s Center of Spirituality for Priests and Seminarians, in Mariapolis Peace. He met and lived with a Swiss priest, Fr. Toni Weber, who started this “school” of formation for priests and seminarians of Asia upon the request of the Catholic bishops of Asia, particularly of the Philippines, to Chiara Lubich when she visited the Philippines in 1982.
On January 1, 1985, during his stay at Scuola Epi in Tagaytay, he wrote a long, moving letter to Chiara Lubich recounting the story of his life (and his struggles) with its joys and sorrows. He told Chiara how his brother Diore, a student-activist during the period of martial law in the Philippines, had been killed at the age of 21. Lubich encouraged him to see God’s love even in the most painful circumstances in life and gave him a Word from the Gospel that speaks of forgiveness: “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” (Mt 5:39). Chiara was happy to confirm his name ‘Emmanuel’ because of its beautiful meaning: ‘God with us.’ After two years in Tagaytay, he was appointed and designated as spiritual director of the minor seminary in Aklan. Later on, he moved to the Collegio Filippino in Rome for further studies in philosophy. On January 13, 1994, with perpetual promises, he became a member of the branch of the priest and deacon focolarinos. He returned to the Philippines and his diocese and served as Chancellor and personal secretary to the bishop. In June 1998, he became the director of the formation year at the Saint Joseph Regional Seminary in Iloilo with 34 seminarians from seven ecclesiastical provinces of the Philippines. In 2007, he became the rector of the minor and major seminary of Aklan. Afterwards, he served in various parishes in Aklan. A living community was born around him that was committed to concrete works to alleviate the difficulties of the population due to poverty and natural calamities.
Testimonies and words of thanks
Fr. Am was a figure of the priest-focolarino1 who has lived fully the Focolare’s Ideal of unity.
Mary Ann Tolentino, a focolarina from Aklan, who is now based in Rome, tells of her beautiful memories of Fr. Am: “Fr. Am, as some would describe him, was straightforward, full of wisdom, revered, and one who was in control. For us, the first group of ten girls and boys around him, he was just a father: gentle, patient, neither overprotective nor authoritarian, but someone who knew how to trust others, who knew how to risk. Even if we were very young, he left us free to make our own decisions, enjoy our freedom, and explore new possibilities. And he always had our back. We had the confidence to fly because Fr. Am was there. He was a formator, and he understood that we could only be formed if we would go out of ourselves and into the margins of society.
Liezel Macam Ponsaran, a married focolarina, shares: “Fr. Am explained to us that even spiritual trials, as we had experienced, might be experienced by all, but we should never be afraid because God on the cross had already paid for them all. Moreover, we are immensely loved by God, and the Holy Family will take care of our family, so the devil could never win against us. Fr. Am seemed like a father, an older brother, or an angel, so much so that anytime you needed him, he would find ways to give his life for you, in whatever way and whenever it would be. Fr. Am lived out his faith! He was firm in his convictions, radical in his words, and also in his deeds. The legacy of Fr. Am lives on in our hearts.”
Felmer Ponsaran, a married focolarino, recalls, “Fr. Am, for us, was a true spiritual father, and our true family. When problems and difficulties came up, he was there to give his wisdom through pieces of advice. He is just a text or call away when you have doubts about your faith in God. Fr. Am was always a loving person, ready to offer his love in any way he could.”
Lito de Guzman, another married focolarino, narrates a very memorable experience with Fr. Am, when they lived with him for a month in Papua New Guinea to set up a temporary mission site.
Lito recalls: “Together with Fr. Joel Castillo, my wife Ethel and I we were very fortunate to have made a strong experience of God, when we were requested to go to Papua New Guinea with Fr. Am last May 2018, to start a temporary Focolare community. It was a very difficult trip, and the first time for all of us to go there. It turned out to be the best experience of our lives. Here are some highlights of that special moment we had with Fr. Am on that trip.
“First, I was inspired by his wisdom. I always admired Fr. Am’s theological and philosophical insights. He had this ability to see things always from the perspective of the Faith… He understood the ideal of unity so much that he was able to internalize these teachings and precepts in everyday life.
“Second, he was very keen about keeping “Jesus in the midst.”2 From the preparation of our slides and materials to the actual delivery of our talks, Fr. Am was careful that we do all these things in unity. I never felt a more genuine rapport with a priest. I felt we were really doing all those things together.
“Third, in the words of Chiara Lubich, I can affirm that he is truly a “popo,” an evangelical child. While we still call him “Fr. Am” because of respect for his position, I really felt he was a brother (not only in the religious sense) and a “popo” – a child of the Gospel. We would share our fears with him during the most dangerous flight from Port Moresby to Daru Kiunga. We would laugh at our own mistakes during our sessions.
“Fourth, he had a great love for Jesus Forsaken on the cross. The poverty and the difficulties, the challenges we saw around us were very real. The local culture was very different. The priests there were faced with many, many sufferings; their communities were all poor. With no financial support, they had to travel very far just to reach their communities… When we were preparing the program on the points of the Focolare spirituality, we agreed that we would not yet talk about Jesus Forsaken. But on the third day, and with much unity among the 4 of us, Fr. Am proposed that, probably, it was time to share Jesus Forsaken, and the value and redemptive meaning of suffering. It was a strong awakening for us to see all the sufferings these people were going through. However, we really felt that they understood, helped by the wisdom from the Holy Spirit. (This was confirmed by the happiness and appreciation of the bishop and priests in Papua New Guinea).
“Lastly, I admired his passion and compassion. As a diocesan priest, he understood his strengths. He was able to develop the gifts he received. At the same time, he made his compassion grow towards other people. He was a friend to his parishioners, his community, and the members of the Movement. He had a special rapport with everyone he encountered.”
Fr. Joel Castillo confirms this: “In Papua New Guinea, Fr. Am was always serving us. He was very keen about “keeping Jesus in the midst.” He was very sensitive to a life of unity. He loved Jesus Forsaken concretely in difficult situations.”
Nekka Taunan, a youth from Aklan, shares: “I believe that this is also an experience that our generation could confirm. Fr. Am, indeed, had a big heart for the Gen (the young people of the Focolare Movement) and for all other youth. Whenever we had our activities or projects in the past, like different activities of the Movement, dinner for a cause, etc., Fr. Am would always tell us that we were young and capable of doing so many things. We were able to concretize those projects because he was always there supporting us. Fr. Am opened up opportunities for us to share the Focolare’s spirituality of unity to as many young people as possible, even to young seminarians.”
Another youth, Gio Francisco, confirms Fr. Am’s special love and trust in young people: “He always believed in us, young people. His wisdom always guided us. He even gave a very insightful theme on synodality (walking together in holiness) which was ahead of the times.
Carlo Gentile (an Italian focolarino and former delegate of the Movement in the Philippines) gives his testimony about Fr. Am’s love and friendship: “For me, Fr. Am was an exceptionally intelligent priest but, first of all, a great friend of mine. So many times, we were able to share our life, our difficulties, even our limitations! And yet, in the end, I felt a special light in my soul, a kind of love from his part that was more than great. He personified the real essence of a friend, always available for people, and with a very deep faith in God’s love.
interreligious meeting
Minx Lumio, in one of their final visits to Fr. Am, recounts: “Last July 8, when we entered his room and saw him at his sickbed, I felt it was a sacred moment. I saw how he surrendered everything to God. I asked him, “Are you happy? He said, “I am very happy. Our life is beautiful.” I saw him at peace. I assured him that the whole world is praying for him. He closed his eyes and, in tears, while holding my hands, I felt he was the one consoling me. On many occasions, he continued to repeat “Jesus in the midst… Continue to live with Jesus in the midst. Let’s keep Jesus in the midst.”
When he died last July 19, 2021, the tributes never stopped pouring in. The novena prayers and Masses that were offered for him, where many people spoke heartwarming words of thanks and affection, were proof of the words of Jesus that “By their fruits, you will know them” (Mt 7:20). The kind words of tribute for Fr. Am were overwhelming, and, several months after his death, we are still receiving many stories about his many good deeds. True enough, two pages are not enough to narrate his beautiful and fruitful life. He has left us a patrimony of his writings and works, showing his great love for Christ, and his passion for the Church and humanity.
Jose Aranas
1 A diocesan priest who commits himself to live the charism of unity in a spirit of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Where the situation allows, he lives in community with other priests who, together with him, live to develop between them an intense fraternity that witnesses to their ministry.
2 Refers to the presence of Jesus experienced by people who live the Gospel passage in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
