Irish Mill Hill Missionaries receive Chilean Recognition Awards

l-r: President Higgins with Fr Fr Des McGillicuddy and Chilean Ambassador Ricardo Hernández

Dublin-born Fr Des McGillicuddy was one of two Irish-born Mill Hill missionary priests who recently received an award from the Ambassador of Chile to Ireland, Ricardo Hernández, at a ceremony in the embassy in Dublin. An award to Fr Liam Holohan, who died in 2002, was accepted by his sister, Kay Mulhall.

From 1975 - 1983, Fr Des ministered among the poor in a marginalised urban settlement ('población') in Santiago, Chile. In line with the 'option for the poor' adopted by the Catholic Church in Latin America a few years earlier, he encouraged the formation of small Christian Communities where members reflected on their everyday lives in the light of the Gospel and drew inspiration from its liberating message to advance their human dignity and rights as citizens of Chile.

From a social perspective, the fruits of this approach to evangelisation found visible expression in a series of small-scale projects such as food kitchens, primary-health care, skills-training (e.g. carpentry and electricity courses), co-operatives and non-formal education programmes for adults and children.

These activities were not political in nature; however, in the context of a military dictatorship that brutally disregarded human rights, disbanded all forms of assembly (political parties, trade unions, etc.) and supressed freedom of expression, they did have political implications, especially as they were replicated in marginalised 'poblaciones' all over Chile.

This helps to explain the expulsion of Fr Des from Chile, along with Fr Holohan and Fr Brendan Forde OFM (now deceased) in March 1983. The award to each of them was in recognition of their humanitarian assistance to the Chilean people during the period of repressive military rule.

The ceremony, led by Ambassador Hernández, was attended by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, family members and colleagues of the three missionaries, and several ambassadors including the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Montemayor.

In his address, President Higgins said: "What these three men had in common was a profound compassion and solidarity, a deep-seated sense of social justice, and a yearning to help and serve the poorest and most vulnerable people in Chile who were experiencing the most appalling poverty and living under fearful conditions of authoritarian military rule."

Fr Des explained to the attentive audience how "The military, led by General Pinochet and aided and abetted by external forces, came to power through the violent overthrow of a democratically elected government, led by Salvador Allende. Following the coup d'état in 1973, the Chilean people had to fight bravely for two decades to win back their democratic freedoms. These are freedoms that none of us here in Ireland or anywhere else in the world, can simply take for granted anymore. We need to be vigilant and be ready to stand up for those freedoms if and when required to do so."

He said that in speaking of democracy "I am referring to something much more, much deeper, than the occasional trip to the polling station. Here, I am reminded of two memorable statements made by Betinho, the Brazilian sociologist who became an advisor to Salvador Allende, following his exile to Chile in the time of the military dictatorship in Brazil. Betinho pointed out, firstly, that democracy is incompatible with poverty and, secondly, that solidarity is the cement of democracy."

As a newly-ordained priest, Fr Des arrived in Santiago in late 1975, two years after the infamous 'golpe' or coup d'état took place. "That" he said "was my first missionary experience. That intense experience remained with me and profoundly marked the rest of my missionary journey right up to the present day: my theology studies in Germany, the training of future missionaries in London, justice and development ministry in Dublin, parish ministry in Brazil, and in leadership roles in my Society.

"I saw my expulsion by the military dictatorship not as a humiliation but as a badge of honour for my active participation in promoting the liberating message of the Gospel in words and in deeds. I am very grateful and feel highly honoured to receive this recognition from the Chilean authorities. Una vez más, muchas gracias. Me siento muy honrado."

Over the next two months, two other Irish missionaries will receive recognition awards from the Oireachtas (parliament) and from the President of Ireland. I will report on them here at the time.

(Matt Moran was Manager of the MSC Mission Office in Cork and served as Chairman of the Board of Misean Cara that funds missionary development work overseas. He also served on the Board of Nano Nagle Birthplace. He is the author of two books on missionaries and the role of faith in international development and public affairs - available from www.buythebook.ie. He is currently working on his third book dealing with the current cultural colonisation of Africa by the West)