REVEREND FATHER SATURNINO URIOS, S.J.

THE FOUNDER peace in Agusan, negotiated with the rebel leaders to surrender to the
Americans. Fr. Urios in his letter dated October 27, 1901. American
The Jesuit Fathers were busy building a townlife for the people, commandant ordered for the closure of the said school. In response for the
before Father Saturnino Urios arrived in Butuan 1875. Father Saturnino closure, Fr. Urios resisted courageously with the support of children and
Urios, a Spanish Jesuit was born in Jativa (Valencia), Spain on November 12, parents. There was a campaign of intimidation and threats against his life.
1843. As soon as, he arrived in Butuan, he started to preach the mission Nevertheless, he continued to exist and the school was protected by the Act
with sincere intention for evangelization. He started building churches, no. 74 of the Philippines Commision provided in Section 27 which says that
convents and founded villages or settlements. These were Las Nieves, Los “Nothing in this Act shall be continued in any way to forbid impede or
Remedios, La Esperanza, Guadalupe, Los Martires, Mongcayo, Jativa, La Paz, obstruct the establishment and maintenance of private schools.”
Segunto and a host of others.
Indeed, Fr. Urios has an indefatigable character and personality.
Fr. A.H. Van Odijk, M.S.C mentioned in his book entitled History of He surmounted all kinds of problems from the strong force of bagani raids,
the Christianization of the Diocese of Surigao and Butuan that “Father Urios Muslims pirates, sickness or diseases affecting some Jesuits and natives
never rested a day during the long yearsof his missionary life; he travelled such as typhoid fever, malaria and cholera, environmental wilderness of
the entire width and length of the Agusan District. There was not a Agusan, floods overflowing inside the church, cultural issues, evangelical
settlement or sitio, not a ver or bagani that he did not know. In the midst of resistance, and the threats of Americans to close the parochial school in
his travels and activities he found great pleasure writing letters to his Butuan. The Christian light that Fr. Urios carried had continued radiating the
superiors about the spiritual progress and ll its drawbacks in this region. He Agusan region or Butuan area. Through his undying optimism of faith and
was in indestructible optimist, unwilling to take account of illness and hope, Agusan and Butuan bowed in the name of Jesus.
undaunted by raids or rebellions. He had one idea in his mind: that one day
the whole Agusan should know for the name of Jesus...” Indeed, a school was named after him, now called as Urios
College, a Catholic school, is living named Fr. Urios had existed and
Fr. Arcilla S.J. identified the reasons for Fr. Urios successful succeeded in his evangelization wanting to preserve the Christian Catholic
evangelization was attributed to his personal charisma and patience. Fr. religion and ideals of Christ.
Urios identified himself with the people (the Manobos) whom he loved. His
patience never seemed to have run out, no matter how often he had to On the 27th September 1916 he had already breathed his last.
repeat the same things over and over again. He taught them how to use the Today, Agusan is divided into two modern provinces because of the work of
holy water (not to drink) on entering or leaving the chapel; when to kneel, men like Urios and the other Jesuits with him (Arcilla, 1984:242)
stand and sit down during the mass: why one had to remove his or turban
inside the church or house. Once, the chieftain asked him: why form a new THE BUTUAN PAROCHIAL SCHOOL’S STORY
community? They had never lived that before. Urios asked in return, “Do
In the case of Mindanao, an American Jesuit missionary, Father
you see this hand?” A single finger could not lift weights; manipulate the
William A. Staunton (the first American to be ordained a priest in the
sundang (bolo). But the hand with five fingers “plies the oar, forges iron,
Philippines) wrote a long letter exposing the petty persecution of Catholics
make spears and anything else one likes. Many men together can uproot
in Mindanao by the American military forces dated November 1901 and was
huge trees, level the ground in order to build towns and houses” (Cartas,
printed in the United States that same year. There were two cases in
1881:5, 45-48). His duty, was that of the man building a boat from one leg,
Butuan one involving the Catholic parochial school conducted by the
who keeps chopping away until finally he carves out the boat from the
veteran Jesuit missionary Father Saturnino Urios S.J. and the other,
shapeless tree trunk. Before baptism, the Manobos were like a fallen tree,
involving a private school conducted by a Catholic layman (Woodstock
useless and left lying in the forest but with the missionary’s exhortations,
Letters, 1901:425-434).
which are like strokes of the ship builder or carpenter, they became good
Christians, helpful to themselves and their neighbours (Arcilla, 1984:240)
Father Staunton tells the story: The American authorities provided
for the establishment of public schools all over the islands in which the
Fr. Urios, as a reasonable persona and having humanistic
teacher is forbidden to speak of any religion or influence his pupils in one
character, had been tested several times. A case in point when a native
way or the other. The Jesuits knew how the system of education without
husband came to him and asked for some indemnification he was planning
religion has operated in a country and wherever else it has been tried in the
because an evil spirit killed his wife with fever leaving alive one of her
raising up a generation of practical atheist.
neighbours who suffered from the same sickness. Fr. Urios asked what kind
of indemnification he was planning to ask and from whom. The man that he
Consequently, in order to try to counteract such effort, the clergy
wanted to request the husband of the surviving wife to get him another
of the Philippines had endeavoured whenever possible to establish free
spouse at his cost and risk, to take the place of the first one. In seriousness,
Catholic schools, where the Filipino youth, who need the religion they can
Fr. Urios called a meeting of the more sensible leaders of the village and put
get, may have their moral and religious faculties developed along with the
the case before them to solve the case in accordance with conscience. He
intellectual. Now as the Filipinos are practically all Catholics, the parents
listened to the pros and cons concerning the question, but keeps the final
naturally sent their children to the Catholic schools. Hence, in many places
verdict for himself. This was how he educated and corrected them kindly
the public schools are left to the full possession of the American schools
and efficiently by making them understand that they should be guided not
teachers in solitary glory. In some few places, especially where the priest is
by their traditional superstition and injustice but by the judgement and
a native Filipino who is anxious by all means to keep in good favour with the
rules of reason, illuminated by the light of faith and evangelical morals
Americans – because the Americans are now in power – the priest had no
(Schures,1998:7)
Catholic school, but makes use of the liberty given him by the law of
teaching the catechism three times a week for half an hour in the public
His tireless efforts continue. He visited from time to time the
schools. But the arrangement had many restrictions and inconvenience, our
settlements or villages , celebrated masses, conducted marriages, converted
Fathers in Mindanao, who had change many stations in that island, had
Manobos and settled disputes among the natives. His concern for the
wisely determined to organize and run separate Catholic or parish schools
Manobos was strong deep, he considered them as his children. He listened
altogether independent of the public schools. Many of these are working
to their views and treated them equally. Later, on August 10, 1884 he was
under great difficulties, as following the facts will show. It is enough to
installed as a parish priest of Butuan. In 1889, Fr. Urios in his 45 th was
make the blood of an American boil with indignation and shame to hear of
affected by asthma but still strong.
the pretty persecution and the cowardly and tyrannical means make use of
On October 12, 1891, he left Agusan. After the Spanish-American by some of the local American commandments of the village, to force the
War, he returned to his beloved Manobos. He was responsible to bring people to send their children to the public schools and to intimidate and
terrorize both priests and people as well as the lesser native officials into a “Settle it, then” replied the Father “but let no violence be done” that
compliance with their despotic wills. The chief Commandments in many of afternoon policemen were posted under the large trees in front of the
the pueblos are young inexperienced lieutenant who cannot count thirty residence and at various points around the house to watch the children as
summers, and who, relying on the timidity of the natives, the unfamiliarity they came out and caught and terrified them. They were brought to the
of the priest with the American laws, and the distance of their own posts judge. Even in the face of such a travesty of justice one could not help
from the headquarters of the higher officials. laughing to see the children running with all their might with the police
chasing the pupils hiding wherever they could find cover and some even
There were two authentic of such instances of such injustices went come to tell their parents what had opened
which happened in Mindanao, one at Butuan and the other at Davao. The
facts of the first case are taken from an account sent to his superior by our After the incident, cowardly attempted on the part of the
Father Saturnino Urios, a Veteran missionary who had been labouring for American commander to intimidate the children and frighten them away
the past 26 years among the tribes of Mindanao. (Light Calvary, 1940- from the school. Father Urios thought that the affair had ended. The
41:333-334). following day, although there was a smaller attendance, there were more
than enough children to hold a class. Those who did not come, came in fear
On the 21st of October (1901) Father Urios Opened a boys school and trembled running and dodging and looking about on all sides for fear of
at Butuan, which many boys attended. Other set out as usual for the fields, the soldiers and the police. Some entered by the sacristy, others by back of
but not one of the pupils showed up in a public school were two American the garden of the house or wherever they thought they could enter.
non-Catholic teachers were waiting. The American commander of the post, Nothing unusual occurred during the day. But on the next day, the usual
a second lieutenant , appeared at the residence in company with two military drill of the soldiers in the early morning was dispensed with, but
teachers, carrying under his arm a copy of the Municipal Code to show to shortly before the hour assigned for the opening of the Catholic School, the
Father Urios that he was allowed to go to the public school to teach brave lieutenant with his soldiers all in arms appeared in front of the
catechism two or three times a week. Father Urios told the lieutenant that resident, placed sentinels at the corners of the building gave countersign
there were various inconveniences and restrictions that he preferred to and pretend to make preparations of an attack. Soon however, he seemed
have the private Catholic school in his own house. On hearing this the to get tired of his action he marched his valiant band back to their quarters.
lieutenant became very angry. During this farce, the children were watching operations from behind the
trees and the corners of the neighbouring huts and the inhabitants who
The lieutenant said that he would rather see the American Padres
crowded the windows of their houses expecting to see an attack made on
of the Roman Catholic Church to be sent here. To which Father Urios
the Father’s house (Light Cavalry, 1940-41:339)
answered that he would very pleased to see such a thing happen, as this
would leave the Jesuits free to devote themselves to the conversions of In the face of all this our old veteran missionary was not to be
infidel tribes, that they took charge of large town of old Christians in intimidated or brow-beaten by a lieutenant. He knew his rights and he
Mindanao, such as Butuan, only because there were no other Catholic stood by them, and the youthful representatives of the United States in
priests to look after them and attend to their spiritual needs. The lieutenant Butuan were disappointed in his cowardly efforts to close the school and
said finally that he would have to avail himself of the police and the local frighten away the children. On that very day Father Urios held his classes as
Presidente to straighten things out. To this Father Urios replied that he usual and the school was still in operation. For several days afterwards the
based that there would be no violence to take place in the afternoon police scattered themselves all over the fields called the boys and told them
neither pupils nor teachers were to be found in the public school. that they must go to the public school if they wanted to avoid trouble. This
action of the police was due to the cowardice of the native Presidente who
The next day, Father Urios hoping to find the lieutenant in a
was filled with terror ever since the lieutenant informed him that the whole
better frame of mind, went to pay him a visit and found frowning and
school trouble is nothing but a conspiracy between the natives and the
appeared in a bad mood. The Father had given him his reasons for opening
padres against the American government. So the poor Presidente, afraid of
the Catholic school. The lieutenant replied that he did not need a private
his life, was doing all he can do to fill the public school.
school, since he could teach his catechism in the public school, in the
church, or wherever he like and that he could give him two whole days for A week after the above occurrences, news came from Fr. Llovora, a
himself. But Father Urios said, “the educational laws allow me only three Jesuit priest ffrom Butuan, it seems that the young intelligent Filipino, Pedro
times in a week of half an hour each, provided that the required permission Bayete, a graduate from Normal School from Manila, had also established in
have been obtained and other conditions would be complied. Those Butuan a private Catholic School of his own independent of the parish school.
conditions he found too hampering and the parents moreover, have He also had been harrassed by petty persecutors on the
voluntarily brought him many children for his school.
part of the native Presidente under the influence of same American
At this juncture the lieutenant left the room for a moment to lieutenant. After various threats had failed to prevent Pedro from opening his
attend to the change of guard or some business. As he re-entered the room school, he was able to acquire a fair number of pupils in attendance. The
he drew his sword from its scabbard and raising it aloft said in an angry Presidente finally ordered him to transfer his school from the house in which he
tone, “there are only four boys of the public school this morning and I have was conducting the classes and to hold his classes in a house adjoining the
public school so as apparently to make his school part and parcel of the public
st send word to the Presidential about it. The Catholic Church isn’t so weak
school that the number of pupils attending the public school might be
as you people imagine the American teachers were not going to destroy it.
augmented by those of the private school. He refused to submit, as his school
It is Spanish you want to teach. You don’t enough English to teach and what
would lose its character of a private Catholic School on the other hand, he said,
do you know f it, you don’t know how well, in order to reach it well.
he could not resist violent measures of the Presidente and his terrified Council
Teachers have come all the way from America and they are paid good or feel safe under the threats of the American Commandante. He had to give up
salaries, but they cannot find any pupils, they will return to the States” Fr. his school altogether and go where he would not be tormented.
Urios replied that there were plenty of boys for schools if the teachers could
get them, that as far as the languages was concerned to teach the children Such are the results in Butuan of the present non-religious school
at least the first step is English than it would be the American teachers, who system, which had been forced upon the unfortunate Filipinos, complaints of
knew neither Spanish nor language of the natives. His main objective similar cases of intimidation are heard from the various quarters of the
therefore was preserve the faith of the children. archipelago Wherever the Catholic schools are opened, the government schools
are being deserted. The mass of the Filipino people resents a system of
Father Urios finally departed leaving his friend in no friendly public instruction which rubs them of their religion, and the sooner the
mood, soon after his return to the residence the local Presidente presented power to be seen, the injustice of the system for that might be too much to
himself saying that it was necessary to settle this affair about the school. expect from them, but the policy of the measures, give them back their
Catholic school, and the sooner will peace, i.e. real peace, be secured in the
archipelago and the confidence of the Filipino people in the United States
be restored (Light Cavalry, 1940-41:334-340; WL, 1901:427-431).