AMRSP joins the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, fellow religious and all people of goodwill in mourning over the death of the young, vibrant and committed Catholic priest, Fr. Mark Ventura of Gattaran, Cagayan.

Fr. Mark is known to be passionate in his ministry and dedicated advocate of the care for creation as he spoke against mining, the empowerment of indigenous peoples and love for the poor in the peripheries.

Again we ask, why waste the life of this man called, consecrated, ordained and blessed by God? Do the perpetrators think they can frustrate God’s will and advance their own wider evil scheme by eliminating this minister of God? They are mistaken.

As religious superiors, we are really saddened and outraged at his loss. The death of one priest is too many. It takes so much time and effort to produce a good one like Fr. Mark, only to be taken away just like that. O my God! “Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord!” (Ps 130:1) Lord, protect our priests. Let his blood water the seeds of more vocations, as we and our members kneel down again to pray for the repose of his soul.

We call upon the government authorities to work harder and hasten to solve this crime, punish the perpetrators and protect the lives of our peace loving priests and their mission partners. This will bring healing to those who have been shocked and traumatized by this appalling crime incident.

We will also be consoled when no one else will be added in the list of our martyrs like Fr. Marcelito Paez, Fr. Tullio Pavalli, Fr. Rudy Romano, the Gomburza and the persecuted.
To Fr. Mark’s family, friends, parishioners and colleagues in the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, we offer our deepest sympathies. Condolence po!

In this Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, we in AMRSP again reiterate to our commitment to serve the poor in our country as prophets and mystics of our times.