IN MEMORIAM – FR. GERMAN CABILLO, SVD (1937-2008)

It is a year now since Fr. Gerry Cabillo, SVD, succumbed to a fatal heart attack. As we remember him on the first anniversary of his death, we pray that God, in His loving kindness and mercy, grant Fr. Gerry eternal rest and may His light shine upon him.

Our prayer sums up the life of Fr. Gerry. Because in life, Fr. Gerry was a restless soul and his whole life was dedicated to becoming a light to others, a light to those he worked with, but even more importantly, he was a light to those he worked for.

Fr. Gerry was born on Feb. 25, 1937, in Balaoan, La Union. Even as a boy, Fr. Gerry was restless, leaving home to become the sacristan of the late Fr. Resurreccion, the parish priest of Balaoan. When Fr. Resurreccion was transferred to San Nicolas, in Ilocos Norte – Ilocos Norte then was still a part of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia – Fr. Gerry tagged along. The good priest enrolled Fr. Gerry in the Catholic school of San Nicolas, run by the SSpS sisters, where Fr. Gerry finished his primary and secondary education. Then he enrolled at the St. William’s College in Laoag, run by the SVD Fathers. This was the first encounter of Fr. Gerry with the Society of the Divine Word.

Encouraged by the SVD Fathers, Fr. Gerry entered Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City where he went through his Novitiate and philosophical studies. Being a late vocation, he skipped regency – a year out of the seminary before theology for exposure to either pastoral or school work – 2nd, he went to the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City for his theological studies. With the burning social issues of the time, Fr. Gerry immersed himself in the social action program of the seminary. It was also during this time that he met Dean Jeremias Montemayor of the Ateneo de Manila School of Law, the founder of the Federation of Free Farmers. Inspired by Dean Montemayor, Fr. Gerry decided to make social issues, especially the plight of Filipino farmers, as his life work.

From his ordination to the priesthood and during his entire priestly life until his death, Fr. Gerry was consumed with zeal and fervor to ease the plight and uplift the lives of Filipino farmers.

As we remember Fr. Gerry on the first anniversary of his death, we remember him as a champion of the lowly Filipino farmer.

May Fr. Gerry really now rest in peace!

SVD North Communications