First stop the Philippines, then Korea

Fr. Johnny Klingler is next in the line-up from the U.S. Province to visit the Philippines. He leaves on April 3 and will be in the region through the end of May.

As have several members of the U.S. Province before him, Fr. Johnny will be going to the Philippines on a two-fold mission. Several years ago the region extended an invitation to SCJs in the U.S. Province to spend time with students in the country to give them a sense of the wider congregation.

“They said that they were looking for ‘older’ SCJs to come and be a presence to the young people,” said Fr. Johnny. “They want the students to learn about the congregation through stories of our experiences.

“Right away, I thought ‘I’m perfect for this!’” Fr. Johnny has been provincial superior, mission secretary and served on the General Council. “I’ve been able to travel to and experience much of the congregation.”

“’Visiting uncles,’ is how it was described to me,” said Fr. Frank Wittouck, one of the first members of the U.S. Province to accept the Philippine invitation. “They asked us to share stories about ourselves and our vocation.”

The second task of the “visiting uncles” is to help students with their English. For many in the Philippine formation program English is a second (or third, or fourth…) language. English assistance can be informal through casual conversations, community prayer and presentations.

However, some SCJs do more formal instruction in the classroom. As did Fr. Bernie Rosinski last year, Fr. Johnny will put his education and prior teaching skills to work in the Philippine ESL program.

“I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication arts,” said Fr. Johnny. “I taught English composition, public speaking and other communication arts classes at Kilroe Seminary.” Fr. Johnny will assist the resident ESL teacher with a six-week session.

A chance to visit an old friend

Since he will “be in the neighborhood,” Fr. Johnny will make a side trip on his way home from the Philippines to visit a friend in Korea, one he came to know over 50 years ago when he was a young serviceman.

“I was a chaplain’s assistant and met this Maryknoll priest from Boston who had been a missionary to the country for some time,” said Fr. Johnny. “This was 1958, five years after the conflict ended and Korea was still in the process of rebuilding. There were so many poor. I often smuggled goods from the post to give to the missionaries, to the orphans.”

Fr. Johnny and the Maryknoll priest became good friends and continue to correspond. However, the last time they saw each other was 28 years ago when Fr. Johnny was on sabbatical in Cambridge, Mass. and the Maryknoll priest was on a home visit in Boston.

“He is in his 80s now and still very healthy and very busy,” said Fr. Klingler.

Fr. Johnny will return to the United States on June 6.

Philippine journal now on-line

Fr. Tom Cassidy maintained a journal during his visit to the Philippines in March; he was there for the inauguration of the new SCJ district.

Click here to read it.