Father Reuter's remains brought to St. Paul University-Manila

The remains of the late Jesuit missionary James Reuter were brought to the St. Paul University in Manila Tuesday, a day after he passed away at age 96. A Mass was offered for Reuter, whose remains were brought to the campus' chapel in a copper coffin, radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported. Reuter had served as chaplain of St. Paul University. Necrological rites are scheduled at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2. Reuter's remains will stay at the university chapel until Thursday, January 3, before they are transferred to the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. Reuter will be buried at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City on Saturday, Jan. 5. Quoting his close associate Cherry Aquino, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Reuter had a stroke last December 27. While Reuter did not respond verbally, his vital signs were still good at that time, Aquino said. She added that the “Reuter Babies” prayed the rosary for his recovery every 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. Exemplary work Reuter, known for his exemplary work on radio, TV and stage, died at Our Lady of Peace Hospital, a hospital he built to serve the poor in the area, in Parañaque City. He had served as executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media (ECSCMM). He also chaired the National Office of Mass Media for decades. Meanwhile, current ECSCMM executive secretary Fr. Francis Lucas said Reuter was “kind and gentle” and “quite dedicated to his work.” “The only time we can rest is when we die,” Lucas said as he recalled Reuter’s work ethic. Lucas added Reuter fought for the truth, especially on matters about faith. The CBCP said Reuter came to the Philippines in 1938 as a 22-year-old Jesuit scholastic missionary. As a Jesuit in formation, he took up his philosophical studies in Novaliches and Baguio. He taught at the Ateneo de Manila on Padre Faura just before World War II. When the war broke out, the Japanese army interned him. While he was jailed at the Ateneo on Padre Faura and in the prison camp in Los Baños, he wrote songs and produced plays during the course of war. After the war, he went to the US to finish his theological studies at Georgetown University and was ordained at Woodstock, Maryland in 1946. He also spent another year at Fordham University in New York to study radio and television. In 1948, he returned to the Philippines and taught in high school and college at the Ateneo de Naga. Reuter was also basketball coach, drama and glee club director, retreat master, confidant, and friend to his students. Reuter was granted honorary Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Congress in 2006 in recognition of his lifetime service to the Filipino people. Reuter, who served as the director of the National Office on Mass Media (NOMM), helped organize UNDA/ASIA, the international Catholic association for radio and TV in Asia. He is also one of the founders of the Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters, a union of 41 Catholic radio stations nationwide. "For almost seven decades of priestly ministry, he already received over 20 prestigious awards citing his invaluable services to the Church and to the country in various fields especially in education, mass media, literature and performing arts," the CBCP said. - VVP, GMA News