Likiep and the 111th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Catholic Faith.

Likiep and the 111th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Catholic Faith. October 7, 2013

       October 7, 2013  was the Feast of  "Our Lady of the Holy Rosary".  It was a special and big day for the Catholic Church and the parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary  in Likiep. This parish celebrated the 111th Anniversary of the arrival of the Catholic Faith.  The parish led by the parish priest, Fr. Yoseph Rettob, MSC and two MSM Sisters: Sr. Anita Selidio and Sr. Marivic Cabote; together with the Parish Pastoral Council and Prayers Leaders; the various small communities named after saints and the Sunday School Teachers did the preparation several months before the big day.  The celebration was graced by the visitors from Majuro:  Fr. Raymundo T. Sabio, MSC (Prefect Apostolic);  Honorable Parliament Speaker Donald and Rosita Capelle; Deacon Alfred and Mwejo Capelle; Mrs. Plu de Brum, Mrs. Emma Riklon; Veronica Kiluwe,  Clement Capelle  and many more.  A procession in honor of the our Lady of the Holy Rosary on the eve of the feast solemnly introduced the festivities.  On Oct. 7, 2013 the Feastday Holy Mass was celebrated at 9:30 AM.  A feastday dinner and a colorful and interesting parish program commenced at 7:00 PM which lasted for about 3 hours.

Brief History

In 1902, two Catholic MSC missionaries:  Fr. Leo Kieffer and an MSC Brother arrived in Likiep from Jaluit and laid the good foundation of the Catholic church in this atoll.   Unfortunately, barely a year after the mission station was opened, Fr. Leo Kieffer (from Strasbourg, France) died suddenly on March 9, 1903. 

        As his replacement, another MSC priest was sent from Jaluit in the person of Fr.Johannes Wendler (from Wroclaw, Poland).  He worked as the pastor of Likiep and a number of young people from the De Brum and Capelle families were baptized.  Fr. Wendler started a day school for boys which later grew to 35 students. These boys were taught by a single MSC brother, Bro. Neumann. In January, 1906  three young MSC Sisters arrived to work in the girls school which had only 12 students. As the Catholic population from the area increased, boarding students were also accepted from the other islands, and by 1911 there were 15 boarders.  Another sad thing happened when Fr. Wendler died on May 13, 1912.  Both Fr. Kieffer and Fr. Wendler were buried on a location close to the right side of the present church. Another priest was sent to replace Fr. Wendler.

       In late September 1914, six Japanese warships arrived in the Marshall Islands.  They took over the islands from the Germans. A week later all the German government officials were expelled, but the MSC missionaries, brothers and sisters were allowed to continue their work without restrictions for another year.  The station on Likiep was shut down in 1916 when the pastor was transferred to Jaluit to replace Fr. Schinke, MSC (Vicar Apostolic).  About the same time, the Japanese issued an order requiring that all Germans missionaries be brought to Jaluit. For the following three years, more than 20 missionaries operated out of their quarters on Jabwor, Jaluit, visiting other places only when they could secure the necessary permission to travel to other atolls.

The Expulsion of all the Missionaries

          It was in June 1919 that the final blow fell; the missionaries were informed by Japanese military authorities that they must all leave the Marshalls. On June 22, a simple mass was said in the chapel, the sanctuary lamp was extinguished, and all the German missionaries were led to the dock to board the Japanese ship which brought them to Yokohama, Japan.  In the absence of the missionaries, the Catholics in Likiep, Jaluit and Arno gathered every afternoon to pray the Holy Rosary, led by one their leaders.  A hymn precedes and concludes the rosary.

The Spanish Jesuits came to the Marshall Islands in January, 1922 to take over the work of  evangelization. They were Fr. Jose Pajaro and Fr. Victoriano Tudanca. They were assigned to reopen the mission in Jaluit. Two more recent arrivals were Fr. Ramon Suarez and Bro. Francisco Hernandez were sent to Arno. Likiep was not re-activated owing to lack of personnel.

       It was only a year after that Fr. Pajaro and Fr. Tudanca were sent to Likiep in June 1923 to see whether prospects for a mission there were any better than on Jaluit. Accompanied by two of their pupils, they worked among the largely half-caste population of Likiep for the remainder of the year and this lasted for about six months. This is the only visit to Likiep done by the Spanish Jesuits. Then Fr. Pajaro became ill and had to be moved out of the Marshalls to convalesce. Finally in early 1934, Fr. Pajaro died.  His death was the end of the resident priest in the Marshalls.  In the next few years, Jesuits from Pohnpei made yearly pastoral visits. Fr. Higinio Berganza, the Jesuit mission superior, paid a brief visit to Jaluit in June 1935 to provide such pastoral care as he could in the three days he was there. Each of the following three years, Fr. Berganza spent about a month in the Marshalls between ships. His pastoral activity was limited to Jaluit because there was no time to visit any of the other islands and atolls.  In 1940, war was fast approaching, and the Japanese authorities forbade the Jesuits to continue their pastoral work.  And so, Spanish Jesuit missionary activity in the Marshalls ended in that very year of 1940.

       The first two American Jesuits, Fr. Thomas Feeney and Fr. Thomas Donohoe, appeared in October 1947, after World War II. The two priests were immediately assigned to Likiep, which was chosen as the main mission station in the Marshalls. Likiep offered several uncontestable advantages at that early date: besides its relatively large number of Catholics and the undamaged state of its old mission buildings, Likiep was close to Kwajalein, the main American base and the hub of air transportation in and out of the Marshalls.

       In the subsequent year, they opened a school which later was named Holy Rosary School. Religion, English and  trade skills along the lines of vocational training were taught. And thanks be to God, in September 1950, three Maryknoll sisters came.  Being good educators, they provided organization to the school and also taught in the Holy Rosary School, thereby raising the academic standard of the school.  They were: Sr. Emily McIver, Sr. Rose Patrick St. Aubin; and Sr. Camilla Kennedy.

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Feast of the Holy Rosary, Monday.  October 7, 2013

Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38

The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the intercession of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the Rosary.

The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so deeply associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God. It is believed that God has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of grave danger.

So besides the naval victory at Lepanto in 1571, there were many other occasions like plagues, disasters, disunity and schisms, where the Church has recourse to the prayer of the Rosary.  The original title was "Our Lady of Victory" but it was changed to the present title to give the devotion and the prayers a wider scope and appeal.

Still we are assured that when we stand by God we need have no fear because God will always be victorious.  And if God is for us, then who and what can be against us. For nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.

Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI – Angelus Message 10/2/05 …“The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, the unique contemplative prayer through which, guided by the Lord’s Heavenly Mother, we fix our gaze on the face of the Redeemer in order to be conformed to his joyful, light-filled, sorrowful and glorious mysteries."

So despite its repetitive form, the Rosary invites us to join our Blessed Mother to look at Jesus and to pour out our love for Him. We can also be assured that like Mary, we too will be filled with grace and that God will work marvels for us and through us.  Let us always remember that with God, nothing is impossible.

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