Guatemala mourns murdered priest

Fr. Juan Pablo Lobos, a fellow Franciscan brother of Fr. Miguel Angel Hernandez, who was kidnapped and murdered in Honduras in recent days (see Fides 11/11/2009), sent Fides some news about his funeral and his remembrance of Fr. Miguel. The Cappuchin Franciscans of the Vice-Province of Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza have been working for many years in the border area between Honduras and Guatemala, where they have several communities, including: "Corpus Christi" Friary in Guatemala City, "San Francisco de Asis Friary in Quezaltepeque, "El Calvario" Friary in Chiquimula, and "San Lorenzo de Brindisi" Friary in San Jose Villanueva (where Fr. Hernandez worked). "Fr. Miguel was 44 years of age," Father Juan Pablo Lobos wrote to Fides. "He was a Franciscan Cappuchin ordained in 1994. He worked in parishes in Chiquimula and Quetzaltepeque (Guatemala), Santa Ana (El Salvador), and in the last 4 years had been parish vicar and Superior of the Cappuchin Convent of Nueva Ocotepeque, Honduras. He was buried in the town of Chiquimula, where there is a cemetery for Franciscans. There were about 5,000 people present." "The night before were the funerals. The Holy Mass was presided by Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruno, Archbishop of Guatemala City, and before he was taken to the cemetery, Bishop Rosolino Bianchetti, Bishop of Zacapa-Chiquimula, and Bishop Bernabe Sagastume Lemus celebrated the Mass for his soul, along with a large group of Franciscans from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, priests of the diocesan clergy from the three countries, and from different religious congregations. Fr. Miguel was Principal of a Catholic school and was a close friend to the youth. A man very dedicated to his work, he was simple, clear in his preaching, always very sincere, and coherent."