Fr. Brian Gore*
Fr. Brian Gore, a priest who championed the cause of the poor and cared deeply for the environment, passed away at the Holy Mother of Mercy Hospital in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, 7:30 p.m. on Easter Sunday, April 20.
He was 81.
“He walked with the poor, defended the oppressed, and cared deeply for the environment and all God’s creation. Now that his mission is complete, may he rest in the loving embrace of the God of justice and mercy,” the Columbans PH Missionaries announced.
Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon said Gore was “great man whose heart was for the poor and victims of injustice…he deserves a hero’s funeral”.
“What a beautiful Day to join the Lord on Easter Sunday”, Buzon also said.
Gore, an Australian priest, was one of the “Negros Nine” – three missionary priests and six lay leaders who were wrongly accused of killing Kabankalan Mayor Pablo Sola on March 20, 1982, during then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime.
Communist rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Marcos regime linked the three priests and six community workers to the crime.
The nine were believed to have been targeted for serving as voices of the poor communities against military oppression and championing social justice.
Their ordeal gained international attention as the priests from the Missionary Society of St. Columban, one an Australian and the other Irish, and the rest of the group were imprisoned in 1983 on multiple murder charges. They were released 14 months later.
Gore and O’Brien agreed to leave within one month after the dismissal of all charges. When the Marcos regime collapsed, they returned to Negros Occidental to resume their work for the poor in southern Negros Occidental.
Gore’s co-accused Fr. Niall O’Brien passed away in Italy in 2004 and Fr. Vicente Dangan in 1998.
Gore continued his work for the poor through the Negros Nine Human Development Foundation Inc. (NNHDFI) set up in 2000.
The NNHDFI is engaged in livelihood projects and environment protection in southern Negros.
They developed organic farms and a weaving project with products ranging from scarves to shawls, Gore had said.
“We are organic agriculture missionaries for life”, Gore said, of the NNHDFI.
The San Sebastian Cathedral Community said “Fr. Brian served in Negros Occidental for many years and was known for his deep solidarity with the poor. As one of the Negros Nine, he stood firm in his faith and fight for human rights.”
Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) said “My heart goes out to the Columban Mission and Negros Nine Foundation, especially its weavers. Though his passing leaves us with sorrow, we find solace in the memories of his service and the love he shared with us, especially his love for the community. May God comfort all who mourn his loss, and may his spirit continue to inspire us on our own paths of faith and service to mankind”.
The Kabankalan City government said “Fr. Gore was more than a missionary – he was a visionary. Through his love for the people and the land, he was the founder of Negros 9. He championed justice, peace, and cultural revival, nurturing a spirit of hope and dignity in the hearts of many”.
“His devotion to the arts and the environment breathed life into our city’s cultural soul. The seeds he planted in Kabankalan blossomed into a legacy that will never fade,” it added.
Gore’s wake will at the Columban Retreat Center at Sitio Batang, Talaban, Himamaylan City, starting 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.
Novena prayers will be scheduled every afternoon and daily masses at 6 p.m., the Columban missionaries announced.
His remains will be brought to the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Kabankalan City after lunch on Sunday, April 27, for the final wake and viewing.
The funeral mass will be at the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 28, and burial will follow at the Kabankalan Catholic Cemetery.*