Bro. Arnoldus Josefus Bekkering van Vugt, a.O.Carm
February 5, 1933 – April 6, 2019
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Today, April 6, we remember Bro. Arnold van Vugt, O.Carm., who joined our Lord on this day in 2019.
Bro. Arnold entered the Carmelite Order at the age of 14. He was ordained to the preisthood in 1960 and volunteered to come to the Philippines in 1961.
He was assigned in Escalante City where he worked with farmers and fishermen. Then he was assigned in Iligan City as social action director of the Diocese of Ozamis.
He was involved in the labor movement and worked for social justice. During the Marcos regime, he was imprisoned, deported and considered an undesirable alien. But he returned with so much passion to join the Filipino people in their struggle against the tyrannical Marcos dictatorship.
Bro. Arnold became a superior in the Philippines in the 1970s and was a memebr of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (now Conference of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines).
Bro. Arnold eventually found a different calling and left the priesthood in 1987 to marry Lorna.
As a laicized priest, he continued serving the Filipino people and the church through the Horeb Center, a non-government organization he founded which focused on the organizing of basic Christian communities.
He continued serving the Order as an associate Carmelite. He was a member of the San Alberto Cebu-Ormoc Community.
We are forever grateful to Bro. Arnold.
Let us remember Bro. Arnold in our prayers. (Daluyang Karmelo|CCSPC)