Farewell Fr. Guy

Things aren’t going to be the same. 

There is something missing that can’t be replaced. 

A prominent fixture gone and out of place. 

Not an adjective to describe his presence. 

I cannot recall the first time I met Fr. Guy but all I can remember was that he greeted me with that smile of his. A smile which conveyed genuine happiness and wit. If I remember correctly, that was the 7th grade and I asked myself, “Did he do that because he was being polite or was he just a happy person?”. 

I will never know the reason why Father approached me on that fateful day. The same goes for why I will never know the reason why he keeps calling me Manong Gian. 

A regular fixture in the Xavier canteen during lunch time, standing tall either in front of the shake stall or the rails of the canteen, Fr. Guy is always there to accommodate anyone one of his legion of followers. You can talk to him about everything from sports, to academics, and sometimes even about chicks! He’ll be happy to attend to every one of your pressing problems and seemingly find the solution to each and every one of them.

Your gym sessions aren’t going to be the same as well. Gone is the most BATAK priest who has ever lived; a regular fixture in the gym with his tight fit shirt, short shorts, and running shoes. His dedication towards his ministry is the same to that inside the weight room where you can see him lift weights with the greatest of ease. 

In intense championship matches, gone is the booming voice which echoes throughout the entire arena. A voice which can be heard and felt inside the court despite the roar of the crowd. A voice which challenges us to fight and lay everything on the court. 

Fr. Guy has been a big part of my life in Xavier. He was always someone who believed in me when I doubted myself. A friend who was always willing to lend a hand. Someone who was always there to bring me back up when I was down. 

I will never forget the time when I took up his elective Drafting for Beginners. At first, I thought it was an easy elective as the name of the class suggested but it was more than that. There, Father displayed his artistic side in drawing with perfectly drawn straight lines and three-dimensional objects. He had us do five plates; each with something new in store for us. Initially I was frustrated, I thought he would let this slide and accept the fact that I couldn’t draw as good as him but he didn’t. Fr. Guy is person who refused to make excuses. He believes that by continuously practicing and honing your craft, you will one day be good at it.

This is probably the reason why he’s where he is now. It is because he understood that making excuses will take him nowhere and that was something he wanted to instill in each and every one of us. He believes that each person has something to offer and that making excuses was just another way for us not to unleash our true potential. I had no choice but to redo all my five plates and with the grace of God, I was able to pass his class---barely. 

Xavier isn’t going to be the same without its superstar. We’ve lost more than a teacher, a priest, an athletics coordinator, a gym instructor, and cheerleader. We’ve lost a friend, a motivator, a storyteller, and a brother. He has, and continues to, change our lives in his own unique way. 

There isn’t a single adjective which can encapsulate with Fr. Guy has done for our school and to each and every one of us. Although he will be greatly missed, I know that he will continue to enrich the lives of others just like what he did for each and every one of us. It is my hope that I make this man proud at everything I do. 

Daghan Salamat Fr. Guy!  

As Father will always tell me, “Manong Gian, SMILE!”.