FR. JUAN PONS, SJ
The three main islands of the Marianas before the war - Guam, Luta and Saipan - Tinian had no stable Chamorro population until after the war - all seem to have had one priest who stood out.
Guam had Påle' Román; Saipan had Påle' Tardio; and Luta had Påle' Pons. His story is one of unusual suffering and religious piety. The people of Luta who knew him at the time considered him something of a saint. Stories about him were passed down to younger generations who, now in their old age, can still remember them.
BEFORE LUTA
Juan Pons was born in Manresa, a town in the province of Barcelona, Spain in 1876. He then joined the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) and was ordained a priest in 1911. In 1921 (he was 45 years old already!), he came to Chuuk to serve in the Jesuit missions of the Carolines and Marianas. He even became mission Superior for a time.
In 1935, he was sent to serve in Saipan, and now had to acquaint himself with a new language - Chamorro. It was the style in those days for the priests of Saipan and Luta to switch places every so often, so Pons also got a taste of life in Luta while serving in Saipan.
IN TATÅCHOK
In 1937, Pons was permanently assigned to Luta. Around that time, the Japanese decided to relocate all the Chamorros from Songsong to a new location in Tatåchok. Songsong would be a totally Japanese community (with their Korean and Okinawan associates), with emphasis on the sugar industry. The big sugar company, the Nanyo Kohatsu Kaisha (NKK) paid for the building of a new Catholic church and
konbento (priest's residence) in Tatåchok. Pons and a Jesuit brother companion, Miguel Timoner, took up residence there.
All that is left of the konbento Pons lived in at Tatåchok
THE ULCER
While in Luta, Pons' suffering began. Ulcers developed on his legs. Supposedly, the condition began while he was still in Chuuk but it seemed minor, at the time. But when he arrived in Luta, the ulcers began to ooze pus and also a clear, watery liquid. Doctor's treatments did nothing to heal it. He even went to Saipan to get medical attention from the Japanese doctors there, to no avail.
So, these awful ulcers became something Pons just had to live with, but not just Pons, but also those who cared for him and those who came in close physical contact with him, because these ulcers also smelled horribly.
Pons accepted his physical suffering with Christian resignation, and did nothing to stop flies from settling on them, which in time produced maggots. It was believed by others that Pons welcomed such mortification.
As the condition worsened, Pons would have to be carried into the church to say Mass. While he stood saying Mass, one or two adult men serving Mass had to wipe away the stinking pus on his legs, brace him up to avoid falling and catch him if he did lose his balance. When Pons distributed communion, two people needed to hold him on both sides. Despite the suffering, Pons never missed a single day of Mass until just a few days before he died.
His signature
THE RAIN
What really convinced the people that Pons was a holy man was the way his prayers on their behalf were heeded by God. Perhaps, they believed, God answered his prayers on account of the suffering he willingly endured.
When the farmers needed rain, Pons would look up to the sky, raise his hands and pray. Within hours, the rain would fall. It would be just enough rain, not too much.
When there was too much rain, and the crops were at risk of being damaged, Pons would pray again and, this time, the rain would stop.
When the ocean was too rough, and the fishermen couldn't go out to catch fish, Pons would pray for the sea to calm, and it did. Families could eat that day because the fish was caught.
People tolerated the horrible smell of Father's ulcers because they depended so much on him for these blessings.
These ladies from Luta tell me stories they heard from their parents and elders about Påle' Pons....
- How he let the flies come around his open sores
- How his prayers had power over the rain
- How he foreknew he would be dead in three days
A DEATH PREDICTED
In March of 1944, the Japanese came to Pons'
konbento in Tatåchok. The Japanese told him he had to vacate the house; the Japanese would be using it from now on. This was just months before the Americans came to the Marianas and the Japanese were already preparing for it.
The Japanese came back a second time on March 20 only to find Pons (and Brother Timoner) still living in the
konbento. "Come back in three days and you can have the house," Pons told the Japanese. It was as if Pons knew in advance what was going to happen.
Pons could not get up from bed from that point on. He stopped saying Mass. On March 23, close to midnight, going into March 24, Pons died. In three days, he said, the Japanese can have the house.
Those taking care of Pons at his death noticed that the ulcers had disappeared, and so did the stench. Brother Timoner, Corbiniano Ayuyu and Bonifacio Esteves buried the body of Father Pons. It remains to this day in San José cemetery, behind San Francisco de Borja Church in Songsong, Luta.
FATHER PONS' GRAVE
EN ESPAÑOL
LLEGADA A ROTA
En el año 1937, el P. Pons fue enviado a Rota
permanentemente. Alrededor de ese tiempo, los japoneses decidieron mandar a
todos los chamorros (los indígenas de las Islas Marianas) en Songsong a una
nueva localidad en Tatáchok. Songsong sería una comunidad japonesa (con sus
socios coreanos y okinawenses), con énfasis en la industria del azúcar. La
impresa grande de azúcar, la Nanyo Kohatsu Kaisha o NKK, pagó por el edificio
de una nueva iglesia católica y convento en Tatáchok. Pons y un hermano
jesuita, Miguel Timoner, fueron a vivir allí.
LA ÚLCERA
Cuando llegó a Rota los sufrimientos de Pons empezaron. Las
úlceras se le desarollaron en las piernas. Se supone que esa condición empezó
cuando él estaba todavía en la isla de Chuuk (o Truk o Ruk, en las Carolinas),
pero la condición parecía muy pequeña en ese tiempo. Pero cuando llegó a Rota
las úlceras empezaron a tener pus y tambien algo como líquido aguado. Los
tratamientos de los doctores japoneses no servieron nada para curarle. Él
incluso fue a Saipan (capital de las Marianas japonesas) para que los doctores
japoneses le atendieran medicamente pero tampoco sirvió para nada. Así que
estas úlceras horribles fueron algo con los que Pons tuvo que aprender a vivir.
Pero no solo Pons sino tambien los que le cuidaron y los que acercaban a él.
Esas úlceras olían horriblemente. Pons aceptó esto con resignación cristiana y
no hizo nada para parar a las moscas por posarse en ellas. En poco tiempo se le
produjeron gusanos. Algunos creyeron que Pons se gozaba en esta mortificación.
Cuando la condición se hizo peor Pons tenía que ser llevado
a la iglesia a decir Misa. Cuando él se levantaba para decir Misa, uno o dos
hombres tenía que limpiar el pus de sus piernas y cogerlo para evitar que
cayera en caso de que perdiera su estabilidad. Cuando Pons daba la comunión,
dos personas necesitaban sostenerlo en dos lados. A pesar del sufrimiento Pons
nunca dejó decir Misa un solo día hasta solo unos días antes de morir.
LA LLUVIA
Lo que de verdad convenció al pueblo que Pons era un hombre
santo fue la forma en que Dios escuchaba sus oraciones en favor de ellos.
Cuando los labradores necesitaban lluvia, Pons miraba al cielo, levantaba las
manos y rezaba. A las pocas horas empezaba a llover. La lluvia era suficiente y
no demasiada. Cuando llovía demasiado y las cosechas estaban a punto de
perderse, Pons volvía a rezar y esta vez la lluvia paraba. Cuando el mar estaba
muy bravo y los pescadores no podían salir a pescar, Pons rezaba para que el
mar se calmara y se calmaba. Las familias podían comer ese día por el pescado
que habían cojido. La gente toleraba el espantoso olor de las úlceras del Padre
porque dependían mucho en él por sus bendiciones.
UNA MUERTE PREDICHA
En marzo de 1944, los japoneses llegaron al convento de Pons
en Tatáchok. Le dijeron que tenía que moverse de la casa. Los japoneses la iban
a usar de ahora en adelante. Esto fue pocos meses antes que los norteamericanos
vinieron a las Marianas y los japoneses estaban ya preparándose para ello. Los
japoneses volvieron una segunda vez el 20 de marzo solo para encontrar que Pons
y Timoner estaban todavía viviendo en el convento. "Venir dentro de tres
días y tendréis la casa," Pons les dijo a los japoneses. Parecía que Pons
sabía de antemano lo que le iba a pasar. Pons no se pudo levantar de la cama
desde ese momento. Ya no pudo decir Misa. El 23 de marzo cerca de la medianoche
Pons murió. El dijo que en tres días los japoneses podían tener la casa.
Los que cuidaron a Pons cuando murió notaron que las úlceras
habían desaparecido y tambien el olor. El H. Timoner, Corbiniano Ayuyu y
Bonifacio Esteves enterraron a Pons. Hasta este día su cuerpo se conserva en el
cementerio de San José detrás de la iglesia de San Francisco de Borja en el
pueblo de Songsong, isla de Rota.
