Recalling Gastel’s witnessing

IT was also during the tenure of Fr Gastel as the school principal that future seminarians/priests were also studying in the school.

They were Francis Basintal, Julius Masudal, Lawrence Joluis, Thomas Makajil and the two St Joseph’s Chinese boys from Kudat. (Monsignor) Primus Jouil was not in the seminary yet but he joined only after finishing his education at St Michael’s, and subsequently was ordained with Makajil to the priesthood.

On the other hand, Fr Gastel also invested his time in educating people on the difference between religion and “adat” (customs).  Together with Fr Tom Putman in Toboh, they ventured to the villages to encounter animists (people who adore nature) who showed interest in becoming Catholics.

Fr Gastel did not see that “throwing out the adat” was the way.  Instead, together with Fr Putman, they showed the tribes respect, taught them to avoid rivalry and idol sacrifices, took numerous photos and recorded the ancient tribal practices to study their “adat”, and eventually inculcated “adat” with religion.

With help and better understanding of the differences, the people were soon baptized in little groups, and coupled with the training of their own catechists, faith spreads. – Source: Matthew Pain & CS