The City of San Fernando’s well-loved Msgr. Odon Tongio Santos is turning 100 years old tomorrow, making him one of the oldest Filipino clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church.
Santos is happy to be gifted with a long life so he could give advice to young priests. His life in the priesthood is on its 72nd year.
His centenary will be celebrated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and other bishops on July 14.
Santos has no problem hearing and talking. A heart attack in 2014 did not debilitate him, but arthritis affecting his knees has bound him to a wheelchair for over a year now.
Though he has retired since 1986, Santos continues to celebrate Mass and hear confessions.
The younger priests, he said, appeared to be “very busy” as they undertake their tasks. So his advice to them: “Be simple. Be more prayerful.”
Santos shrugged off the attention and celebrations about his centenary during an interview at the house of his best friend, retired pilot Benhur Gomez, on Saturday. “I’m just a simple priest,” he said.
Sixth child
Santos was born in 1916 at Philippine General Hospital to Paula Tongio of Manila and Joaquin Santos of Bacolor, Pampanga province. He is the sixth child in their brood of 11.
Paula, the daughter of a Chinese trader, made and sold clothes. Joaquin tilled 10 hectares of rice land in Bacolor.
Priesthood beckoned to him when he was in fourth grade at St. Mary’s Academy, which was established by Fr. Pedro Santos (no relation), who became the archbishop of Nueva Caceres in Bicol.
Because of his impressions of Father Santos, the boy perceived priests to be “handsome, intelligent, holy and well-respected.” He joined the altar boys.
“Father Santos assured me, ‘If you want to enter priesthood, go see me wherever I am,’” Santos said.
In seventh grade, his plan was opposed by his uncle. “Priesthood is difficult,” the elder warned.
So Santos entered Pampanga High School, completing secondary school in three years.
Obedience, punishment
At 18, he went to see Father Santos who brought him to the Jesuits at San Jose Seminary in Intramuros, Manila, for his Philosophy studies. He endured classmates who laughed at the way he spoke. He sometimes pronounced words without the sound of the letter “h.”
His obedience, a trait valued by the priesthood, was also tested. Failing to open on time a room filled with athletic equipment, Santos was punished by his rector, Leo Column, an American from New Jersey.
MSGR. Odon Santos, one of the country’s oldest priests at 100 years old Tonette Orejas/Inquirer Northern Luzon
Ordered to clean 12 bathrooms and toilets for two weeks, Santos persevered for a week but had planned to quit the seminary due to insults from his classmates.
His mother was ready to transfer him to University of Santo Tomas, but he decided to complete the two-week punishment. Ordered back to the rector’s office, hes nervously entered only to be embraced by the rector who approved highly of the seminarian’s obedience.
“You will be a good priest,” Column told Santos.
Santos finished the Philosophy course in nine years instead of the usual 12. There were bonus classes. Column taught him lessons in grammar and pronunciation.
His priesthood involved visiting his parishioners at home to promote the rosary crusade. He taught catechism in public schools, organized the laity, built churches, worked 24 hours, seven days a week, and waited long hours to hear confessions.
Santos was ordained by Archbishop Micheal James O’Doherty on March 4, 1944, four years before the Diocese of San Fernando was separated from the Archdiocese of Manila.
His duties, however, were interrupted by World War II. Priests were sent home following the outbreak of the war on Dec. 8, 1942. He went to the First Philippine Constabulary Zone (now Camp Olivas), preferring to serve in the Air Force because “it is near heaven.”
Return to seminary
An order from President Manuel L. Quezon exempting priests from military duties led to his return to the seminary for theology classes.
His teacher, Fr. Juan Ledesma, assigned him to defend the concept of the Holy Trinity to Jesuits who sat in a panel of judges. He humored the hard task, muttering, “it’s a mystery” whenever he could not argue well.
Santos later served as assistant to Msgr. Cosme Bituin for a year, and as assistant to Fr. Sixto Manaloto in Magalang, Pampanga province, for five years.
He would have been O’Doherty’s secretary when Fr. Alejandro Olalia of Bacolor was appointed bishop of Laguna and Batangas provinces. But Manaloto pleaded to keep Santos by his side.
When the first bishop of the diocese, Cesar Ma. Guerrero, arrived, Santos was among the five priests in Pampanga who were assigned to Zambales province.
Dogged campaign
He was sent to San Antonio town, converting Aglipayans and Aetas to Catholicism. He was recalled to San Fernando, where he served as Guerrero’s secretary.
How he ended up being the parish priest of Calulut was the result of a dogged campaign by peasant folk. Every time they came, Guerrero advised them to pray more.
Finally acceding to their request, Guerrero assigned Santos to the San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Calulut where he served for 16 years (1951-1967).
Bishop Emilio Cinense appointed him parish priest of Santa Ana town and first director of the laity reform program Cursillo based in Apalit town, both in Pampanga province. In the Cursillo, Santos met separately would-be senators, Gil Puyat and Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo.
Bishop Oscar Cruz assigned him to serve as as chaplain of the Holy Angel University where he taught religion, ethics and English. Harnessing the kindness of the laity, he built the Sacred Heart Parish in San Fernando, reaching more northern communities.
Santos kept his vow of celibacy, promising to give it up “only if there is a woman more beautiful than Mother Mary.”
He also kept his vow of poverty. Rentals from the six houses he owned in Carmenville helped raise his bank account to P4 million. But he gave P3 million to the archdiocese (P1 million for the sick and old priests and P2 million for qualified seminarians). He kept P1 million for his sustenance.
With permission from his archbishop, Santos stays in a house in Bacolor town. They are a family of religious. A sister joined the Benedictine order. Three nephews are priests.
Busy after retirement
“I’m still busy after retirement. But sometimes I feel lonely. I enjoyed priesthood. If I have a next life, I would like to be absolutely a priest again. There were temptations but God helped me through it,” Santos said.
He attributes his good health to eating fish, vegetables and fruits.
Like 38 other centenarians in Pampanga, Santos received P100,000 from the provincial government. With former President Benigno Aquino III’s signing of the centenarian law last month, the priest is entitled to another P100,000 check.