THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND WORKS OF FR. CANTIUS KOBAK: A Book Review

 THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND WORKS OF FR. CANTIUS KOBAK

A Polish Priest and Historian in the Philippines

Author: Carl Sanchez Bordeos

 

Bridging the past to the present is what this book has successfully accomplished. The author, Carl Sanchez Bordeos, was able to connect piece by piece the significant events in the life of the great Samar historian, the adopted Calbayognon, the personification of Franciscan mission, and the pride of the Polish people, Fr. Cantius Kobak.

 

The book which is studded with well-researched facts and old photos, traces the footsteps of Fr. Kobak. It engages readers on Fr. Kobak’s journey from his birth to his finding his priestly mission, to the trails of his mission in the Philippines and his legendary work in assembling the records of the rich history and heritage of the Samar Island, especially during the pre-Hispanic period. It establishes the generosity of spirit of Fr. Kobak, both as a priest and as a historian, and puts him on a rightful place in the history of Franciscan mission in the Philippines and elevates him as one of the important historians the Philippines ever had.

 

Fr. Kobak came to Samar on August 28, 1959. It appears that right from start, he immediately developed his deep appreciation of the island leading him to take the monumental challenge of documenting its storied past. Undaunted by the then seeming lack of records and huge data gaps, Fr. Kobak explored the libraries in Samar and Leyte universities in search of documents.

 

Undeterred by poor roads and transportation at that time, he travelled across towns and islands in Samar and Leyte. He conducted research of their histories, visited historic sites, explored caves and burial grounds and collected valuable artifacts. He also visited the site of Magellan’s first landing in Homonhon Island which he also believed to be where the first mass in the Philippines was celebrated.

 

In 1967, he also took part in the retrieval, translation and annotation of the volumes of Fr. Francisco Alcina’s Historia de las Islas y Indios de Bisayas, the surviving well-written volumes of books about the Visayan people.

 

His body of works and collection of valuable artifacts are now stored and exhibited at the Samar Archeological Museum in Christ the King College, Calbayog City, which is now highly regarded in the country as the banner museum in the Samar Island. Succeeding historians and students of Samar’s history, including the author of this book, will never come out with a paper without going through the works of Fr. Kobak.

Fr. Kobak has done all these while attending to his pastoral and evangelization mission as a Franciscan. He exemplified what is meant by integral evangelization. His life’s journey taught all of us not to idle time in the service of God and humanity in whatever place and circumstance one may find in; in his case, a Polish and a European sent to mission in one of the poorest regions of the world, the Samar Island. His life and work were indeed “extraordinary” as aptly mentioned in the title of this book.

 

After reading this book, one important reflection is that – if Fr. Cantius Kobak who is a foreigner developed a genuine and deep love and concern for the island of Samar, how much more us who are born natives of this island?

 

Thirty-two years since he left the Philippines and seventeen years since his death, this book came to be. It may be long-delayed but was never made irrelevant by the passing of time. This only means that Fr. Kobak’s life will always ring an inspiring tune in the heart of every Samarnon. Thanks to the author, Carl Sanchez Bordeos and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Philippines for immortalizing and reliving the legacy left by Fr. Kobak’s thru this book.