Fr. Richmond Nilo. Photo from Diocese of Cabanatuan FB page
CABANATUAN CITY – The local faithful shared fond memories of a Catholic priest who was killed two years ago as the Church “continue to pray that justice may be rightfully served for him.”
“Today, we commemorate the second anniversary of Fr. Richmond’s brutal death,” tweeted the Diocese of Cabanatuan Wednesday.
Fr. Richmond Nilo, then parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, was gunned down while preparing for a Mass at the Nueva Señora dela Nieve Chapel in Barangay Mayamot of that municipality on June 10, 2018.
He was the third priest to have been murdered in span of six months. The first was Fr. Tito Paez in December 2017, then Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura in April 2018, according to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
“He inspired us to love and defend our Catholic faith passionately, and to serve the poorest of the poor,” the Diocese of Cabanatuan said of Nilo who was known for debates in defense of Catholic faith in different fora.
“We continue to pray that justice may be rightfully served for him,” it added in the post that carried #JusticeForFrRichmond.
“Even if we were not that close he touched my heart, a priest so dear to my heart… i cant help but cry…justice for him …” said netizen Debbie Garcia Aquino in response to question “How Fr. Richmond touched your life” posted in the Diocese’s Facebook page.
John Angelo Almazar shared that Nilo inspired him to do his job as a teacher better: “Seeing him doing sign language just to teach children with disability and extend the word of God during holy mass made me inspired as a teacher to do my job better.“
“The death of Fr. Nilo pushed me to defend our Catholic Faith and stand for the truth,” said Raffy Canlapan, a member and vice–president of the Catholic Faith Defenders, a lay ministry engaged in conducting bible study, catechism to both Catholics and non-Catholics in the Diocese of San Fernando in Pampanga.
A breast cancer patient recalled the moments when Nilo visited her in the hospital during her first chemotherapy session: “Dinalaw niya ako sa Premier hospital para sabihin na kaya mo yan nadiyan lang si God basta kapit ka lang.”
“Pagkatapos ng chemo ko ay magsisimba na ako kahit kalbo na ako cya ung nag sabi sa akin ng wag na muna ako magsimba dahil madali ako makakasagap mikrobyo BASTA SAGOT NA KITA kay GOD yan ang sabi nya akin,” she added.
It can be recalled that the police presented at least two suspects who allegedly admitted they killed Nilo for P100,000.
No development in the case has been reported since though.
