Irish missionary leaves Pagadian

MANILA, Philippines - Irish missionary Fr. Michael “Mick” Sinnot, who was held hostage by an armed group last year, has recently left Pagadian and his Mission Society of St. Columban has reportedly already closed its mission house in the city.

Fr. Patrick O’Donoghue, regional director of the congregation, told the CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), that the 80-year-old priest left Pagadian City early this month.

“Yes, the Columbans have left Pagadian City but our residence, where Fr. Mick was kidnapped Oct. 11 last year, will be under the Hangop Kabataan Foundation, Inc.,” O’Donoghue said.

O’Donoghue confirmed Fr. Mick has left the country, Aug. 6 for his needed vacation in Ireland.

“When he returns to the Philippines next month he will reside at the St. Columban’s residence and will be given light pastoral duties but will remain in touch with Hangop Kabataan,” he added.

The elderly missionary became the latest kidnap victim after years of violent incidents involving foreign and Filipino Catholic missionaries in the Philippines.

The soft-spoken missionary was released in the outskirts of Zamboanga City hours before US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Manila last Nov. 12, 2009.

Sinnott was taken by six gunmen on Oct. 11 from his Columban missionary house in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur province. His captors took him to Lanao del Sur.

The kidnappers earlier demanded $2 million for the release of the missionary, but government negotiators said it would not pay ransom.

Sinnot is reportedly the third Irish missioner to be kidnapped in Mindanao since 1997.