Young men and women follow father Jordan, living by the Gospel and being witnesses of Christ on earth


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FJY diary

Father Jordan Youth in Talon (Fr. Günther)

I think the most special thing about Fr. Jordan is his time of childhood and youth.  His family was really poor and in addition to that the father got a horse accident which took away the use of his leg made life became more difficult.  When Fr. Jordan was 15 years old his father died, the mother solely managed the household with children and Johann Baptist (his baptism name) was the second.  They had a poor house, the brothers slept in a room without window and with only little fresh air just like many poor houses and dwellings I see here in the Philippines.  His family was poor and hardly struggled with heavy life but honorable because they stood always closed with one another.

 

At that time the children did not have time for games and sports like basketball but they had to cooperate at the works at home.  Jordan liked fishing very much, it was a lot of fun for him because he could be at the stream alone and had much time for observing and for meditation and furthermore he could bring to the mother some fishes.  Later on his works became harder; he cooperated in the road construction and railroad building.  Sometimes when I see the men and young fellows work at the Highway, to make ditches for cables I often think of Fr. Jordan.  He had worked just like them, under the sun and in rain just to have a little money to bring to his mother to the support of the family.

 

Even in this situation he still wanted to become priest and work for others, especially for the youths, but this goal seem to be unaffordable due to the poverty of the family.  He studied and became a painter, he was working seriously, he traveled to places and he saw how the poverty divided the young people from God, he felt the need to orient their mind to a more positive way, and to God.  At the same time he felt the call to become priest but he did not know what to do until he had the courage to express his wish to a parish priest...

 

The story goes further as some other will write down here, I just want to express that I really enjoy the way how the boys and girls of the “FJY” take seriously  the spirit of Fr. Jordan, how they open their eyes for the concerns of other people and ready to recognize and to accept responsibility.

 

Fr.  Günther. SDS.