11/01/2007

Remembering a Good Friend in Prayer


Bishop Yamoyam of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines suffered a stroke on Sunday afternoon while attending Executive Council in Dearborn, Michigan. On Monday the Living Church reported the following:

"The Rt. Rev. Miguel Paredes Yamoyam, provincial secretary of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was expected to undergo surgery Sunday night or today, according to the Most Rev. Ignacio Capuyan Soliba, Prime Bishop and Moderator, who said that Bishop Yamoyam was conscious but unable to speak."

By eight AM on Monday he had returned from surgery and was in intensive care. Members of his family in the Philippines and in the US were called and several were on their way. I visited Bishop Yamoyam with the Prime Bishop on Monday morning. The intensive care team was constant in care and the Prime Bishop was able to call on several Filipino nurses to especially look in on him as well. I have not heard since Wednesday morning, but my sense is his condition is grave.

Bishop Yamoyam has served the ECP with great joy and dignity. He is always welcoming and always quietly perceptive. Sunday before his stroke he spoke to Executive Council, mixing good humor with the remarkable story of the movement from dependence to autonomy in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. He and the Prime Bishop are justly proud of the way in which the ECP has become fully autonomous and therefore more easily a full partner with the Episcopal Church and other partner churches in the Anglican Communion. He was glad to be at Executive Council telling the story again. In the Philippines he was talked of as a possible candidate for Prime Bishop.

Bishop Soliba remarked that he was told Bishop Yamoyam's chances were only 50/50. Reflecting on that I later said to Bishop Soliba that I thought our chances were only 50/50 to be able to keep him with us. Bishop Yamoyam's chances were 100% sure. If he lived or died, there would be joy in being with God.

Pray for him and his family.
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1 comment:

  1. BooCat3/11/07 1:40 PM

    Dear Mark, as someone who lost her brother quite unexpectedly eighteen years ago to a subarachnoid aneurysm, I will especially keep Bishop Yamoyam and his family in my prayers

    ReplyDelete

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