By Rosemary Daniels | Correspondent

Father Bernardino C. Esguerra, who died Oct. 29, was remembered in a memorial Mass celebrated Dec. 11 in St. Thomas More Church, Manalapan. Father Esguerra came to the Trenton Diocese in the mid-1990s, and served in St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, and St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands. Fr. Esguerra’s most recent assignment had been as pastor of Epiphany Parish, Brick, where he served from 2008-2012. In the final stages of pancreatic and kidney cancer, he had returned to his native Philippines to be with his family in 2013.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was the principal celebrant of the Dec. 11 Mass, and was preceded into the church by several dozen priests who had come to pay tribute to their deceased brother.

In his homily, Msgr. Michael J. Walsh, pastor of St. James Parish, Pennington, and Episcopal vicar of Mercer County, spoke of Father Esguerra as someone who struggled with his faith throughout his life. “He struggled to ‘become’, and he consistently tried, harder and harder, as he listened to God’s calling in his life,” he said.

Msgr. Walsh explained to the assembled group that Father Esguerra helped him at a time when he considered his spiritual life to be “relatively stale.” “I needed someone to show me the power of prayer, to invite me to share prayer, and to call me to be engaged in prayer every day. And Father Bernardino was that person, and I will be eternally grateful to him for that.”

During the intercessions, the Bishop remembered Father Esguerra as well as all the priests who had died within the past year, and asked that they all “might know heavenly peace.” Approximately 50 priests from within and outside the Diocese came to honor Father Esguerra in this second memorial Mass held for the priest. In November, a Mass was celebrated in St. Luke’s Church, Toms River.

Father Michael O’Connor, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Bayhead, worked with Father Esguerra for five years in St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood. “He was dedicated to Kimball Hospital and was faithful to eight nursing homes in our area. He attracted many members of the Filipino community to the church,” said Father O’Connor.

Rogelio Esguerra, the priest’s youngest brother, travelled from New York to attend the Mass with his wife, Rosette. Esguerra said, “He stayed with us for a short time before he returned to the Philippines. He was a good man, always jolly. He loved people, and worked well with them. He was a good brother, too.” He turned to Msgr. Walsh and said, “Thanks for the kind words.”

Father Esguerra was initially diagnosed with cancer, and then later, with Parkinson’s disease. Msgr. Walsh noted that the priest continued to struggle, but did so “in the spirit of hope. His favorite quote was, ‘If God is on our side, who can be against us?’”

According to Msgr. Walsh, Father Esguerra strongly felt the strong support of the Bishop, and was always appreciative of that support. He noted that a photo of the priest and Bishop O’Connell was displayed prominently in the Bishop’s office.