Our dear brother Fr. Guillermo Tejon OP was taken by the good Lord from this temporal life to the eternal afterlife on October 25 (2024), early in the morning in Manila.
Guillermo Tejon Hevia was born in Felechosa, Asturias (Spain) on March 16, 1930. He made his first profession, as a member of the Dominican Missionary Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the Convent of Santo Tomas de Avila on August 13, 1946. And was ordained a Dominican priest in Salamanca on May 3, 1953. He was elected Provincial in the Provincial Chapter of 1985, which took place in Avila, Spain. (Fr Tejon was then in San Juan, Metro Manila. When called by phone to inform him, he was deeply surprised and kept utterly silent).
He ministered in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and briefly in Australia and Venezuela. His academic and apostolic ministry was carried out mainly in the Philippines, and mostly in the University of Santo Tomas, UST (Manila) and in San Juan (Metro Manila).
In UST, Fr. Tejon taught and occupied different offices: Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prefect of Libraries, Administrator of the UST Hospital, and Parish priest of the Santissimo Rosario Parish. Regent of various colleges and schools, including in particular the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery where he was, beside Regent, Moderator of the UST Medical Missions then attached to Medicine. With a group of doctors, he founded the UST Medical Missions. The apple of his eye was the UST Medical Missions: accompanying - as chaplain - groups of admirable doctors and nurses to offering free services to the sick poor throughout the Philippines.
In our Convent of the Holy Cross in San Juan, Fr. Willie was Prior (1981-1984), helped in the pastoral mission of the Parish and was the Editor of LIFE TODAY, then a monthly journal, for 25 years. This was a work he loved much and did exemplarily. He gave to the cultural magazine with Catholic orientation a deep spiritual flavor. Besides, he was a good and elegant writer.
The pervading attitude through the life and ministry of Fr. Tejon is undoubtedly his spiritual life and his singular dedication to spirituality. We do not exaggerate when we say that Father Tejon was what in the Golden age was called “a spiritual.”
Fr. Willie was a well-known and much sought-after Retreat Master or Facilitator and respected speaker. Many religious women and men and lay faithful came to him for spiritual direction and confession. A brother who shared with Fr. Tejon work, prayer and table said after his death: “Especially when brothers like him leave us, is when we realize the good and great persons they were.” In a relaxed conversation among Dominicans brothers, one said joking (when he was still very active): “It is not easy to live with a saint.” Joking only?
When he became gravely sick some years ago, Ft. Willie focused his life almost exclusively on his spiritual life in community, giving primary importance to community prayer, especially to the Holy Eucharist, to the recitation of the Divine Office and to the Rosary of Mary - and to personal meditation. A few months ago, a brother Dominican from another community asked Him: Please. Father, give me a spiritual advice. He said in a loud voice: “Maintain your faith.” The brother did not know that Fr. Tejon used to say, in a loud voice - when the presiding priest of the Eucharist lifted up the Eucharistic Bread -, “I believe.”
A close friend of Father Tejon - a layman -, upon hearing the sad news of Fr. Tejon’s death, and much saddened by it, said of him: “An exquisite person, an incomparable person with the depth of an unfathomable heart. An exemplary friar and irreplaceable person.” A Dominican laywoman who knew him well: He was “an enriching gift of God to mankind.” Another Dominican brother: “He surrendered to the Lord, was committed, a man of few words.”
We knew Fr. Willie very well as leader, as co-worker, as brother, as a “spiritual.” He was studious, prayerful and compassionate. He had a rather strong character that he was able to control ascendingly with the good Lord’s grace and his prayerful cooperation. A bit reserved, he was humble, silent - and very responsible and competent. He was also joyful and with a unique sense of humor accompanied with his charming half-smile.
Before closing these incomplete notes on our Fr. Tejon (RIP), some most significant words come to mind: “Through his death and resurrection, Jesus turned sunset into sunrise” (Clement of Alexandria); indeed, “Death is not extinguishing the light, but putting out the lamp because the dawn has come” (R. Tagore).
“And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev 22: 5).
Before St. Clare died, she cried out: “Thank you, Lord, for creating me.” Thanks, God the Father, many, many thanks for creating Fr. Guillermo Tejon and for making us his co-pilgrims on the journey of life. Dear God, One and Triune, may our dear brother Willie rest in your merciful hands.
