James Bertram Reuter ( ; May 21, 1916 – December 31, 2012) was an American Jesuit

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

who lived in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

since he was 22 and taught at

Ateneo de Manila University , mottoeng = Light in the Lord , type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution , established = December 10, 1859 , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic ( Jesuits) , academic ...

. He was a well-known public figure who was a writer, director and producer in theatre, radio, print and film. He was also a prominent figure in the resistance against the two-decade rule of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Ferdinand Marcos, and played a key role in the 1986

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...

that overthrew Marcos. He educated and trained students in creative works, inspired by the works of Christ, instilling the importance of prayers most especially the

Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may refer to: * Rosary, a set of prayer beads used in a traditional Roman Catholic devotion * The Holy Rosary, a prayer based on the rosary See also * Holy Rosary Academy (disambiguation), one of several Roman Catholic schools with ...

, working alongside and continuing the mission of the Rev.

Patrick Peyton Patrick Peyton, CSC (January 9, 1909 – June 3, 1992), also known as "The Rosary Priest", was an Irish-born Catholic priest, member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and founder of the Family Rosary Crusade. He popularized the phrases "The f ...

, best known as the "Rosary Priest". Reuter received awards and recognition for promoting the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

through

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit informati ...

, including the award for "Outstanding Service to the Catholic Church in the field of Mass Media", personally given to him in January 1981 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. For his work in the field of communication, and training prominent leaders and artists in Philippine society, he was made an "

honorary citizen Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of the Republic of the Philippines" in 1984 by the ''

Batasang Pambansa The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City. The complex was initially the home of the Batasang ...

'' by a unanimous vote. Reuter later retired to the Xavier House in

Santa Ana, Manila Santa Ana is a district in the City of Manila, Philippines. It is located on the city's southeast, bordering the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati in the east, the city districts of Paco and Pandacan in the west, and Santa Mesa in the north. It ...

, before he was transferred to the Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Parañaque, where he remained until his death on New Year's Eve 2012.

Biography

Arrival and the Second World War

Reuter first came to the Commonwealth of the Philippines as a 22-year-old

seminarian A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

from the Jesuit formation house of St. Isaac Jogues in

Wernersville, Pennsylvania Wernersville is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,494 at the 2010 census. Geography Wernersville is located at (40.329941, -76.080701). History In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Wer ...

, remaining in the country for almost his entire life. During the Japanese Occupation, members of the Society of Jesus were placed in an internment camp in Los Baños, Laguna. He was the last surviving member of the camp. He returned to the United States following his liberation and was ordained into the priesthood at Woodstock, Maryland. After completing studies in radio and television communications at Fordham University, he returned to The Philippines in 1948 for his life's long work serving God and The Philippine people in communications and mass media.

Family Rosary Crusade

It was in 1947 when Reuter first heard of the rapidly growing mission of

, of the

Congregation of Holy Cross , image = Congregation of Holy Cross.svg , image_size = 150px , abbreviation = CSC , formation = , founder = Blessed Fr. Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau, C.S.C. , founding_location = L ...

and promoted praying of the family rosary. Both Reuter and Peyton believed that the most effective means of propagating the word of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, the messages of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

was through the use of emerging mass communication with the likes of radio, film, and television. Reuter submitted an unsolicited short drama for radio to Peyton in 1947 and it was used in the weekly broadcasts of the Family Theater radio shows that aired on the defunct American radio network

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

or MBS. The drama titled, "Stolen Symphony" was awarded as best drama by the

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

State Awards. Reuter returned to the Philippines in 1948, and on his own established Family Theater Productions, duplicating the efforts of Peyton in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, he solicited free radio airtime on radio station KZPI and got named Filipino actors and actresses to volunteer their voices and acting talent to dramatize family oriented soaps and the praying of the Rosary. Reuter brought Family Theater to television in 1953, operating until the declaration of

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

on 23 September 1972, when media was forcibly shut and seized by the government of Ferdinand Marcos.

During the Marcos dictatorship

During the 14 year period of Ferdinand Marcos' authoritarian rule in the Philippines (which included the Martial Law period from 1972 to 1981, and the succeeding period in which Marcos lifted the formal declaration of Martial Law but retained most of his powers), Reuter worked to keep Catholic radio stations going, and to raise concerns about the abuses of the Marcos dictatorship. He also visited political detainees in the various Martial Law "detention centers" (which the administration did not call prisons), and pleaded with diplomats for the west to stop supporting Marcos' administration. Eventually, however, he was arrested and tried by the Marcos administration and then released under a vague amnesty.https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/reuter-james-bertram During the

, he was a key player in making sure that the Catholic AM station Radio Veritas, which was keeping the civilian demonstrators on

EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citie ...

updated about Marcos forces' movements, stayed on the air - even when government snipers managed to bring down Radio Veritas' initial broadcast transmission site.

Broadcast work after the
People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...

With the restoration of democracy in 1986 and the establishment of the Fifth Philippine Republic, Reuter returned to television with a magazine-talk show programme, Family Rosary Crusade, that aired on

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...

. Reuter served as the spiritual guide to the programme's weekly episodes, and until his death hosted another daily 5-minute reflection programme on the ABC5 called "Three Minutes a Day".

Jesuit Communications

In 1968, Reuter and two fellow Jesuits founded the Philippine chapter of the Jesuits Engaged in Social Communications or JESCOM. Initially, the group served as the communications arm of the Society's Philippine province. JESCOM took part in rural evangelization with the production of radio soap serials and comics with storylines that appeal to rural communities.

Prisoner Ministry Cases

He served as the spiritual adviser to American Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, an accused in the highly controversial

Subic rape case The Subic rape case, officially known as ''People of the Philippines vs. Dominic Duplantis, Keith Silkwood, and Daniel Smith'', was a criminal case in the Philippines involving a Filipina and four United States marines. It caught wide media cov ...

Death and funeral

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines officially announced Reuter's death at 12:51 PST ( UTC+08:00) at the church-run Our Lady of Peace Hospital along Coastal Road in Parañaque.. He had earlier suffered a mild stroke after staying in the hospital for the last three years. Reuter's casket

lay in repose Lying in repose is the tradition in which the body of a deceased person, often of high social stature, is made available for public viewing. Lying in repose differs from the more formal honor of lying in state, which is generally held at the pr ...

St. Paul University Manila The St. Paul University Manila, also referred to by its acronym SPUM or SPU Manila, is a private, Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution established and run by the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in ...

on January 3, 2013, and was transferred to

Church of the Gesù , image = Church of the Gesù, Rome.jpg , imagesize = , caption = Giacomo della Porta's façade, precursor of Baroque , mapframe = yes , mapframe-caption = Click on the map for a full ...

inside the Ateneo de Manila University's Katipunan campus. As per custom, his casket was laid feet facing the congregation to reflect his life's status as a priest ministering to the faithful. A vigil Mass was said by Noel Vasquez, with Asandas Balchand preaching the sermon; the next day, Catalino Arevalo and

Joaquin Bernas Joaquin G. Bernas SJ (July 7, 1932 – March 6, 2021) was a Jesuit priest, lawyer, college professor and writer who was Dean Emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila Law School in Makati, Philippines. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commiss ...

also said Mass, with a combined choir from the

Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club The Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club (ACGC), simply known as the Ateneo Glee Club, is a choir based in the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. It is distinguished as the oldest university chorale in the Philippines, celebrating its 98th ...

Bukas Palad Music Ministry The ''Bukas Palad'' Music Ministry (Filipino for "generous"; literally, "open palm") is a Roman Catholic, contemporary worship musical group in the Philippines that composes, records, and performs original religious music. Since 1986, ''Bukas ...

, and Ateneo College Ministry Group. The Requiem Mass for Reuter was held at 08:30 PST on January 5, 2013, said by Cardinal

Luis Antonio Tagle Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( ; ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization (formerly the Congregation for the Evangel ...

Archbishop of Manila The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...

, Jose Cecilio Magadia, with

Bienvenido Nebres Bienvenido F. Nebres (born March 15, 1940) is a Filipino scientist, mathematician, and a Jesuit priest who was the longest-serving university president of the Ateneo de Manila University. He succeeded Joaquin G. Bernas in 1993, and served as Uni ...

as homilist, with the Reuter's Glee Club as the choir. The interment followed at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City at 11:00, where Reuter was buried along with other Jesuit priests and seminarians. Reuter founded the Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission Inc. and directed live on stage presentation of Family Theater in the Philippines, the

Family Rosary Crusade (TV program) The ''Family Rosary Crusade'' is a multi-media based ministry in the Philippines. In the 1950s, Reverend Father Fr. Patrick Peyton, CSC came to the Philippines upon the invitation of the Dominican Fathers, or Order of Preachers, to conduct and ...

Funeral service

File:Jamesreuter1921 03.JPG, Casket near the sanctuary of the

. File:Jamesreuter1921 01.JPG, The book of condolences and schedule of memorial services File:Jamesreuter1921 02.JPG, Reuter's casket at his funeral File:Jamesreuter1921 05.JPG, Photos of Reuter's relatives on his open casket File:Jamesreuter1921 04.JPG, Funerary portrait of Reuter beside the Paschal candle File:Jamesreuter1921 06.JPG, Photo gallery near the narthex of the church File:Jamesreuterjf1923.JPG, Announcement of interment File:Frreuterjf2096 01.JPG, Final viewing on January 4, 2013 File:Frreuterjf2096 02.JPG, Catalino G. Arevalo blessing the casket at the Requiem Mass File:Frreuterjf2096 03.JPG, The Reuter's Glee Club singing at the funeral File:Frreuterjf2096 04.JPG, First Friday Mass by Catalino G. Arevalo

References

External links

* . * . * .
Selected published stage plays written by Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ

Fr. James Reuter: Life at its fullest

Timeline, Fr. James B. Reuter

Funeral, Fr. James B. Reuter

Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J.
* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Reuter, James B. 1916 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American Jesuits Ateneo de Manila University faculty 20th-century Filipino Jesuits Writers from Elizabeth, New Jersey Ramon Magsaysay Award winners American television evangelists Filipino television evangelists American Servants of God 21st-century venerated Christians Catholics from New Jersey American emigrants to the Philippines Naturalized citizens of the Philippines Grand Crosses of the Order of Lakandula