The Columbans in Oceania, the Philippines, and around the world are mourning the sudden death of Australian Columban Father Brian Gore, who died in Negros, Philippines, on the evening of Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025.
Born and educated in Fremantle, Western Australia, Brian joined the Columbans in 1960. He completed his seminary formation in Sassafras, Victoria, and Turramurra, NSW.
He was ordained in Fremantle by Bishop Myles McKeon on 29 June 1968, the 50th anniversary of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban.
Fr Brian was appointed to the Philippines in September 1968 and assigned to the island of Negros, where he was to serve for the next 16 years.
It was a time of political upheaval, injustice, and oppression under the Marcos regime. During these years, Fr Brian ministered in several parishes in Negros and became deeply involved in the plight of the impoverished sugar cane workers exploited by rich landowners.
From April 1975, along with other priests and lay leaders, Fr Brian and his co-workers set up Basic Christian Communities (BCC) as a non-violent way to struggle for the rights of workers.
Although his activities were supported by the local bishop, they earned the ire of the landlords. The workers’ struggle was supported by Pope John Paul II in his 1981 visit to Negros who said, “the church should not hesitate to be the voice of those who have no voice.” These words encouraged the priests but also fired up the opposition.
In September 1982, Fr Brian was falsely charged with inciting to rebellion and possessing illegal explosives and ammunition. He and 6 pastoral workers were jailed for three days. The opposition was relentless.
The following year, the ante was raised even higher when Fr Brian, Irish Columban Fr Niall O’Brien, Fr Vicente Dangan from the Philippines, and six lay workers were imprisoned on trumped-up charges of multiple murder. The world’s media was drawn to the jailed men who won international fame as “the Negros Nine”.
The three priests were released for a time, but when they realised that their freedom compromised their cause, they famously ‘broke back into jail’ to be in solidarity with the six accused laymen. Under the glare of the international media, the case was finally dropped in July 1984, and Frs Brian Gore and Niall O’Brien had to leave the country within 30 days.
Fr Brian returned to Australia where he was in great demand for talks on peace, justice, and non-violence on radio, TV, churches, and public halls. After the fall of Marcos, Fr Brian returned to the Philippines in 1986 where he served in vocation work for 5 years.
In 1994, Fr Brian was appointed Columban Missions Director of Australia and New Zealand for two terms. His high public profile raised awareness of Columban mission’s commitment to justice, peace, and the cry of the poor and the exploited earth. He then served as Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Coordinator in Australia from 2000 to 2003.
Fr Brian returned to the Philippines as JPIC Coordinator for Luzon and Negros in 2004, District Superior in Luzon and Negros 2005, Regional Director from 2006 to 2009, and JPIC Coordinator Philippines 2009.
The Negros Nine Human Development Foundation, of which Fr Brian is a Trustee, was set up in 2000 and continues the original BCC work of securing the rights of the poor through integral human development.
Fr Brian’s final years were as priest-in-charge in San Columbano Mission Centre Batang, Negors, where he played the role of grandfather to the priests and people of Negros whom he had loved and served and whose rights he had defended so passionately throughout his adventurous missionary life.
Perth priest Fr Geoff Aldous shared his experience of knowing Fr Brian.
“I met Brian when we were together at St.Charles Seminary, Guildford in 1959, before he went off to study with the Columbans. I remember Brian as strong physically – he was a good footballer – and strong in spirit.
I met up with Brian again when I had a mission experience with the Columban Fathers in the Philippines in 1982.
I stayed with Brian for about a week in his parish of Oringao on the island of Negros. I remember celebrating with him in their Sunday Eucharist, with plenty of singing, drama and sharing of experiences (a number of their people, while defending their rights on the land, had been murdered in the weeks before).
The Mass, including eating and festivities that followed, took up almost the whole day. Many of the people had to return to their villages up in the mountains, and Communion was taken to the sick and those unable to make the trip.
One day when I was there, and when Brian was away, several big luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW or something like that) screamed up the road to where the ‘Conventu’ (or presbytery) was.
Two men, with a bevy of well-armed ‘guards’, emerged from the cars, demanding to see the Parish Priest.
I learned afterwards that they were wealthy ranchers, trying to ‘win over’ the Parish Priest, in order to gain access for their cattle to the traditional land of the peasant people who lived up in the mountains.
Brian, of course, always stood up for the rights of the ‘little people’, the poor and the oppressed.
After looking around for a while they left as they came, screaming off down the road – fortunate for me that they were gone; but it was an experience in which I could feel the tension building up in the community.
It wasn’t long after this (Sept. ’82) that Brian, an Irish priest and seven others were charged with ‘inciting rebellion’ and possession of explosives and ammunition that had been ‘planted’ within the confines of the ‘Conventu’.
Back in Australia Brian became very well known for his talks, retreats and work in the media, and his great passion for justice.
But I think his heart was always for mission and the people he loved, in the Philippines, and he was able to get back there and continue to serve for the latter years of his life.”
Courtesy Columban Missions Oceania Regional Director Fr Patrick McInerney