Fr. Arsenio C. Nuñez, SJ (1922-2017)

May 20, 2017

This is to inform you that FR. ARSENIO C. NUÑEZ, S. J. died about 6:45 a.m. this morning in Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, Mandaue City. Fr. Arsenio would have been 95 next month. He entered the Society on 1 July 1939 and was ordained a priest on 16 April 1952.  Requiescat in pace .

Wake:  Starting this evening through Monday, 22 May in Pope Francis Servant Leadership Hall, Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu [H. Abellana St., Canduman, 6014 Mandaue City]. Wake Masses: tonight at 8 p.m.; tomorrow and May 21 to 22, 6:30 pm.

Funeral Mass: At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 23 May in the same place. Interment follows in Angelicum Garden of Angels Memorial Park, next to Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu.

Donation for the Blue Plate Project, a feeding program for undernourished children is most welcome.

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BIOGRAPHY OF FR. ARSENIO C. NUÑEZ, S.J. (1922-2017)
By Sch. Amado T. Tumbali, SJ
Asst. Prov. Archivist

Fr. Arsenio Cubero Nuñez, S.J. was born on 19 June 1922 in Valladolid, Spain. He attended primary school in Colegio San Juan Bautista de La Salle, Placencia (1926-30) and Colegio “La Providecia”, Valladolid (1934), and then secondary school in Instituto National “Zorrilla” / Colegio de San Jose in Valladolid (1934-39). It was a difficult period for the Spanish Church then. In 1931, Second Republic succeeded the monarchial system; separation of the church and state was instituted that allowed civil marriage and divorce. Later, convents were burned and the Jesuits were banished. In 1936, a military coup replaced the government and heightened the anti-clerical tide. Anger was unleashed to the clergy whom around 4,000 of its members were killed.

After the civil war, Fr. Nuñez entered the Jesuits at Noviciado de San Estanislao, Palencia on 1 July 1939. He had his Juniorate in Colegio de San Estanislao, Salamanca (1941-44), Philosophy in Universidad Pontificia, Comillas, Santander (1944-47) where he finished a Masters degree. In 1947, he was sent to Peking, China for regency, then to Scholsticat Collegium Maximum St. Roberti Bellarmini in Zi-ka-Wei, Shanghai (1949-52) and Bellarmine College in Mirador, Baguio (1953) for his Bachelor in Sacred Theology. Fr. Nuñez suffered another religious persecution when the communists took over China in 1949 that led to the expulsion of foreign missionaries. Before they transferred to the Philippines, Bishop Ignatius Kung Pin-mei of Shanghai ordained him and other scholastics deacon on 15 April 1952 and priest the following day in St. Ignatius Church, Zi-ka-Wei. After Theology, he continued in Mirador his tertianship (1954-55).

His first assignment as a priest was to study in University of San Carlos, Cebu City (1955-59) where he finished B.S. Chemistry, while teaching Religion in Sacred Heart School, Cebu City. During studies, he professed final vows on 15 August 1956. In Sacred Heart, he was assigned to various tasks: teaching Religion (1955-58, 64-69); moderator of Chemistry, Biology, and Science Laboratory (1957-72); teaching Biology, General Science, Chemistry (1957-64), and Mathematics (1969-72); moderator of SHS-Alumni Association (1963-69, 71-71, 81-91); chair of PAASCU accreditation process (1970-72); prefect of studies in Sciences and Math (1966-72); vocation promoter, school treasurer, and student counsellor (1974-76); assistant school director (1981-82), school director (1981-1991), and director of Chinese Language Program (1991-94). He was also CEAP coordinator for Cebu (1983-89).

Fr. Nuñez was also assigned in Manila: first, in Mary the Queen Parish, Greenhills where he was vocation promoter (1973-74); second, in Xavier School, Greenhills where he was director of Youth Service Center (1976-77), minister, treasurer, and faculty spiritual adviser (1977-81), and superior (1978-81); third, in Ateneo de Manila University High School as adviser to parents’ association (1994-2005); and fourth, in Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches as superior (2005-09). He was also national moderator of Chinese Catholic Youth (1973-74, 76-80).

He returned to Cebu in Jesuit Retreat House to do retreat ministry (2009) but soon transferred to Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, Canduman as spiritual father of the Jesuits. In early 2015, he suffered a mild stroke. Until his peaceful death at the age of 94 years, at 6:45 a.m. on 20 May 2017 in the Jesuit residence of Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, he remained jolly and always in a positive disposition. This great missionary who travelled from Spain, to China, and to the Philippines, and survivor of 2 religious persecutions, spent 40 years of his priestly life in basic education ministry in Cebu.