Thanks to the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community, two bells that were taken from a Philippine church during the Philippine-American War are now on their way back to the Philippine people.

Judith Frikker, RSM, president of the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community, presented Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Philippine Consul General based in Chicago, with the artifact during a brief ceremony held Saturday, Oct. 8, at the West Midwest Community’s central office in Omaha. The bells, which are mounted on a wooden block with a handle attached, were discovered during a review of the Sisters of Mercy archives.

“We are pleased to return this treasure to the Philippine government and its people,” said Sister Judith. “Our hearts are heavy knowing the loss that this piece represents, and we pray for an end to all war. We appreciate the visit by Consul General Herrera-Lim and his wife Fidelis to retrieve these bells.”

“It is humbling for me to receive on behalf of a grateful nation, the bells of Meycauayan Church at the month that we are celebrating Philippine-American History Month,” said the Consul General. “We have the opportunity to reflect on the unfortunate episode in our history and renew the ties that bind our peoples. I thank the Sisters of Mercy for being God’s instruments of peace and healing.”

The Consul General said he plans to send them to the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila and hopes to learn more about the bells and their story, which continues with their return to the Philippines.

Sisters of Mercy Senior Archivist Monte Kniffen discovered the artifact while cataloguing items in the archives. “We are not sure how the item came to Sisters of Mercy,” he said. “It was sent to Omaha from Red Bluff, Calif., where we have sisters in ministry and once had a convent. The piece was among the items sent to Omaha when the convent closed. We have not been able to determine how it initially arrived in Red Bluff.”

According to Kniffen, from the inscription on the item, it appears to be from the Philippine-American War. The inscription reads: “Taken from the Church of Meycauayan, Luzson Island, P.I. after bombardment by Utah Battery March 29, 1899 by P.O. Thomas, Co. A. Battalion of Engineers.”

The Philippine-American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection, was fought from 1899-1902.

Kniffen heard news reports that the Philippine government was interested in retrieving items taken during that war, and he contacted the Philippine Consulate General to see if there was interest in the item. The Consul General expressed an interest in coming to Omaha for the presentation.

“For me, the bells must have had a long journey and we don’t know the whole story,”  said Consul General Herrera-Lim. “We know that the journey back is more pleasant. It’s a journey that acknowledges the bonds between our people, the U.S. and the Philippines, and with the Sisters of Mercy who have a presence in the Philippines. They brought us together.”

The Consul General, who also took time on Friday to meet Sisters at Mercy Villa,  promised to visit the Sisters each time he is in Omaha and “continue the story” by sharing what he learns from the research done. In addition, he plans to commission two replicas of the bells; one that will be donated to the sisters and one that will reside at the consulate office as a reminder of this new partnership.

The Sisters of Mercy have a history of ministry in the Philippines. In addition to a novitiate, there are 36 Sisters of Mercy living and ministering there. Sister Rita Pickhinke, RSM, of Omaha, who has spent most of her life ministering to the deaf, was in the Philippines for seven-and-a-half years during which time she worked with the deaf and set up a program of services called Catholic Ministry to Deaf People, Inc. The program, located in Quezon City, is in its twenty-second year.

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