Egbert Xavier Kelly
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| 1937–1945 |
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| Born: | March 4, 1894 County Wicklow County Wicklow County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county... , Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
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| Died: | February 12, 1945 Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippines Philippines The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... |
Brother Egbert Xavier Kelly FSC, born William Kelly, (March 4, 1894 - February 12, 1945 was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
De La Salle Brother who was last assigned to the De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines
De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines
The De La Salle Brothers - Philippine District is part of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the largest congregation of Roman Catholic religious Brothers who are exclusively dedicated to education...
and was kidnapped and then murdered by the retreating Japanese Imperial Forces at the De La Salle College
De La Salle University
De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...
, of which he was President, during the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
Liberation of Manila
Battle for the Liberation of Manila
The Battle of Manila, also known as the Liberation of Manila, fought from 3 February to 3 March 1945 by American, Filipino and Japanese forces, was part of the 1945 Philippine campaign...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Br. Xavier was born on March 4, 1894 at County WicklowCounty Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. During his youth decided to become a De La Salle Brother and went to the Christian Brothers Retreat in Castletown to test his vocation. He was then admitted to the Novitiate and became a full-fledged Brother.
Assignment to the Philippines
In 1911, he was assigned to the Christian Brothers District of PenangPenang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
. During his trip, he went for a brief stay in Colombo, Ceylon after which he proceeded to De La Salle College in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. He began teaching in the grade school department until he was tasked to teach in the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
department.
Assignment to Belgium
Br. Xavier was selected by the Christian Brothers Superiors to help in the establishment of a Second Novitiate of the Mother House in Lebecq-les-Hal in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. This assignment was completed in 1930.
Return to the Philippines
Upon the completion of his assignment to the Mother House, Br. Xavier returned to Asia to teach for three years in Rangoon, Burma and another three years in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. In 1935, he was reassigned to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and was appointed President of De La Salle College in 1937.
His first six years as President was spent in expanding the facilities of the College. A large classroom wing was constructed at the north end of St. La Salle Hall
St. La Salle Hall
The St La Salle Hall is an H-shaped four-storey structure built in the neoclassical style. It faces Taft Avenue in the district of Malate in Manila, Philippines...
and a new chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
was constructed at its south end. This chapel was considered the most beautiful in the Philippines and had few rivals in the District, although the Brothers would regret about the chapel's limited size. The chapel was dedicated in 1940 and was large enough to accommodate the school's entire student body, which was then 1,200.
World War II
Brother Xavier FSC was the President of De La Salle College in Manila when the Japanese invaded the Philippines starting December 8, 1941.In January 1942, Japanese troops forcibly entered De La Salle College and began to occupy all but a small portion of the building. The Brothers were left to the chapel and a few small rooms while the American De La Salle Christian Brothers were interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
first in a Retreat House of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at Santa Ana, Manila and later to a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
hospital in San Pedro, Makati. They were later put in a Japanese Concentration Camp in Los Banos, Laguna until they were rescued and freed together with their other fellow clergy-prisoners by the American Forces under General Douglas MacArthur in February 1945.
The other De La Salle Christian Brothers on the De La Salle Taft Campus, including the then Brother-President Egbert Xavier FSC who was an Irish National, who were non-Americans or from countries was not in war with, were not imprisoned by the Japanese at the start of the Japanese Occupation and permitted to stay on the De La Salle campus on Taft Avenue.
On February 12, 1945, a Japanese detail forcibly took Br. Xavier, separated him from the others in the building. Brother Xavier was never seen again and his body was never recovered.
Brother Xavier plus the other sixteen (16) De La Salle Christian Brothers murdered/martyred by the Japanese inside De La Salle College on February 1945 are now honored with an elegant marble plaque at the entrance of the De La Salle Main Chapel.