FR. FELIX WENCESLAO D. UNSON, S. J. died this morning, September 9, 2015. Fr. Chito, 78, entered the Society on 30 May 1954 and was ordained a priest on 1 May 1968.
Wake: The wake starts tomorrow in the Chapel of the Holy Guardian Angels, Ateneo de Manila University Grade School, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Daily wake Masses at 8 p.m.
Funeral Mass: (UPDATED) On Sunday, 13 September at 2 p.m., Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University (instead of the Ateneo Grade School Chapel as previously announced).
Interment: Sacred Heart Novitiate Jesuit Cemetery, right after the Funeral Mass.
BIOGRAPHY OF FR. FELIX WENCESLAO D. UNSON, S.J.
By Sch. Amado T. Tumbali, Jr., SJ
Asst. Province Archivist
Fr. Felix Wenceslao Dizon Unson, S.J. was born on 28 September 1936 in Manila. He attended primary instruction at St. James Academy, Malabon, Rizal and graduated his secondary education at Ateneo de Manila in 1954. Immediately after, he entered the Jesuits at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City on 30 May 1954. After Juniorate in Sacred Heart, he went to Berchmans College in Lahug, Cebu City and finished M.A. Philosophy in 1962. During Regency, he was assigned to San Jose Seminary at Loyola Heights, Quezon City where he taught Latin, Math, History, and Filipino from 1962 to 1965. He did his Bachelor in Sacred Theology at the Loyola School of Theology at Loyola Heights, Quezon City and belonged to its first ordinandi along with Frs. Florencio Cuerquis, Francisco Montecastro, and Mateo Sanchez on 1 May 1968 by Rufino Cardinal Santos. He finished M.A. in Educational Admin at AdMU in 1970 as specific training, then immediately proceeded to Tertianship at Our Lady of Martyrs at Auriesville, New York, U.S.A from June 19 to January 1971.
Three geographic places can summarize the ministerial itinerary of Fr. Chito: Manila, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao. After ordination, while writing his thesis and subminister of the Jesuit Residence, he was assigned assistant principal at AdMU High School from 1969 to 1970. After Tertianship and a semester of studies at Fordham University, he was assigned to Ateneo de Cagayan (X.U.) High School as principal from 1971 to 1973. Then, for 26 years, he found himself in Ateneo de Davao University, his longest assignment, to serve at the secondary and tertiary levels: guidance counsellor, religion teacher, and admissions administrator of the High School (1973-1983); theology instructor in College (1983-1999). He also became Rector (1992-1998) and chair of the Theology Department (1992-1999).
After sabbatical at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in New York, U.S.A. (1999-2000), Fr. Chito was reassigned to Metro Manila: first, as assistant campus minister at Xavier School in Greenhills (2000-2001), then, to Ateneo de Manila University Grade School as chaplain from 2001 until 2014.
His last assignment was assistant chaplain of the Province Infirmaries until he suffered from ruptured aneurysm on 8 September 2015 and died 10:19 am of the following day during confinement at The Medical City in Pasig City.
+Requiescat in pace.
Elnora A. Duran on September 9, 2015 AT 10 pm
Rest in peace, Fr. Unson. We will never forget you.
ignacio g sugay on September 10, 2015 AT 05 am
Chito, when we were seated next to each other in classes most of the time because our seating was alphabetically arranged. I remember you as one of the most quiet, humble and unassuming among our classmates. I do not remember any time that you lost your cool throughout our high school.
I pray I will also be sitting next to you up there when my time comes.
Quile Misa Sanchez on September 10, 2015 AT 06 am
Vaya con Dios Fads! Will surely miss the way you call my name and that grin you always put on your face. Till we meet again.
Imelda del Rosario on September 10, 2015 AT 06 pm
Thank you for becoming a part of our high school life. Rest in peace.
Dan Marcon on September 11, 2015 AT 03 am
Thanks for your email shares of political situationers back home. And for your friendship forged after I got out of Bicutan barely 2 years after HS, thanks to my younger brother’s insistent requests for your help in prayers. Will surely miss receiving your emails or magic jack calls…and the visits to NYC.
Alvin Unson on September 11, 2015 AT 04 am
Rest in peace! Will never forget everything that you did. Thank you!
Milo Ocampo on September 11, 2015 AT 09 am
Father Chito, our bath HS’70 will miss you in our Fellowships, gatherings and wakes that you have attended. Thank you for mentoring us.
Emmanuel (Noel/Manny) Dizon on September 11, 2015 AT 02 pm
Thank you for getting me to study at the Ateneo. I really appreciate it as it made me a better person.
We will miss you dearly specially your visits and prayers to me and my family.
Rest in peace.
Carl on September 12, 2015 AT 01 am
Rest in Peace. My prayers for you father.
Lorenzo, Stephen and Ruth Medel on September 12, 2015 AT 02 am
He was a Jesuit priest from the ATENEO, but he “loved” and supported Lorenzo, a true-blood La Sallian. What better symbol could there be for goodwill among fiercely rival schools.
He was always there to join us in prayer and to give blessings to Lorenzo in all his recitals, even if it meant getting soaked in the rain at an open air concert at the Luneta Park. He was a very soft-spoken and humble man and would always take the public transport despite many offers to bring him to the Jesuit house late at night at the end of Lorenzo’s concerts.
YES, father, we will truly miss you. May you join HIM soon.
Stephen E. Medel on September 12, 2015 AT 02 am
May this video tribute to a humble and soft-spoken man warm the hearts of those who have never met him : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKDyND1ux7I
Oscar G. Gutierrez, Jr. on September 14, 2015 AT 08 am
The Ateneo De Davao Community will surely miss you during its annual reunion. The ADDU High School Batch 1979 will surely miss you the most, Fads.
Mike Reilly on September 16, 2015 AT 01 pm
God be with you, Chito, from across the seas and down the years with many memories of more simple days long gone.
Comments are closed.