Book on SVD Filipino Martyr among those awarded at Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards

The book "William Finnemann: An SVD Filipino Martyr" (for Inspirational Category) was among those awarded at the 17th Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards Ceremony on September 15 at the 44th Manila International Book Fair at SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Pasay City.

The Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards honor outstanding Filipino authors in various categories: spirituality, ministry, liturgy, homiletics, family life, youth, children, inspiration, theology, and e-books.

The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) launched the book on Finnemann on January 12 at the Divine Word College of Calapan (Basic Education Department) in Calapan City.

Finnemann served as the first Prefect Apostolic of Mindoro (now Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan) in 1936.

A naturalized Filipino, he was also the auxiliary bishop of Manila and also did missions in Abra, in northern Luzon.

Finnemann was thrown into the depths of the sea on Verde Island off the coast of Batangas City on October 26, 1942, by the Japanese because he refused the abuse of girls and women during World War II when he was assigned to Calapan.

The other book awardees with SVD-LOGOS are Father Dionisio Miranda ("Paninindigang Banal: Theological Virtues in the Philippine Setting" for the Theology Category), Dr. Gerardo Guian ("The Camel and the Needle" for the Youth Category), and Father Jerry Orbos as a Lifetime Achievement Awardee.

The SVD is an international religious missionary congregation of priests and brothers who serve in more than 70 countries across the globe.

Layugan earlier said the proceeds of the 645-page book are for a project celebrating 150 years of the SVD, a two-volume historical account of the SVD’s presence in the Philippines from 1909 to 1982.