I also describe Fr Neftali Sanchez-Tinoco, of the Omar Sharif smile, who left the Legion soon after serving in Ireland, was never officially discharged, and took up teaching in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, still a priest.
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[Excerpt from old draft]
8.
After a few weeks we joyfully welcomed three new formators from Rome and were instructed to call them ‘Father’, even when it transpired that they, like our recruiter, were not ordained priests or even deacons, but rather theology students. I enjoyed having these ‘Assistants’ with us in our daily activities, including basketball and soccer, lending a certain ‘gravitas’ to our high jinks. They were: “Frs.” Ramiro Fernandez, huge by Mexican standards, and like a wall on the soccer field, who also seemed almost child-like in his demeanor. Angel Sáez, a dark- haired Spaniard with glasses, was the most intellectual of the three. I got on fine with him except one day he got angry at me: I kept moving the dust pan into which he was sweeping the dirt, and he thought I was toying with him. My honest intention was to accomodate his sweeping, and I was hurt when he angrily chided me.
9.
Our favorite was Francisco Orozco Yepez, ‘Fr. Yepez’, the most Mexican, and 'natural', of the three, who was very funny. He made the most wonderful mistakes learning English idioms, and then laughed at his own mistakes. -‘Brothers, how is my English? Very good, Yes? Sooner and later it will be better! No?’ The story was told of him arriving at Dublin Airport and asking for a taxi to take him to Bundoran [over a hundred miles away]. He meant to ask for a 'very inexpensive' [Sp.'muy barato'] ride but got the words mixed up and told the taxi rank he wanted ‘very expensive’[Sp. muy caro'] taxi. They were surprised that a Catholic priest should be looking for a very expensive taxi but one driver did oblige, and thereupon made a fortune. Maybe this anecdote was embellished by Nuestro Padre to get a kick out of Fr. Yépez's apparent naivete.
10.
Father Neftali, an ordained LC priest -who years later exited the Legion to join the diocesan clergy— also arrived around this time. Being very athletic and skilled at soccer and basketball he was much admired by our group. On one hike he further enhanced his rating by showing how strong he was by lifting a weight Fr. James couldn’t handle. As Fr. Neftalí -- Neftalí Sánchez-Tinoco, one of the Mexican founding children recruited by Fr. Maciel-- was the first Legionary priest available to us, we began to go to confession to him. Up to then we had been traveling to the local community of Franciscan friars for our sacramental needs. Father James also explained that it was customary in the Legion to, in his words, ‘pass to spiritual direction.’ I had never had ‘spiritual direction’ before but he explained that it was just a chat with the Padre. Trying out this new experience was not too bad because Fr. Neftalí was kind and refined, and he looked like the movie star, Omar Sharif. I was not sure what to talk about but I went to see him anyway. After a visit or two he revealed to me that Nuestro Padre had noticed my ‘qualities’ and that he would like me to consider leaving at short notice, in a few weeks time, to start my Holy Novitiate overseas. Although this meant suddenly separating from my family, friends and country it made me feel very special. I would be among the first eight Irish Legionaries to begin Novitiate. I was being chosen from the total of about thirty, including those ‘brothers’ in cassock who had been there before our large group arrived. I would embark on an exciting adventure to a foreign clime and culture. I had only left my country once before with my father, when he took me by ferry to watch a soccer match in murky Liverpool.
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