Chamorro New Testament now available

Friday, December 21, 2007 Rianne PangelinanReporter

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=75397

The Chamorro New Testament, a lifelong work of Bishop Tomas A. Camacho, is finally complete and is now available to the Christian community.The new Bible includes all of the 27 books of the New Testament translated to Chamorro. The translation took off from the prior work of Fr. Arnold Bendowske, OFM, a Capuchin missionary, who had already translated the readings of the Holy Mass in the '70s “but they had not been reviewed,” Camacho said. “I found that it was faster and easier to translate directly than to review the previous translations,” Camacho said. Camacho was appointed in 1976 as pastor of Bithen de Carmen parish in Chalan Kanoa by Bishop Felixberto C. Flores, who was the bishop of Guam. According to Camacho, at that time, the Northern Marianas was under the Bishop of Guam up until 1985 when Pope John Paul II established the diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the Northern Marianas. When Camacho arrived on Saipan, Bendowske had already translated the readings of the Holy Mass. Camacho said that it took him three years to finish the complete A, B, and C cycle of readings because “I would translate each set of readings weekly in preparation for Sunday's Holy Mass.”After finishing the translation for the Holy Mass, Camacho started finishing the remainder of the published books: Matthew in 1985 (where the Bible Society of Micronesia helped out); Mark in 1987; Luke in 1987; John in 1988; and Acts of the Apostles in 1988. The year 2007, according to Camacho, marks the 100th year since the arrival of Fr. Callistus Lopint, OFM, Cap, on Saipan and Fr. Corbiniano Madre, OFM, Cap, on Rota. “I want to dedicate this Chamorro New Testament Holy Bible in their honor. and for the legacy in the Chamorro language that they left with us,” Camacho said. The bishop said that Fr. Callistus' name appears in the canonical records on Saipan when he first baptized Antonio Suel on Nov 8, 1907. “He translated Dr. D.I. Schuster's writing of the Bible History into Chamorro. He also gave us the Chamorro Chamorro-German Dictionary,” Camacho said. As for Fr. Corbiniano, his name appears for the first time in canonical books of San Francisco de Borja church when he performed a baptismal rite on Jan 2, 1908. “According to the elders, Fr. Corbianiano taught the people Christmas songs such as Hu Adora Hao, Fanmatto Pastores, Fanmatto Famagu'on and Gloria Emmanuel, which are still sung on Rota each year,” Camacho said. The bishop cited Freddie Hofschneider Sr. for helping finance the publication and gave thanks to individuals who worked in correcting and reviewing the translations of the Chamorro New Testament Bible. Copies of the Chamorro New Testament are now available at the Mount Carmel Cathedral for $15 each.