{{Short description|Murdered Roman Catholic missionary}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Use Irish English|date=January 2021}} '''Rufus Halley''' (1944<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Harrington |first=Jean |title=Far East - Remembering Rufus 'Alongan' Halley |year=2021}}</ref> - 28 August 2001) was a Roman Catholic priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban who spent more than 20 years promoting ecumenical dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Asia. A native of Killoteran, County Waterford, Ireland, he was appointed to the Philippines shortly after his ordination to the priesthood in 1969, living with and ministering to the rural poor.
In 1980, he moved to Mindanao in the south of the Philippines and volunteered to engage in dialogue with local Muslims. In a bid to break down the mutual distrust and mistrust, Halley integrated with both Christian and Muslim communities by learning two local languages (one of which being Maranao)<ref name=":0" /> and worked for many years in a store owned by a Muslim selling rice and corn.<ref name="preda">[http://www.preda.org/main/archives/2001/r01091001.html Profile of Fr Rufus Halley]</ref> Halley fought for the rights of oppressed Muslims, who were being targeted by the Philippine Army.<ref name=":1" />
==Death== On 28 August 2001, Halley was travelling by motorcycle to attend the wedding of a poor local couple when he was ambushed by a band of men. According to witness accounts, Halley tried to escape and was shot at point-blank range.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Cullen |first=Shay |date=28 August 2011 |title=Fr Rufus Halley - bridge-builder and peacemaker |url=https://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/1862/fr-rufus-halley-bridge-builder-and-peacemaker |url-status=live |access-date=19 July 2022 |website=The Tablet |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719193345/https://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/1862/fr-rufus-halley-bridge-builder-and-peacemaker }}</ref> It is not known why Halley was targeted.
Halley was mourned by both Christians and Muslims following his death. An estimated 2000 people attended his funeral in Mindanao.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donohoe |first=Mariam |date=30 August 2001 |title=Huge outpouring of grief for murdered priest |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/huge-outpouring-of-grief-for-murdered-priest-1.324840 |url-status=live |access-date=19 July 2022 |website=Irish Times |archive-date=19 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719221128/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/huge-outpouring-of-grief-for-murdered-priest-1.324840 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211590167 Rev Michael Anthony "Rufus" Halley Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622002216/https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211590167 |date=22 June 2020 }}, Find A Grave (June 2020)</ref>
==Posthumous== The Auroro Aragon-Quezon Foundation in Manila made a posthumous award to Halley for his contributions in Lanao del Sur, Philippines.<ref name="preda"/> According to the citation, Halley "went beyond the ordinary call of a missionary as he exhibited unfailingly the zeal of senseless armed conflict".
The Archbishop of Davau Fernando Capalla described Halley as "a tireless and compassionate peacemaker and shepherd of the flock".<ref name="posthumous">{{cite web|title=Posthumous award to Father Rufus Halley|url=http://www.catholiccommunications.ie/news/news-may-2003.html|publisher=The Catholic Communications Office|accessdate=20 June 2012|date=14 May 2003|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308234513/http://www.catholiccommunications.ie/news/news-may-2003.html|archivedate=8 March 2011}}</ref> Pope John Paul II issued a statement from the Vatican following Halley's death, which highlighted the sacrifice which Halley made for his faith.<ref name=":0" />
A book about Halley's life, and that of fellow missionary Des Hartford (who was kidnapped in the Philippines several years earlier), was published in 2019 by Mercier Press.<ref name=":0" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Halley, Rufus}} Category:2001 deaths Category:Irish Roman Catholic missionaries Category:20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Category:Irish expatriates in the Philippines Category:Christian clergy from County Waterford Category:21st-century Roman Catholic martyrs Category:21st-century venerated Christians Category:Date of birth unknown Category:Roman Catholic missionaries in the Philippines Category:People murdered in the Philippines Category:Deaths by firearm in the Philippines Category:Irish people murdered abroad Category:1944 births Category:Murder victims from County Waterford