The city of Olongapo in the Philippines has grown up around the largest American Naval base in the Pacific.
Alongside the huge influx of American seamen to Olongapo has come the problems of prostitution and drug abuse. The Radharc team looks at the work of the Irish Columban Missionary Father Shay Cullen.
This was the first documentary made about the work of this extraordinary Irish priest later nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Shay Cullen trained as a therapist and is the director of the drug rehabilitation Preda Centre. Many of the young men treated at the centre are heroin addicts. The treatments used there are based on the theories of Arthur Janov where patients re-experience the pain, anger and hurt which they have been supressing. In a padded room young men vent their pain and suffering. Afterwards there is a group discussion on the individual's primal feelings.
Father Shay Cullen travels to some of the poorest neighbourhoods to celebrate Mass on a Sunday.
At a furniture workshop attached to the Preda Centre local people make wicker furniture. Much of the furniture is exported but most of it is bought by sailors from the American Navy. For Shay Cullen the sale of wicker furniture to sailors has its own irony, it helps finance a centre that tackles the problems created by the same naval presence.
Shay Cullen goes on to the streets of Olongapo at night in search of a young hostess who has secretly made contact with him looking for help. He says of his work,
"Evangelisation takes many different forms and I suppose just like Jesus he went around with many of the prostitutes himself. He was always seen with the poor. He never really lived with the rich or the wealthy. And quite honestly the traditional church in this area is wedded to some extent to the rich and the powerful."
Title: |
Pain is the Price |
Clip Duration: |
00:26:31 |
Material Type: |
Video |
Clip Title: |
Pain is the Price |
Series Title: |
Radharc |
Information: |
'Radharc', a series specialising in religious programming, was produced for RTÉ by Radharc, an independent production company run by Catholic priests and lay staff. 'Radharc' can be translated to English as 'view' or 'panorama'. Co-founders Fr Joe Dunn and Fr Desmond Forristal who had received training in television production in New York in 1959 gathered around them a team of like minded priests with creative talent. The 'Radharc' team made their first production in 1960 in Donegal, a short film about customs relating to St Brigid's Day. The first programme in the 'Radharc' series for RTÉ was broadcast on 12 January 1962. Between 1961 and 1996 the Radharc team would produce over 400 films in Ireland and 75 countries worldwide. The films dealt with human rights, injustice, faith, religion, persecution, struggles against oppressive regimes, famine, and Christian heritage. The popular series ended production in 1996 after the death of Fr Joe Dunn. |
Local Keywords: |
Radharc, Religion, Shay Cullen, US Army, US Navy, Poverty, Prostitution, Sailors, Navy, Prostitutes, Sex, Drugs, Addicts, Addiction, Therapy, Catholic, Priests, Philippines |
Coverage: |
Subic Bay, Philipines, Olongapo |
Topic: |
Religion and Belief |
Contributor(s): |
Robert Monks (Camera), Daibhi Doran (Editor), Declan Coyle (Research), Chris Kenneally (Script), Dermod McCarthy (Narrator/Director) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
RTÉ One |
Broadcast Date: |
03/11/1978 |
Production Year: |
1978 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
P414/00078 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives.
If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
whole |
Colour: |
Colour |
Sound: |
Mono |
Aspect Ratio: |
4:3 |
Language: |
English (eng) |
