Father Rufus Halley's murder in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, came on the eve of a meeting of the island's 40 Catholic bishops to discuss the promotion of peace.
Shocked local people said yesterday the attempted kidnapping and murder of Father Halley came as no surprise. They had repeatedly warned him of possible dangers from separatist gangs fighting for a Muslim homeland.
Rebel groups operating in the region have been responsible for the kidnap, and often murder, of foreigners and tourists for ransoms on the island in recent years.
According to local police, the son of the local head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is suspected of being the ring-leader of the gunmen responsible for the killing of Father Halley. MILF is the biggest rebel group in the southern Philippines.
Foreign priests working in Lanao del Sur province were previously harassed or kidnapped, according to local people, and in recent months Father Halley had been told to be extra-vigilant.
Four years ago another Irish Columban priest, Mgr Desmond Hartford, was kidnapped by Muslim rebels in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte. Mgr Hartford, who was apostolic administrator of the Marawi prelature, was eventually released unharmed.
Father Halley, who was 57, was assigned to the Our Lady of Peace parish, which is part of the prelature of Marawi. He lived in Malabang, a predominantly Muslim coastal town in Lanao del Sur.
He was well known for his work with the poor, among both Christians and Muslims. His mission in life was to promote peace, one church worker said.
A local journalist, Mr Edwino Fernandez, who met Father Halley, told The Irish Times last night that the priest had been warned to be extra-careful in moving around since he was a foreigner.
He said Father Halley could speak practically all the local dialects in Malabang. He was well loved by the people because of his work for peace. "He was a very good priest," he added.
Last night two church workers went to Cotabato City, 50 miles from Malabang, to fetch an embalmer, as there was none in Malabang, given that it is largely a Muslim town. "The fact that the people went to this effort for their beloved friend was a sign of the high esteem in which he was held," said Mr Fernandez.
The head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, Father Orlando Quevedo, told the Philippine Inquirer newspaper of his shock at the murder.
A meeting of the island's Catholic bishops was planned on Mindanao for today to discuss the promotion of peace.
"It's very unfortunate that church leaders of all faiths are gathered for peace advocacy when one of our priests was killed while performing his task of building peace," he said.
Archbishop Quevedo said the church would not give a ransom. "The church does not pay ransom for kidnapped priests and nuns, because if we do there will be more priests and religious getting kidnapped in the future," he said.
The police officer leading the murder investigation, Supt Akmad Omar, said marines and Malabang policemen were working on the investigation together. They had had reports the attackers were still in the town centre. "We have witnesses that could help us track down the assailants," he said.
He was hoping witnesses would come out and help to give justice to Father Halley, whom he described as "a very dedicated priest and loved by many". "He is a great loss to our people, a great loss to the church and to our country," he said.
This week President Arroyo of the Philippines vowed to stamp out the "terrorists" in the southern Philippines who have been kidnapping tourists for ransom. The government has signed a ceasefire agreement with the MILF.
"The government does not negotiate for ransom. Its policy is to rescue the hostage victims and punish the perpetrators," she said.
Archbishop Quevedo said yesterday he would raise the murder of Father Halley with President Arroyo when he meets her in the Philippines capital, Manila, today.