FR. BRIAN GORE died on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, at the Holy Mother of Mercy Hospital in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, Philippines, due to septic shock.

Born in Perth, Australia, in 1944, Father Brian was ordained in 1968 and arrived in the Philippines in 1969. He was assigned to southern Negros Occidental, then under the Diocese of Bacolod (now the Diocese of Kabankalan).

By 1972, he began working closely with marginalized sugar workers and farmers, helping to organize Basic Christian Communities (BCCs). These communities empowered local people to advocate for their rights through nonviolent means.

In 1983, during the Marcos dictatorship, Father Brian — along with fellow Columban priest Fr. Niall O’Brien, Filipino priest Fr. Vicente Dangan, and six lay workers — was arrested on fabricated charges of murder. The group came to be known as the “Negros Nine.” They were imprisoned for 14 months until the charges were dismissed in 1984 due to lack of evidence.

After spending some time back in Australia, he returned to the Philippines. In 2000, he co-founded the Negros Nine Human Development Foundation (NNHDF) to carry on the work initiated by the BCCs. The foundation focuses on sustainable agriculture, reforestation, education, and the prevention of human trafficking.

In 2005, he was elected to the Regional Council of the Columbans in the Philippines and served as Regional Director from 2006 to 2009.

After his term as Regional Director, he returned to Negros to continue his mission through the NNHDF. He settled at the Columban Retreat Center in Batang, Himamaylan, and would regularly visit Santuario de San Columbano de Bantolinao, a mountain area in Kabankalan, where he started a 12-hectare organic farm to promote sustainable farming. He lived and worked in the community he loved and helped grow — until the end of his life.

Known as the poor man’s priest, Father Brian will  be remembered for his deep love for the Filipino people and strong commitment to justice.