VIGA, Catanduanes, June 20, 2013—The Diocese of Virac has established a mission Church with St. Pedro Calungsod as patron to propagate the devotion to the Filipino teen Saint and to make him known to the Filipino people.
Although the church is yet to be inaugurated and blessed because the establishment was just issued last May 23, the faithful are already using the church for daily masses.
According to Fr. Eric John Rojas, assistant to the diocesan chancellor, the establishment of the mission church which is far from the nearest parish is also a response to the call of the celebration of the Year of Faith, which is to rediscover the journey of faith and have renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ.
Rojas also added the mission Church is a response on the pastoral necessity of the faithful in that area, “in other words, it is one way of bringing down the Church, being Christ as its head, to the people.”
“The mission church is also a way to honor the teen saint who is the saint of lay Filipinos, to serve as an inspiration to many baptized Christians not just on the areas under the jurisdiction of the mission Church but to the whole diocese as part of our thrust, that is, the New Evangelization Pastorale,” Rojas stressed.
The Mission Church is established in Gigmoto, Catanduanes with Brgy. Sicmil as its principal seat. It covers three other nearby barangays: Villa Aurora, Tinago and Botenaga, all under the Municipality of Viga with Fr. Jesus Lopez as its resident priest.
Catanduanes Bishop Manolo de los Santos will possibly lead the inauguration and blessing of the Church which is still on the process. (Jandel Posion)
