OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH

OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH PROFILE

I. Our Lady of Fatima Parish (F: 1977/EP: 1981)

II. Address: San Sebastian-Sta. Ana St, Bacolod City 6100

III. Lot: Donated by Don Julio and Juanita de La Rama Gonzaga and Family

IV. Titular: Our Lady of Fatima

V. Feast Day: May 13

VI. Vicariate: Bacolod Central

VII. Chronology of Assigned Priests at Our Lady of Fatima Parish (San Sebastian-Sta. Ana St):

As Part of Community Area of San Sebastian Parish (Cathedral, Rizal, St.) some of the priests who celebrated Masses here from the parish and from the Sacred Heart Seminary were:

1.      Fr. Crispin Ruiz, M.D.      (d. January 5, 1972)

2.      Fr. Isidro Dormido           (d. February 15, 1984)

3.      Fr. Felipe Jomao-as          (d. March 15, 1978)

4.      Fr. Manuel Dormido         (d. January 1997)

5.      Fr. Dominador Dumagat (d. October 2008)

      Chaplaincy (1977):

1. Fr. Fr. Anthony P. Atillaga(d. February 9, 1998)     1977-May 21, 1981

Parish (May 21, 1981):

2. Fr. Anthony P. Atillaga         May 21, 1981-Jan. 3, 1990: was assigned                                                                as         Chaplain of     Camingawan.                                                                          Chaplaincy which later came to be                                                                                   known as Triumph of the Holy Cross.

3. Fr. Danilo L. Sitchon             1989-2000: was assigned as Parish Priest of                                                             Granada: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Brgy.                                                            Granada, Bacolod City. N.B. Fr. Sitchon was not                                                            able to stay at the parish in 1989.

4. Msgr. Nicasio Melicor            2000-2001: was assigned as Parish Priest of                                                             Pulupandan: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish,                                                                Municipality of Pulupandan.

5. Fr. Nomer B. Esporsado       2001-2002: was assigned as Chaplain of San                                                            Mateo, Brgy. Banago.
6. Fr. Casimiro B. Batalla         2002-2006: went into a Sabbatical Leave.

7. Fr. Ernie A. Larida                2006-as of April 2009

VII. Religious Vocation from Our Lady of Fatima Parish:

Fr. Brethen Rhey M. Gamala

Introduction

            The church lot in the 1970’s was the area where robbers, drug dealers, trouble makers and other human-roots of social ills used to congregate. The titular patroness ushered in the concept of harmony when she appeared in 1917 in Portugal before three rural kids to pray and work for peace. The story of this parish is a story weaved between irony and complication intertwined with deep faith and consternation. But in the end just like in the story of Fatima in Portugal after great media hullabaloos, political interventions, clerical skirmishes and schismatic-congregational loyalty– the ecstatic serenity encompassed the parish.

The Phenomenological Church

            1977-1990. Before a resident priest was assigned to this jilted site, priests from San Sebastian Parish and the Sacred Heart Seminary took care of the spiritual enhancement of the scarce Catholic advocates of the vicinity. By the coming of the two-year-UST journalism and music enthusiast in 1977, the once forlorn community area of San Sebastian parish was animated. The Cauayan-born Fr. Anthony Perez-Atillaga gradually but indisputably organized the catholic community. His coadjutorial experiences from the parishes of Hinigaran, La Castillana and San Sebastian had no doubt mentored him well for this multi-sectoral community.

            Fr. Tony, as he was fondly called, moved to reconstruct the house of worship. The magnanimousness of Mr. and Mrs. Napoleon Gonzaga and family finalized Fr. Tony’s first move and the construction of a modest structure began. When the house of worship was finally erected, the faith of the congregation to God’s immense goodness and man’s imperfect charity was finally sealed.

            Fr. Tony wasted no time in organizing the Barangay sang Virgen. A local movement which was dedicated to honouring Mary by praying the Rosary and reading and sharing Biblical  passages in the homes. The families were divided into Kapilyans ….

           

            The great community organizer, Fr. Tony, left the Fatima Church on January 13, 1990 for another ministry to be organized.  The well-loved parish priest was brought by the parishioners in a caravan of vehicles to his new ministry of Camingawan. That event was not yet duplicated by the preceding pastors.

            In November 6, 1989 about 300 elite people and parishioners of Fatima from the Barangay sg Virgen, Knights of Columbus and other lay organizations as reported by Kristianong Katilingaban Magazine (Oct.-Dec. 1989)  jeered the evacuees of Military operation from Binalbagan who were staying at the Bishop House’s ground. They even booed them and cursed the priests sympathetic to their plight calling them communist and demonyo.

            1991-2000. The departure of the well-loved pastor left a vacuum among many a heart but it did not leave emptiness behind because the feet of the new  Dominican- trained-pastor is as great as the former’s shoes. Fr. Danilo Sitchon, an E.B. Magalona native, was ten-month older than Fr. Tony Atillaga but both had studied at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, Manila. Both were originally classmates at the Sacred Heart Seminary. However, both had different definitions of spirituality. The former a Marian devotee and the later a social reformer.  Both were competent in their own endowments and beneficial to their parishioners.

            When Fr. Sitchon was assigned as Parish Priest in 1989, the parish church was not yet ready for the welcome so Fr. Sitchon held Masses at Sto. Nino chapel at Galo-BBB with the approval of Msgr. Eduardo Gumboc who was the Chaplain at that time.  So for months Fr. Sitchon held 8 A.M. Masses at Sto. Nino with a meagre Fatima community members. When December came, it brought with it the challenge of finding a venue for the holding of the dawn Mass. The most viable place that was agreed upon was the Elementary School since the location was nearby the Fatima church. Thus was the beginning of the dawn Mass celebration at the School.

            At this time the parishioners had a choice where to attend the Sacred Mass, either at the Fatima Church where Fr. Atillaga was holding  Mass or at the School where Fr. Sitchon also was holding Mass, generally,  they both held Mass at the same time. When the fiesta of the parish came on May 13, 1989, the parishioners of Fatima were all excited. The church and the school were filled to the brim. Bishop Fortich and Bishop Gregorio  together with 42 priests joined the celebration of the fiesta at the school ground. Fr. Sitchon was gratified with the support and Fr. Atillaga was also pleased with the boost given by his supporters. 

            The church lot was maximized by Fr. Dan by extending the church on both sides and he renovated the altar. He then constructed a new convent in place of the old one. For these projects the parish loaned one million pesos which was easily paid off through the parishioners’ pledges. Ms. Guia Gomez who was a parishioner gave support of P50,000.00 a month. Fr. Nomer Esporsado continued the liturgical and sacramental programs after Fr. Sitchon.

            2001-2009. A young and song-lover cleric, Fr. Cassimiro Batalla came after Fr. Nomer’s a year and a half of ministry. Fr. Cassim renovated the convent and the facade of the church but the construction was stopped due to some hitches with the Bacolod Engineer’s Office. Fr. Ernie Larida continued the construction knowingly ready to face the probable consequences of the confusing legal requirements of the Engineer’s office. He jokingly mentioned that in his parish there is no separation of church and state because the church and the barangay hall were only distanced  by a wall.

            Fr. Ernie, armed with fresh experiences from the San Sebastian parish, came in this parish quite ready for the challenge. He immediately started making friends with the parishioners and implemented his pastoral plans. Knowledgeable of the history of Fatima parish, the young cleric had an overview of the parishioners sensibilities and strengths.

            Fr. Ernie renovated the façade of the church and had it painted.  The Pastoral Council, Finance Council and Lay organizations came alive with new liturgical and social activities.

The Church of the Poor

            When the area of the church was still a sugar plantation in the 1960s, the corner lot was already predestined by Mrs. Valderama as meant for the Church. This to the extent that even when her niece, Mrs. Divinagracia,  requested her for a lot to be sold her,  Mrs. Valderama agreed to give her but not the corner lot because it was for a church. And that they should help with the upkeep of the church.

            A chapel was built with a concept hut roofing (the one used by the American during WW II) and decorative block wall.  Fr. Dumagat was constantly holding Mass here. The community took care of the San Sebastian priests and Sacred Heart Seminary Fathers who were interchangeably held Masses here.  

            The donation of the lot, the organization of Barangay sang Virgen and other movements and programs which showed preference to the simple people were manifestation of this parish as a church of the poor.

SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FATIMA PARISH:

      A. Primary Sources

      A.1. Books as required by Canon Law:

      1. Books of Baptismal Records of Fatima Parish

      2. Books Marriage Records of Fatima Parish

      3. Books of Death Records Fatima Parish

      4. Books of Appointments of Priests of the Diocese of Bacolod

      5.  Books of Profile of Priests of the Diocese of Bacolod

            A.2.  Interviews:

      1. Fr. Ernie Larida at La Herencia Subd., Bacolod City on April 13, 2009. Fr.                        Larida has been the parish Priest of Fatima since 2006 until today (April 2009).

            2. Fr. Cassimiro Batalla at St. Therese Quisi-Parish, Camiroli, Bacolod City, on                       May 13, 2009.  Fr.        Batalla is a former parish priest of Fatima Parish.

            3. Msgr. Nicasio Melicor at  Helvitia Chaplaincy on May 13, 2009. Msgr. Melicor      is a former parish priest of Fatima Parish.

            4. Miss Brenda Divinagracia at Our Lady of Fatima Convent on September 19,                       2008. And another one on April 9, 2009. She had been a very active lay                            personality in Fatima Parish, her house being at the other side of the wall of the            Altar of the parish. She is the grandniece of Juanita de la Rama-Gonzaga.

            A. 3.  Plaques, Monuments, Physical Evidence of Historical Value

            Inscriptions on the plaque at the right-side entrance of the church.

            `B. Secondary Sources

               Memoirs and Articles:

                        1. 2008 Catholic Directory of the Diocese of Bacolod

                        2. Fatima Annual Fiesta Program, May 13, 2002.

           

            C. Websites:

            1. Diocese of Bacolod website http://home.catholicweb.com/BacolodDiocese