OUR LADY OF PEACE AND GOOD VOYAGE PARISH

OUR LADY OF PEACE AND GOOD VOYAGE PARISH PROFILE

I. Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish (Erected as a Parish 1994)

II. Address: Airport Subdivision, Bacolod City 6100

III. Lot: Through the efforts of all parishioners of varied economic capabilities and               partial donation of Mrs. Dolores Consing and Family.

IV. Titular: Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

V. Feast Day: First Saturday of May

VI. Vicariate: Bacolod South

VII. Chronology of Assigned Priests at  Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish:

            As Part of Community Area of St. John Nepumoceno Parish (Tangub) and San      Antonio Abad Parish(Taculing):

1.      Fr. Danilo Paderna

2.      Fr. Telesforo Sardon

3.      During the time of Fr. Sitchon Airport Area or ministry was  turned over to San Antonio Abad Parish

      Chaplaincy: (1975)

            1. Fr. Antonio Sedeño                        1975-1979: was assigned as Parish                                                                            Priest of Fabrica: Holy Family Parish,                                                                      Fabrica, Sagay.

2.      Fr. Felix P.  Pasquin                   1979-1988: was assigned Chaplain of La                                                 Consolacion College, Bacolod City.

3.      Fr. Jose A. Mangon                     1988-Apr. 23, 2000 : was assigned as Chaplain                                      of Homesite: Our Lady of Immaculate                                                            Concepcion Chaplaincy, Brgy. Homesite,                                                    Bacolod City.

Parish(1994):

4.      Msgr. Ramon Tirana                   2000-2001: stayed at Domus Dei due to                                                   health reason.

5.      Fr. Samuel Balboa-                     2001-2007: was assigned as Parish                                                          Priest of Ma-ao: Our Lady of the Pillar                                                          Parish, Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City.

6.      Fr. Alfonsito T. Arrojo     2007-as of May 2009.

VIII.       Religious vocations from Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish:

            NUN:

Metchtilde Juntado, OSB

Introduction

            The history of this parish was a voyage of peace but  since voyages were not meant to be perfect there were events which put the parish in a bumpy ride which shocked the wits out of the innocent parishioners.

            But the Lady of peace would always guide the parish to the radar of perfection in the midst of human imperfections.

The Phenomenological Church

            1975-1980.  Fr. Antonio Sedeño responded to the request of the people of Airport Subdivision to Bishop Antonio Fortich.  He lived in the chapel with a modest structure they call convent.

            1981-1990. The lay associations were activated through Fr. Pasquin’s initiatives. The puroks were organized into Areas and the outreach programs from the diocese were channelled through these. 

            1991-2000.  Fr. Jose Mangon started the spiritual renewal in the parish by holding retreats to the mandated organizations and the young people. Being a Marian devotee he spearheaded the image visitations to the Areas and the households respectively.  Monthly exposition of the Blessed Sacrament helped deepen the congregations sense of being one with the Body of Christ. Many of the fisher folks were spiritual and moral guidance. Non-married partners were sacramentally married in the parish church.

            2001-2009. Fr. Samuel Balboa initiated the search for a bigger lot for the increasing number of the community. Since it came to his knowledge that during the time of Fr. Mangon, the late priest had already organized a committee for the said project, Fr. Balboa simply revived it. Mr. Tony de Ramas was still chosen as Chairman of the Chapel Committee. Their search led to the empty whole block of the Consing property had been put on sale for quite some time but was never bought.  Mrs. Dolores Consing intimated to Fr. Balboa that their lot should have been intended by God for the Catholic Parish Church.  The seven-million pesos property was gradually acquired with the help of the whole community.  No individual person or family could claim this Church nor the lot as their soul contribution. The cooperation of mostly modest families had manifested the miracle of the multiplication of the blessings which led to the mammoth structural achievement of this parish church as of today (April 2009).  This concrete modern edifice was constructed during the time of Fr. Sam’s predecessor, Fr. Alfonsito T. Arrojo in 2007.

            The Santo Thomas Theology-graduate and presently (April 2009) the Spiritual Director of the Divine Mercy Movement, Fr. Pons, showed to it the smooth construction of the massive house of God.  Its design was fitted to the version which could withstand the possible flooding of the place when the Lupit river would overflow.

The Church of the Poor

            The great manifestation of this parish’s identity as the Church of the Poor was when every family of the parish share what they could afford in the purchase of the 5,000 sq. m. lot which cost seven million pesos for their new church. Fr. Samuel Balboa encouraged everyone to be a part of this noble and scared project and almost all families responded positively.  If they could not afford the one square meter, they could buy one half of it.  But it they still could not afford it they could even have one-fourth or even one-eight of it.

            Today  (May 2009) an impressive church is built through the Church Project Committee, the parishioners and Fr. Alfonsito Arrojo. They celebrated their fiesta last May 5, 2009 with two former parish priests: Fr. Felix Pasquin and Fr. Sammuel Balboa who encouraged the congregation to continue sharing for the completion of their parish church.  Fr. Arrojo was optimistic that with the help of the Divine Mercy and the people’s generosity their parish church would be finished because this physical church is the manifestation of the generosity of the church of the poor.

SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE AND GOOD VOYAGE

      A. Primary Sources

     

      A.1.  Unpublished Documents:

      1. Books of Baptismal Records of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

      2. Books Marriage Records of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

      3. Books of Death Records of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

      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. Samuel Balboa at La Herencia Subd., Bacolod City on April 13, 2009.              he is a former Parish Priest of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

            2. Fr. Alfonsito Arrojo at Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish convent        on May 14, 2009.  He is the present (May 2009) Parish Priest of Our Lady of                Peace and Good Voyage

      3. Mrs. Lydia Nilay at the Redemptorist Social Hall on April 4, 2009. She is               an active member of the parish as a Catechist and Kapilyan.  She continues               her education for the parish at the Diocesan Lay Formation Center.

            B. Secondary Sources

            Memoirs and Articles:

            1. Handurawan, 2006

            2. 2008 Catholic Directory of the Diocese of Bacolod

            C. Websites:

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