Tambo, Pamplona, Camarines Sur. January 12, 2025. Despite the incessant rains, the Catholic faithful of Tambo (Pamplona) flocked to their chapel (now church) along Maharlika Highway, to witness the Canonical Erection of the new Mission Station in the Diocese of Libmanan, whose principal seat is located in this barangay that sits on the crossing where the highway intersects with the road from Pamplona to Pasacao (Camarines Sur). With the creation of the new mission station, named after St. Benedict of Nursia, Rev. Fr. Nikko Alan, Parochial Vicar of St. Michael the Arcangel Parish in Pamplona, was also appointed its Administrator. In the absence of Fr. Ruel Verdan, the Chancellor, Fr. Romulo Castañeda read the Decree of Erection and the Decrees redefining the territories of St. Michael the Archangel Parish and St. Benedict of Nursia Mission Station. Singled out as part of the Mission Station’s jurisdiction were the barangays of Tambo, Tampadong, Veneracion (Taguilid), Batang, Calawat, and Salvacion, all belonging to the town of Pamplona.
As it was also the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the bishop saw the parallelisim between the liturgical feast and the appointment of Fr. Alan. He said that the Lord’s baptism marked the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry, in the same way that Fr. Alan’s appointment also marked a new beginning in the young priest’s pastoral ministry Ordained just six months earlier in June, the bishop appealed to the faithful to help Fr. Alan fulfill his pastoral tasks.
Not to be relegated to the sidelines, Bishop J. Rojas of Libmanan also gave importance to the occasion that served as the opportunity for the creation of the new mission station, that is, the pastoral visit of the bishop to the place. The bishop makes a pastoral visit to a parish, Church institution, or religious community to check on their well-being, offer spiritual support, listen to their concerns, and generally strengthen their connection to the community being visited. It is a proactive way of demonstrating care and of guiding the faithful apart from other regular visits. Thus, in his homily, the bishop said that the official visit was intended to evaluate the situation of Tambo and the neighboring barangays, to see if the creation of the new mission was truly advantageous to the Catholic faithful of the new jurisdiction. He also said that this was an occasion to delineate to the Catholic faithful what more ought to be done if the mission station were to be further elevated into becoming a parish. The bishop said that the creation of the new mission station would make implementing the pastoral program in the area easier with the partition of the mother parish into two smaller jurisdictions. As he concluded his homily, the bishop also announced that St. Scholastica, St. Benedict’s sister is to become the mission station’s Secondary Patroness, while St. Joseph the Patriarch remained the Patron of the Barangay of Tampo.
During the dialogue that followed the mass, the attendees expressed their gratitude for the creation of the new mission station. Many of them said that it was now easier for them to attend mass on Sundays. They cited the industry of Fr. Alan who they said was hardworking and who within the few months of service in the area he was already able to reach all barangays of the new territorial jurisdiction. The celebration concluded with the bishop’s visit to the proposed site of the construction of a bigger church edifice as the present chapel has already become too small for the growing number of churchgoers.
