The Diocese of Libmanan is set to ordain four deacons to the priesthood: Dcn. Nikko Alan, of the Nstra. Sñra. de Peñafrancia Parish, Sinuknipan, Del Gallego, Camarines Sur will be ordained on July 13, 2024; Dcn. Neil John Bolocon, of St. John the Baptist Parish, San Fernando, Camarines Sur, on July 24, 2024; Dcn. Jeric Felizardo, of St. John the Baptist Parish, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, on July 27, 2024; and Dcn. Antonio Toledano Jr., of St. James the Greater Cathedral Parish, Libmanan, Camarines Sur, on July 29, 2024.
This is the second year in a row that the diocese is blessed with so many ordinations. Last year, six of its deacons were ordained priests. Such successive rich harvest is historic for the local Church for never in the past has this ever happened. These 4 ordinandi come from an original batch of 12 pre-college seminarians who entered the seminary in 2014 — a very good 33.33% success story!!
All 4 will be ordained in their home parishes as previously done the past year, in the hope that localizing the ordinations might further promote vocations to the priesthood. The Nstra. Snra. de Penafrancia Parish in Sinuknipan, Del Gallego, in particular, since it became a parish in 2011, will witness its first ever priestly ordination in Dcn. Nikko Alan on July 13, 2024. Sinuknipan, when it was not yet the seat of a parish, it will be recalled, had previously offered to the diocese one of her sons in Fr. Jularch Palabrica, only to lose him as he went back to the Lord early on in his ministry. Ordinations in the other parishes are nothing new but it is in San Fernando and Sipocot where another ordination will take place again after some years as it were of “hibernation”.
