On two separate occasions in October, two churches in the Diocese of Libmanan were blessed and dedicated, marking significant milestones in the life of their respective parish communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On October 14, 2026, on the eve of the feast of its secondary patroness, St. Teresa of Avila, the Parish Church of Sto. Ni\u00f1o de Praga was blessed and dedicated. The celebration marked the completion of the church building, eleven years after the parish was canonically erected in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Construction of the church was initiated by the late Fr. Antonio Melecio Felix, the parish’s first parish priest. Strategically located along the Maharlika Highway, the church serves communities extending northward toward Daet, Camarines Norte, and southward toward the municipality of Sipocot, Camarines Sur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Fr. Felix was compelled to retire in 2019 due to illness, the bishop retained the office of parish priest, while the actual administration of the parish was entrusted first to Fr. Samuel Bersabe (2019\u20132023) and subsequently to Fr. Noel Despabiladeras (2023\u2013present).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each administration contributed to the gradual completion and improvement of the church. Under Fr. Felix, the foundational structure of the building was completed. During Fr. Bersabe’s tenure, the church became fully functional. The mezzanine galleries in the eastern and western wings were completed, and the entire nave was tiled. The stairs leading to the church were also reoriented following the widening of the Maharlika Highway. It was likewise during his tenure that the church hosted the priestly ordination of Fr. Despabiladeras, who would later assume responsibility for the parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under Fr. Despabiladeras, further improvements were undertaken. The retablo was completed, along with the structure behind it, which houses two rooms on the second floor and the sacristy on the ground floor. The church fa\u00e7ade was also renovated to incorporate a designated space for the traditional Easter encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three days later, on October 17, 2026, the Church of St. John the Baptist in Sipocot, Camarines Sur, was likewise blessed and dedicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given that the Parish of St. John the Baptist is among the oldest in the Diocese of Libmanan, one might naturally expect its church building to bear the marks of its long history. The present structure, however, is relatively modern, as earlier church buildings had been destroyed by successive calamities, including fires, earthquakes, and typhoons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One particularly significant event occurred toward the end of the twentieth century, when another typhoon destroyed the church. In response, the then parish priest, Msgr. Manuel Ricafort, decided to reorient the building so that its main entrance would face the Maharlika Highway. Previously, the church had faced the old municipal building along what is now a smaller side street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This change in orientation, however, created practical difficulties. Because the church stood on elevated ground, the main entrance was reached by a steep approach that was inaccessible to vehicles. The lack of sufficient space for a forecourt also meant that the church stood directly beside the highway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his tenure, Fr. Camilo Palma proposed to the bishop that the church be reoriented to face its original direction. By then, the building was in need of major renovation, making the proposal an opportune occasion to restore its original orientation. The bishop approved the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The church was subsequently redesigned, featuring a large dome above the sanctuary and transepts extending across the church. The forecourt was also restored, and an additional bay was added to the nave to accommodate more worshippers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Fr. Palma was reassigned to Pasacao, the task of continuing the construction fell to Fr. Arvin Olivan. During his tenure, the church began to take its definitive form. The dome was completed, allowing the sanctuary to be transferred beneath it. The space behind the sanctuary was converted into a sacristy, with a second floor that could serve as a meeting hall. When Fr. Olivan left for another assignment, the principal remaining works were the fa\u00e7ade and the belfry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fr. Marco Asoro subsequently assumed responsibility for completing the church. The windows were repaired, the floor was tiled, and the retablo was refurbished to accommodate images of St. Zechariah and St. Elizabeth, the parents of St. John the Baptist. The images of St. John the Baptist and Our Lady of the Pillar also occupy prominent places in the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other furnishings were installed, including a new altar table and a new pulpit and lectern for the lector and the commentator. The fa\u00e7ade was given a Romanesque design, and a choir loft was constructed behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With these improvements completed, the blessing and dedication of the church took place on October 17, 2026. During the consecration of the altar, a relic of St. Maria Goretti was placed within it, in keeping with the Church’s ancient tradition of enshrining relics in consecrated altars. This practice recalls the early Christian custom of celebrating the Eucharist over the tombs of martyrs and saints, particularly in the catacombs during times of persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blessing and dedication of these two churches represent more than the completion or improvement of church buildings. They mark significant milestones in the continuing history of their respective parishes and stand as visible expressions of the faith, perseverance, and collective efforts of the clergy and faithful who, across generations, have helped build and sustain these communities of faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On two separate occasions in October, two churches in the Diocese of Libmanan were blessed and dedicated, marking significant milestones in the life of their respective parish communities. On October 14, 2026, on the eve of the feast of its secondary patroness, St. Teresa of Avila, the Parish Church of Sto. Ni\u00f1o de Praga was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4078"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4079,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4078\/revisions\/4079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libmanandiocese.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}