STO. NIÑO DE LIPA
Marawoy, Lipa City, PHILIPPINES
0912-594-9997/ 043-774-8885
OUR STORY
THE BEGINNING OF THE PARISH
After the war in 1945, the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist was held in this chapel. The Mass was presided by the first Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa, now Servant of God, Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar. Rev. Fr. Reynaldo Kalaw concelebrated in the same mass. From then on, the faithful of Marawoy got the privilege of having a mass once a month.
After long years, the said chapel was renovated into a concrete structure in 1985. The renovation was done through the initiative of Barangay Captain Rolando Olan. He was supported by the elders and the youth. Tita Inciong was then the over-all adviser. It was Rev. Msgr. Amador Litong, a native of Marawoy, who blessed the newly renovated chapel.
Among the priests who regularly celebrated mass in the Chapel aside from Msgr. Litong were those assigned in the St. Francis Major Seminary. They were Rev. Fr. Valente Daigdigan, Rev. Fr. Ricardo Panganiban, and Rev. Fr. Jesse Lucas Balilla
The first Barangay Liturgical Committee of Marawoy was composed of Tita Inciong Bening Malaluan, Juling Bautista, Genia Ribano, Aurea Santos, Adel Dacanay, Yoly Lalican, and Teodora Lacorte.
The Preparation to be a Parish and the First Parish Priest
On August 13, 1992, Rev. Fr. Nepomuceno “Nepo” D. Fruto was assigned Priest-In-Charge for the preparation of Marawoy to become a Parish under the patronage of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA comprising of eight (8) barangays, namely, Marawoy, Dagatan, Pusil, Bulacnin, Inosluban, Bugtong, Plaridel, and San Lucas. The big old stone house located near the gate of the Oblates of St. Joseph Major Seminary served as the temporary convent. It was there were numerous meetings were held by those involved in the preparation. Seminarians Dale Anthony Barretto Ko (now a priest), Felix Tonog, and Allan Irineo helped in the formation and organization of the lay leaders for each barangay known as the Barangay Liturgical Council (BLC).
The number of people who wanted to help and be a part of the parish grew in number. It was at this point when the need for a bigger Church edifice was felt. Again, through the initiative of Barangay Captain Rolando Olan, a new and a wider Church of Marawoy was constructed in a 3,000 sqm land donated by Lauro and Alice Leviste through their heirs Marilou Leviste-Navarro, Amelita Leviste-De Leon and twin brothers Tony and Conrad Leviste.
The plan was drawn by Architect Antonio K. Glavey while Mrs. Cecil Tapay and Mr. Melchor Olan headed the construction committee. The laying of the cornerstone was held on October 2, 1994 presided by the Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa, Most Rev. Salvador Q. Quizon, D.D.
To support the construction project, several fundraising activities were held like, Signature Pledge Card, Mutya ng Parokya, Bingo Bonanza, Light a Tree, Golf Tournament, Servant of all Concert, and Yellow Envelopes. All these were successfully supported by the community.
Fr. Nepo took seriously the formation of the lay faithful particularly those involved in Liturgy especially the Eucharistic Ministers headed by Mr. Pedro Dimaano and those handling the Catechesis.
In July of 1996, the Vision of the Archdiocese of Lipa was formulated and was owned by the Proposed Parish of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA.
The dedication of the church and canonical erection of the Parish of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA in Marawoy took place on April 21, 1999. It was presided by the then Archbishop of Lipa, Most Rev. Gaudencio B. Rosales, D.D. (now a Cardinal and Archbishop-Emeritus of Manila). Rev. Fr. Nepomuceno D. Fruto was installed the first Parish Priest.
He was supported by the first Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) President Sis. Amor Paran who later was succeeded by Sis. Eduvijes Balita. In September 9, 2006, Bro. Teody Conchina was appointed to replace Sis Balita.
THE SECOND PARISH PRIEST
On October 10, 2004, Rev. Fr. Eric Arada was installed as the second Parish Priest. He guided the faithful in journeying towards the fulfilment of the vision of the Archdiocese. Through his creative leadership and initiative, a three-storey building was constructed housing the parish office, the parish hall, and the parish rectory. The Baptistry and the Chapel of the Saints were renovated.
It was also during his term that the title of the donated land of the Leviste Family was placed under the name of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lipa.
THE THIRD PARISH PRIEST
On June 2010, Rev. Fr. Manny Lucero became the third Parish Priest. It was at this juncture that STO. NIÑO DE LIPA Parish was made into a seminary parish, the pastoral training ground for the seminarians of the St. Francis de Sales Theological Seminary.
The seminary priest-formators assisted Fr. Manny in his pastoral care of the parish. Remarkable was the annual Marriage Enrichment Seminar, of which Rev. Fr. Junie Maralit (now a Bishop) and Rev. Fr. Dale Barretto-Ko were resource speakers, producing many couples who are now active as Family and Life ministers of the parish. They were the ones involved in the formation of Munting Sambayanang Kristiyano in some of the puroks of Bulacnin and Plaridel together with the seminarians.
In addressing the problem of malnutrition among public school children, the family and life ministers came up with a feeding program on a daily basis. As an alternate program during summer, they bought and re-packed school supplies ready to be given to children coming from indigent families before the start of the school year.
Funds came from donations of concerned parishioners. These worthwhile projects nurtured the among the majority of the faithful of Sto. Niño Parish.
Fr. Manny also spearheaded the holding of a Parish General Pastoral Assembly (PAGPAS) where a new Parish Vision-Mission Statement was formulated.
Pananaw:
Isang sambayanang pinagbuklod ng Diyos Ama upang magsabuhay ng Ebanghelyo ni Hesukristo nang may pananampalataya, pag-asa, at pag-ibig tungo sa paglilingkod at kaganapan ng buhay sa kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo.
Misyon:
Kami, ang sambayanan ng Sto. Niño ng Marawoy, ay nagtatalaga ng sarili sa pagpapaunlad ng pamayanan at pamilya sa pamamagitan ng pananalangin, paglilingkod, at pagpapalaganap ng Ebanghelyo ni Hesukristo nang may kababaang-loob, pagkalinga sa kapwa, at pagtataguyod ng kabutihan para sa lahat tungo sa paglago sa pananampalataya, pag-asa, at pag-ibig.
In his desire to strengthen the devotion to the Sto. Niño de Lipa, he introduced the offering of flowers to the image during the offertory in all Sunday masses.
It was during his time that the four lots 180 sqm each) across the Church were acquired.
THE FOURTH PARISH PRIEST
On November 1, 2014, Rev. Fr. Angel Marcelo M. Pastor was assigned the fourth Parish Priest. He supervised and made sure that the significant pastoral programs initiated by his predecessors, in the field of liturgy, faith formation/catechesis, and social service, are being continued and fostered.
Due to the difficulties posed by the daily feeding of under-nourished public school children, the Family and Life ministers replaced it with rice donation. A pack of rice (5 kilos) was distributed to the children from indigent families in coordination with the Barangay
Liturgical Committee (BLC). Distribution of rice was done after the morning Sunday mass. In addition, feeding program was still continued but only on Sundays after mass at the assigned MSK area. Another project of Fr. Pastor was the organization of Sto. Niño Parish Cooperative.
Seeing the need for a bigger gathering area for the Parishioners, Fr. Pastor spearheaded the construction of a new Parish Hall. It was during his time when the barangay chapel of Dagatan was renovated, while minor repairs were done in Bulacnin chapel.
THE FIFTH PARISH PRIEST and the separation of the soon to be Parish of St. Joseph in Inosluban, Lipa City
Fr. Miguel L. Samaniego was assigned as Parish Priest of Sto. Niño on September 1, 2019. Even before he took over the Parish, it has been decided to divide the Parish so that the faithful will be served better. From eight barangays, it was trimmed down to three, namely, Marawoy, Bulacnin and Pusil. Barangay Dagatan was given to St. Therese Parish due to proximity while Inosluban, Bugtong, Plaridel and San Luis became part of the soon to be parish of St. Joseph. The City Hall, although it within the territorial jurisdiction of Marawoy, was given to the Parish of San Sebastian Cathedral for the purpose of having an open communication line between the two seats of power, namely the Seat of the Archbishop and the Seat of the Mayor of the City of Lipa.
First Year - Rome, Taal Volcano Eruption and COVID 19
His first year as Pastor was an on and off engagement with the faithful. Only two weeks after his taking over his post, he had to leave for Rome to pursue his studies in the Pontificia Universita della Santa Croce. He came back in time for the Christmas celebration and again went back to Rome third week of January the following year.
In between his stay in the Parish, Taal Volcano erupted after which COVID 19 spread all over the world. Fortunately, he was already back in the country when COVID 19 was beginning to spread in Italy.
Project GIFT
In the few weeks he was present in the Parish after Fr Mike’s trip to Rome, he rallied the people to repair and renovate the Church. The objective was to make the church cleaner and inviting, and create an environment that the faithful want to be part of and one that supports a culture of inclusion. This entailed the need to improve the premises, repaint the walls, make the physical attributes of the church more dynamic. Project GiFT (Giving with Faith and Thankfulness) was launched on Christmas day 2019. It was a fundraising activity expected to raise P 8.6 million. Unfortunately, the fundraising was stopped after three weeks of activity due to the eruption of Taal Volcano and the spread of COVID 19. At the time it was stopped, donations have already reached around P 1 million. The amount was used to purchase two aerofans and renovate/ repair of the clausura, office, parish hall, candelarium, sound system and sacristy.
Furthermore, in compliance with the General Instructions on the Roman Missal (GIRM) on how the altar should be arranged, Fr. Mike initiated the transfer of the painting (called “The EYE”) which the family of Leviste donated. From the altar, it was repositioned towards the entrance of the church, facing the altar. A new crucifix donated by Emily de Lara, Tonette Valdez, and Mike and Nora Garcia was installed at the altar in June 24, 2020.
During the COVID 19 Pandemic
Covid 19 redefined the way the Church should reach out to her people. In the early weeks of the Pandemic, because of the lockdown implemented by the government to control the spread of the virus, Fr. Mike celebrated mass online. The technical help was ably provided by the youth ministers[1] of the Parish. In the first few weeks, masses were held in the newly renovated Parish hall. It was on July 1, 2020, with the installation of new cameras in the Church, when the Holy Eucharist was again celebrated inside the main Church with very few people allowed to be present.
The Grace of Reviewing the Result of the 2018 Pastoral Visit and learning more about the history of the Parish
COVID 19 Pandemic resulted to a massive lockdown across the country. Having much time to review the records, Fr. Mike learned that the old image of the Sto. Niño de Lipa at the Candelarium was used at the first Chapel in Marawoy. This was confirmed by Fr. Ildefonso Dimaano who grew up and served as a sacristan in the Chapel. He also shared the stories he heard about the miraculous image of the STO. NIÑO DE LIPA.
Intrigued by Fr. Dimaano’s story, Fr. Mike got in touch with the first Parish Priest, Fr. Nepomuceno Fruto to validate and get further oriented on the Devotion of the faithful of Marawoy to STO. NIÑO DE LIPA. In their conversation, Fr. Fruto mentioned that there were two images of the STO. NIÑO that came from the Chapel of Marawoy. In the past, people even call them “kambal na STO. NIÑO ng LIPA” or twin STO. NIÑO of LIPA. Surprised to learn a bit of history and realizing that there was supposed to be another important image of STO. NIÑO within the premises of the Church, he directed a search for the twin. Later it was found in one corner of the unused Chapel of the Saints already covered with dust. Fr. Mike brought it out and had it cleaned. After more than a decade of unintentional neglect, the twin images were together again.
Fr. Fruto’s story did not stop with the twin STO. NIÑO. He added that even before Marawoy became a Parish, the image of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA has been invited in the different homes of the Parishioners all year round. For some reasons we are not privy of, the practice of inviting the image into the homes of Parishioners stopped after Fr. Fruto was transferred to a new assignment in the latter part of 2004.
Upon learning what Fr. Samaniego discovered and seeing the twin STO. NIÑO, some parishioners came forward and shared traditions that seemingly have been lost. One of which is the bathing of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA in the Lake of Taal at the Parish of Balete. Vividly, the old folks remember that people went out of their houses to wave at the image of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA when going and coming from Taal Lake.
Another group of parishioners came forward to inform Fr. Mike of the challenge of Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera of Lipa. During the Pastoral Visit in 2018 to the Parish, Archbishop Garcera encouraged them to work and pray that the parish Church of Marawoy be a SHRINE OF STO. NIÑO DE LIPA.
The Major Renovation of the Altar
The challenge to improve the ambience of the Church continued until the year the COVID 19 pandemic started. By January 8, 2021 the replacement of the entire roofing commenced. This is in preparation for the renovation of the Altar. On January 17, 2021, feast of STO. NIÑO, after much prodding from many church goers, PROJECT GIFT was relaunched.
As a background, by the Grace of God, while in Rome, Fr. Mike had the chance to meet Architect Antonio Limchoc through a common friend Emily De Lara. Even before the re-launching of PROJECT GIFT, Fr. Mike had been trying to explore the possibility of seeking the help of Architect Limchoc. The first visit of Architect Limchoc to Parish was on January 14, 2021. He was with his son Chris who happens also to be an Architect. It was on that day that it was decided that the renovation will start on February 1, 2021 with a targeted completion on April 21, 2021.
The Dedication of the New Altar
The work done in the sanctuary was extensive. The marble of the floor, altar and rostrum were replaced with a marble with a lighter color. Two huge pictures of the Our Lady of Perpetual help and St. Joseph were positioned at the two sides of the sanctuary. The tabernacle, which used to be in a room at the side of the sanctuary was prominently relocated to the center of the Sanctuary. The look of the crucifix was enhanced with a nice background. The lights in the church were replaced with brighter and more elegant fixtures. Two big television set was installed in front of the congregation to improve the engagement with the people
The celebration of the dedication of the Altar on April 21, 2021, the 22nd anniversary of the Parish, should have been lead by Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera. However, at that time he had to beg off because he was still recuperating from the effects of COVID 19 which he acquired. Archbishop Emeritus Ramon C. Arguelles willingly took his place. And so together with Vicar General Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan, Vicar Forane Fr. Glenn Cantos, Former Parish Priest Fr. Eric Arada, Commission on Clergy Head Fr. Jessie Balilla and Fr. Ilde Dimaano, who grew in Marawoy, the New Altar of the Parish of STO. NIÑO DE LIPA was dedicated to our Lord.
[1] The following gave their time and talent to be cyber missionaries of the Parish during the time of Pandemic: Vince Libao, Prince Johmel Samonte, Christel de Guzman, Korina Cabungcal, Raven Badillo, Harold Cuenca and Deric Cueto