History of San Pedro Calungsod Quasi-Parish

1980s. Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla announced that Baguio can be a parish.

1990s to early 2000. Plans were conceptualized drafted to establish a parish in Baguio district. It was initiated by the parish priests in Calinan and encouraged the residents to unite and build a church.

October 14, 2013. Rev. Fr. Ricky T. Flores was appointed by Archbishop Romulo G. Valles as assistant priest of Rev. Fr. Arnel Tadeo of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Calinan.

He was appointed to prepare for two years the Baguio District community to become a parish. Masses were held every Sunday inside the Immaculate Conception Chapel or to zones.

December 2013. “Misa de gallo” started to be celebrated in the parish along with invited priests. Meetings were conducted with the family of the former Mayor of Davao City, Elias Lopez. He was visited by the leaders of the Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK) and was requested to donate the lot. The second meeting happened last September 2014, where they discussed the same concern about the lot donation. It was attended by Dr. Rene Elias Lopez, Alma Lopez, Barangay Captain Rey Espanueva, Alma Espanueva, Anneza Pacomios, and Fr. Ricky Flores.

November 28, 2014. A general assembly of 19 Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) Leaders conducted at Immaculate Conception Chapel in Baguio to discuss the plan to establish a parish church.

Fr. Ricky presided the meeting. He asked the leaders about their feelings in establishing a new parish and they answered that they are happy and willing to cooperate.

They suggested to name the parish after San Pedro Calungsod. During the meeting, he informed them that there will be GKK Visitations, and so it happened from January 2014 to March 2014. The 2nd general assembly was conducted and attended by the leaders from various GKKs.

They discussed about the lot donation, consultation, and territorial survey. GKK Leaders agreed to have Bayanihan, solicitations, and contribution from the members in order to gather and support the financial needs to build temporary convent and parish office.

Some leaders also volunteered to donate money. There was a working committee appointed to help and support the plans for the parish construction.

June 2, 2015. The parishioners started to build the convent. Fr. Ricky stressed and explained that we can be part of the church construction and can contribute even one peso as long as it is heartily given.

They also agreed that the feast day will be on October 21, on the day of San Pedro Calungsod’s canonization. The third meeting with the Lopez family, was attended by Fr. Ricky Flores, Fr. Pete Lamata, the spiritual director of Alma Lopez, Mrs. Alma Lopez, Atty. Ruy Elias Lopez and Ana Lopez, the daughter of late Mayor Elias Lopez.

It was the time that they formally donated the lot as the location for the church to be constructed, although the legalities of the donation is still under process.

December 6, 2015. The new parish was declared as the 38th Parish of Archdiocese of Davao. Archbishop of Davao, Romulo G. Valles presided over the Holy Mass and rite of Canonical erection of San Pedro Calungsod Quasi Parish and installation of its first parish priest, Fr. Ricky Flores at the Immaculate Conception Chapel in Baguio Proper, Baguio District, Davao City.

The parish has 19 GKKs formerly under the mother parish, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Calinan, Davao City. (Lorelyn Lahoylahoy | SPCQP SoCCom)