Saint Francis Xavier – Tibungco Parish

It all started with a family devotion that of Francisco Bustamante, a native of Tibungco and Spanish descent. He was married to a Calagan Muslim. The family then owned an image of St. Francis Xavier. In 1929, a chapel was built in honor of St. Francis Xavier near the seaside residence of the family.

The place was later named and is still known today as Barrio Alingit. During the World War II, the family had to flee to the mountains and brought the image with them. After the war, the image was again brought back to Tibungco and was housed in Solamillo residence. Not long after, it was returned to the chapel. Since then, a monthly mass was celebrated by priests coming from Sta. ana Parish.

On March 5, 1965, 20 years after the liberation, after all the challenges and the obstacles, the chapel of St. Francis Xavier became a parish with Fr. Henry Babin, PME as the first parish priest. The original plan was for the parish to be built in Ilang, a nearby barangay. But because of limited space, Fr. Babin decided to build the church in a two-hectare lot in Tibungco. It wasn’t easy. The lot was uphill and rocky, yet he conquered the obstacles and started building the church in just 35 days. This was done mostly because of the assistance of then Senator Alejandro Almendras.

It was on December 3, 1965 when the parish held its parochial fiesta – a moment of triumph for Fr. Babin and the parishioners of Tibungco.

After him followed several PME priests, the last was Msgr. Charles Van Den Ouwelant, the former bishop of Surigao who was parish priest for twenty years in Saint Francis Xavier. Known as “the man behind the calvary” – the landmark that Tibungco is famous of until today, he was also responsible in building the new and bigger church of Tibungco. These two PME priests were instrumental in building the church. They will forever remain in the hearts and memories of the parishioners.

After the PME priests’ time, came the diocesan priests. To name a few, Fr. Dionisio Tabiliran, Fr. Maximo Bahinting, Fr. Jose Escuadro, Fr. Junar Dela Victoria, Fr. Cenon Ampong, Fr.Nestor Dalumpines, and Fr. Roy Mejias. Today Rev. Fr. Severino A. Capulong, Jr. is the parish administrator.

For 50 years the church of Tibungco continues to sail amidst all struggles and difficulties but the light of Jesus Christ, with the intercession of St. Francis Xavier gives her the strength to be the church that it has become today, and the courage to continue the journey until the next 50 years and beyond. (Vivien Thereze Lazarte Bonzon | SFX SoCCom)