‘A Church in My Heart’: OLLP to celebrate its 14th parochial fiesta

The Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Bangkal will celebrate its 14th year anniversary on February 11, with a theme, “Ang nagkahiusang katawhan sa parokya nga nangalagad uban ni Maria.” The OLLP sees this year’s fiesta celebration as the response to the CBCP’s Year of the Parish as communion of communities.

Parishioners have grown for fourteen years with the stewardship of committed GKK Servant Leaders and the blessings of its current parish priest Fr. Dexter C. Veloso.

In The Making of a Church: A Miracle’s Unfolding of Engr. Gloria O. Cabillas, she documented that “on November 9, 2003, the Canonical Establishment/Erection officiated by the Most Rev. Fernando R. Capalla, DD, was held simultaneously with Fr. Danilo Dotollo’s official installation as the 1st parish priest of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.”

The making of OLLP church was hastened through the establishment of a foundation upon the suggestion of Archbishop Capalla, which was known as the Catholics in Action on Relationship Enhancement (CARE) with Ma. Iris Melliza as the Chairperson. One of the fund raising campaigns was dubbed as “OLLP: A Church in My Heart” with Msgr. Cuizon as the parish priest. He “started and finished the tedious work of putting into place the documentation and acquisition of the land where the church of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was to be built,” wrote Marissa Diploma in The Hardworking Priests of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

For fourteen years, the following priests have already served the OLLP, namely: Fr. Danilo Dotollo; Msgr. Paul Cuizon with his associates Fr. Zaldy Abonales and Fr. Gary Glenn Yba; Fr. Voltaire Dimol; and now Fr. Dexter Veloso.

From the original three Districts with 21 GKK organized by the San Pablo Parish, after fourteen years, the OLLP in Bangkal now has seven Districts with 25 GKKs, with Nestor D. Fruto as Parish Pastoral Council Lay Coordinator, Leonides A. Lallen as the Worship Ministry Coordinator, Alice L. Acebedo as the Service Ministry Coordinator, and Vonzhemar M. Hijada as the Formation Ministry Coordinator. Atty. Marisue A. Llanes currently leads the Parish Finance Council.

With prayers and blessings of parish priest Father Dexter Veloso, the PPC, the PFC, as well as the parishioners of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bangkal continue to grow in faith and love in this Year of the Parish as the communion of communities. (Vonz Hijada)