Ang Sinugdanan sa Simbahan sa Dabaw

1848 – THE RECOLETOS

Miabot sa Dabaw ang Missionaries of the Discalced Order of St. Augustine kon Recoletos. Fr. Francisco Lopez of the parish of Siargao, was the first priest at the Yglesia Mision de Cabezera de Bergara dela Nueva Guipuzcoa (Political Rebellion in Davao region centered in Sta. Cruz).

Niadtong January 30, 1857, gipulihan kini ug Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol de Davao.

The first Parish Priest was Rev. Fr. Toribio Sanchez, a Recollect Priest, who is also the Parish priest of St. Francis Xavier Parish of Pundaguitan (Sigaboy).

April 10, 1910 Diocese of Zamboanga was erected comprising all of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Previous to its erection, the province of Zamboanga, Cotabato, and Davao had been governed ecclesiastically by the Diocese of Jaro. The rest of the Mindanao Church was under the Diocese of Cebu.

The bishop of Zamboanga was The Most Rev. Michael J. O’Doherty, D.D. His successors were The Most Rev. James P. McCloskey, D.D., Most Rev. Jose Clos, S.J. D.D., and Most Rev. Luis del Rosario, S.J. D.D.

Bishop Del Rosario approach the Pope himself; On January 20, 1933, the Diocese of Zamboanga was divided by Pope Pius XI into two (2): The Diocese Zamboanga proper included the Southern and Western Part of Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago and the Island of Cagayan de Oro which included the province of Surigao, Agusan, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao , and the island of Camiguin. Most Rev. James T.G. Hayes, S.J. D.D. became the first Bishop.

In April 1935, upon the recommendation of the Congregation of the Propagation of Faith granted permission to the Society of Jesus to go to Cotabato while reminding it of its important commitment to the Church in China. Because of the somewhat reluctant permission given and the urgent needs of the Chinese mission entrusted to the society, the Philippine plan did not materialize before 1937. By then, the Society was hesitating between Davao and Cotabato.

In February 1937, Bishop Luis Lapierre, PME, Apostolic Vicar Szepingkai Manchuria, came to Manila for the International Eucharistic Congress. He was asked by the Jesuits to inquire more about the Philippines, especially Davao and Cotabato. Msgr. Laperre came to Davao himself. He was much impressed by the situation of the Church in Davao which had only seven (7) Jesuit missionaries and no local clergy.

In spite of the great needs of priests for Dioceses entrusted to the Jesuits in China, Bishop Del Rosario strongly approved the coming of the PME Fathers to the Philippines. After conferring with Guglielmo Piani, the Apostolic delegate to the Philippines, he recommended Davao.

On April 2, 1937, the PME notified Bishop Del Rosario that it would send five (5) priests to Davao by October of the same year.

The First Group of PME Fathers was composed of Rev. Frs. Clovis Rondeau, Clovis Thibault, Conrad Cote, Omer Leblanc, and Leo Lamy. They arrived in Manila in October 1937. They were welcomed by Bishp Del Rosario, Fr. Luis Morrow, secretary to the Apostolic Delegation, and two Canadian priests already working in Luzon, Frs. Arcand and St. Arnauld. They stayed in La Ignacia Jesuit House, in Sta. Ana, Manila. After a few days in Manila, the PME Fathers left for Davao on the “SS Bisaya,” a small passenger ship. They stopped in Cebu and Zamboanga and arrived in Davao at the end of October 1937.

The Mayor and a delegation welcomed the new missionaries. Then the group proceeded to San Pedro Church where Bishop del Rosario presented them to the faithful.

While studying Cebuano and being gradually initiated to their new apostolate, the PME Fathers stayed with the Jesuits at the San Pedro convento. The then Parish Priest of San Pedro was a holy man Fr. Tomas Puig, S.J who even quite old would still visit all the barrios of the parish as far as Malita, several hundred kilometers from Davao.

A few months after the arrival, the superior of the group Fr. Clovis Rondeau, fell ill and had to be sent back to Canada. A new superior, Fr. Joseph Geoffroy was appointed. He arrived in November 1938 with the second group of missionaries composed of Frs. Maurice Michaund, Lionel Labelle, Joseph Dupuis, Yvon Guerin, Paul-Emile Lahaye, and Leo Poirer.

In March 1939, some PMEs were sent to the East Coast: Fr. Guerrin to Caraga, Fr. Dupuis to Baganga, Fr. Leblanc to Cateel, and Fr. Lahaye to Mati to help Fr. Lamay who was already there.

At the end of 1939, Fr. Thibault was appointed parish priest of San Pedro with Fr. Leo Poirer as assistant. Fr. Lionel Labelle was appointed director of the St. Peter High School, and Fr. Conrad Cote was entrusted to open a new parish in Kingking.

In January 1940, a third group of PME arrived in Davao: Frs. Robert Lemay, Roland Herbert, and Andre Pigeon.

The last group: Frs. Alfred Tremblay, Octave Rheaume, and Julien Vezina. During and after the war there were still some other PMEs who died: Fr. Lamy died of Malaria, Fr. Disjardin disappeared mysteriously on his way from Manay to Caraga, Frs. Poirier and Leblanc at the hands of Japanese soldiers.

(Archidiocesis Davaoensis) Suffragans: Dioceses of Digos, Tagum and Mati

Created Prelature: December 17, 1949 Davao became independent from the Diocese of Zamboanga. It became a Prelature Nullius*, and Fr. Clovis Thibault, PME kon Foreign Mission Society of Quebec nahimong Apostolic Administrator.

Dec 29, 1954, si Fr. Clovis Thibault gitudlo nga mahimong Obispo. Sa Feb 11, 1955, gi-ordinahan pagka-obispo ug nahimong Prelate Ordinary.

Davao giisa pagka-Diocese: July 11, 1966 – Ang Prelature Nullius sa Dabaw nahimong Diyosesis sa Dabaw. Si Bp. Clovis Joseph Thibault ang kinaunahang obispo.

June 29, 1970 – Ang Diyosesis sa Dabaw nahimong Arkidayosis. Si Abp. Thibault ang unang arsobispo hangtud mipuli si Arsobispo Antonio Mabutas niadtong 1972 ug ang iyang luyo-luyo mao si Obispo Juan Nilmar. Composition: Davao City and the Islands of Samal and Talicud of the province of Davao del Norte. Titular: St. Peter the Apostle.

Photo by Ascension of the Lord Parish Soccom

ASCENSION OF THE LORD PARISH

Ang Simbahan isip gambalay usa kanhi ka kapilya

Sept 18, 1972, Sila si: Clod Loreto, Atty. Greg Escuadro, Mike Miclat naghangyo kang kanhi GSIS Manager Atty. Benjamin Cendana nga ang daan nga garahe sa GSIS himoon nga Kapilya. Ubos sa pag-uyon ni Obispo Clovis Thibault gitugotan si Reberendo Padre Paul Finster, usa ka Heswitang Pari nga makasaulog og Santos nga Misa sa adlaw nga Domingo kay wala may makamisa nga nga PME or Diosesano nga Pari.

June 11, 1975 – Opisyal nga gidawat ubos sa lagda ni Obispo Auxiliar Fernado R. Capalla ang Ascension Chapel nga kapilya nga sakop gayud sa Parokya sa San Pedro. Si kanhi Padre Rogelio Antalan ang gitahasan sa pagsaulog sa Santos nga Misa.

1981, gitugotan sa Kura Paroko sa San Pedro Cathedral nga si Obispo Patricio Hacbang Alo ang mga Kaparian sa St. Francis Regional Major Seminary gitahasan nga maga-oversee sa mga Espirituhanong Panginahanglan sa Katilingban sa Ascension, GSIS.

Mayo 12, 2002 at 9AM, Archbishop Emeritus Fernado R. Capalla, gipaluyohan ni Padre Roger Duhaylungsod, opisya nga giisa ang Ascension of the Lord isip usa ka Parokya. Si Kanhi Padre Julius S. Tonel (Obispo sa Ipil) giinstalar nga unang Kura Paroko sa Parokya sa Ascension. Ang nasakop nga mga GKK kanhi sakop sa San Pedro Cathedral Parish gikan sa Gravahan ngadto sa Bangkal ug Pangi maoy nahisakop niini. Ug ang kanhi Kapilya sa Ascension of the Lord gihimo nang Simbahan nga Sentro sa Parokya.

May mga taga GSIS na nga naordinahan sa Pagka-Pari: Padre Pedro Lamata (March 31, 1980), Padre Junar dela Victoria (April 14, 1993), Padre Jose Marie Escuadro (Dec. 6, 1993), ug Padre Rico Enriquez (July 31, 1997). Usa sa mga taga Padada, Davao del Sur nga anaa nay balay sa Balusong si Padre Emman Calumpong giiisp usab nga tag GSIS (May 6, 2017).

Si Padre Julius Tonel nahimong Kura Paroko sa San Pablo Parish niadtong 2006 ug si Padre Bong Dublan Jr. ang mipuli kaniya hangtud sa iyang pagbalhin sa St. Joseph Parish niadtong June 2018. Siya gisundan sa kasamtangan nga Kura Paroko si Padre Zenon Ampong.

Ang Kampanya sa Pagka Piniyalan nasugdan niadtong 2010 nagapadayon hangtud sa kasamtangan. Tungod sa tinguha nga makamugna og direksyon Pastoral ug Administratibo, gipahigayon ang usa ka Survey kalabot sa Pagkapiniyalan. Gitinguha nga may mga napulo (10) nga motubag sa kaltloag duha (32) ka GKK (karon 33 ka GKK na – panahon sa Survey wala pa maapil ang Christ the King GKK), ug unom (6) sa matag ministriya gipunting nga motubag sa mga pangutana. Apan inay Tre siento otenta’y sais (386) lang gipaabot nga motubag, miabot hinuon sa mga sayis cientos kwarenta’y sayis (646) ka mga responondents ang mitubag.

Nakita sa resulta ang panginahanglan nga bisitahan ang Bisyon ug Misyon sa Parokya aron mas mahaum ang pagmugna og lima ka tuig nga strateheyang pagplano agi og pagpatakdo sa nahimong resulta sa Survey nganha sa pagahimoon nga 5 year Strategic Plan.

Ang Vision haum gihapon ug ang Misyon nanginahanglan og re-alignment. Ang substance susama gihapon apan ang styling niini gibag-o. Kon itandi ang orihinal ug ang kasamtangan nga na revise may panagsama ug may panaglahi. Panagsama kay susama gihapon ang unod niini, Panaglahi kay gi dugang ang kababayen-an ug mga kabataan nga wala ma-highlight sa orihinal na Misyon apan naapil sa Vision (children and the women). Usab ang ikalimang bullet: “Pag-ugmad sa pagkapiniyalan sa kinaiyahan” karon nahimong napalapad kay ang Over all Goal malangkobon na man sa Pagkapiniyalan: “Stewardship as a Way of Life is integrated and lived out in the Parish Life” (Ang pagkapiniyalan isip Paagi sa Pagkinabuhi nalangkob ug napuy-an diha sa kinabuhi sa Parokya). (…FR ZA/za)

Sources:

1. Documents from the Library of the SJ
2. Souvenir Bound Program Ascension of the Lord.
3. Other Parishioners [verbal narrative from few parishioners]