Porta Sancta: Door of Faith, All In God’s Perfect Time

Blessed. Privileged. Honored.

These are the three words that best define how my fellow parishioners and I felt when we learned that our Home Church, the Immaculate Conception Parish (ICP) in Peñaplata, was chosen and designated as one of the 500 Jubilee Churches to commemorate Christianity’s 500th year in the Philippines. It was surprising because the Pope rarely chooses a church as Jubilee Church; usually, it is a cathedral. We all truly felt honored, especially since ICP is Samal Island’s Mother Parish.

2021-04-07 Eucharistic Celebration during the Opening of the Holy Door

This joyous news rekindled our realization that the Lord has called us to mission – a mission to serve others and share our gifts of faith, hope, and love, and to become heralds of God’s Word. Despite the fact that the pandemic was at its peak, everyone did their share to embody the Jubilee Year’s theme of Missio Ad Gentes or “mission to all nations”. The Jubilee Year saw the increasing participation of the faithful in face-to-face Eucharistic Celebrations in the Parish, eliciting a sigh of relief and a beacon of hope for the faithful community in the face of the CoViD-19 pandemic. Equally remarkable has been the renewed and increasing participation of the youth, lay ministers, choir, catechists and other apostolates, and the community of faithfuls down to the Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKKs) amidst the adversities.

2022-04-10 Parishioner pilgrims praying before entering the Holy Door

As our Parish eventually became a pilgrimage destination for individuals seeking plenary indulgence by passing through its Porta Sancta (Holy Door), we were able to host pilgrims from other places from all walks of life who shared common spiritual longing – to grow in faith, and to love and serve the Lord (amare et servire).

Apart from these, it is interesting to note of the timing of all these occurrences and their alignment with the Catholic Church milestones at both the local and global levels. The designation of the Parish as Jubilee Church occurred during the Year of Saint Joseph, encouraging us all to “Go to Joseph” (Ite Ad Joseph) and to emulate his example of persevering in obedience, chastity and love.

2022-04-15 Vibrant community of faithfuls participating the Via Crucis

On the 7th of April 2021, our Jubilee Church’s Holy Door was opened, presided by Vicar Forane Father Pepe Retorca. That was a day after Rev. Jerick Barriga Asdang, a Peñaplata parishioner, was ordained to the Diaconate and ended the 55-year drought in priestly vocation in the Parish. Two days before the Holy Door was opened, our Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Rommel Banilad, also celebrated his 28th Sacerdotal Anniversary.

The Closure of the Holy Door on April 17, 2022 was also a historic first for the ICP-Peñaplata since it occurred on Easter Sunday morning and was presided by Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao. It was the first time that an Archbishop presided over an Easter Sunday Eucharistic Celebration at ICP-Peñaplata. Aside from that, ours was the Archdiocese’s first Holy Door, among seven, to be closed within the Octave of Easter.

2022-04-17 Holy Door Closing. Abp Valles sprinkling Holy Water before closing the Holy Door.

As the Jubilee Year came to an end, the Universal Church has started to embark on a 2-year listening journey called the Synod on Synodality (“journeying together”) with the theme “Communion, Participation, Mission.” All these milestones occurred in the advent of the 70th anniversary of the canonical establishment of the Immaculate Conception Parish of Penaplata. Indeed, we’re blessed, privileged, and honored.

2022-04-17 Abp Valles finally closed the Holy Door

May our Jubilee experience of communion with others continue to inspire our fellow faithful-pilgrims to participate in and accept the Lord’s mission of sharing our giftedness with others (“Gifted to Give”) – in love, hope, forgiveness and kindness; that we may increase our fold like doors for others to return to God – ushering and leading one another to become more faithful followers of the Risen Christ. (Diwani Ma. Rosemina G. Gales / ICPYA Choir member, Immaculate Conception Parish of Penaplata)