On the birthday of Mama Mary: Thanking the women of San Isidro Labrador Parish

(Left to right) Doña Carmen M. Soriano, Dalisay R. Soriano, Beatriz C. Libron, Nicetas A. Millete, Delia M. Ladao

Barangay Catalunan Grande (means big forest), 7 kilometers away from poblacion of Davao, has a 19-year-old San Isidro Labrador Parish (SILP): of which her story started even decades before its erection as parish in 2000. The people of the community all these years have contributed to the birth and growth of the parish and even to the growth of their own faith.

As the Church celebrates the birth of Mary, the Mother of the Church, SILP, henceforth, acknowledges women who have played a great part in the growth of SILP, to name a few:

In 1955, Doña Carmen Marfori Soriano (deceased), and her daughter-in-law, Dalisay “Tia Dali” Soriano helped their tenants of their cornfield (and other farm products) in Catalunan Grande to build a chapel; as farmers, they had chosen San Isidro Labrador as the patron saint who truly granted their prayers for good weather and harvest. May, of the same year, the first Fiesta Mass was celebrated in a small hut made of round timbers as posts and nipa as coverings. Bishop Clovis Joseph Thibault, the first Bishop of Davao, was one of those who celebrated masses in the chapel. Doña Carmen and Tia Dali had trailed the chapel activities with the 85 families in their farmland.

In 1973, The Sorianos allotted a piece of land to construct a concrete and bigger chapel, same place where the parish church is now located. Doña Carmen requested that San Isidro be kept as the patron saint.

Judge Vicente Calanog with some men of Skyline Village worked on the construction of the chapel. Beatriz “Batis” Calanog-Libron, the eldest daughter of Judge Calanog was like the secretary who had assisted her father. Later, Batis with her family took care of the the chapel, kept the books, vestments and vessels or the mass kit. She guided the youth as choir in the Mass. She sent off collections and gave updates to the Parish Priest in Immaculate Conception Parish in Mintal. She was one of the first lectors of the community. She coordinated much on the worship matters of the church.

In 1990s, as the community grew, the chapel was bound to become a parish, Nicetas “Tia Citas” Millete along with the SILP Council members asked Architect Manuel N. Chew for a plan and design of a bigger structure as Catalunan Grande shall have its own Parish. Tia Citas got the parish’ design and plan for free from Arch. Chew. She headed the ways and means committee of the parish, she initiated projects to raise funds, sought help from many faithful that backed the pastoral needs and improvements in the parish. She has taken care of the parish priests as she considers them “my children by heart”.

The 19 years of journey as a parish is strengthened all these years with the firm service for a holistic growth of the church in the community with Delia M. Ladao, the leader of the Parish Finance Council who here and there, then and now has raised funds to provide the growing pastoral and formation needs of the parish and her people. The little chapel has become a huge parish with the convent, the catechetical center, the formation building and the multi-purpose covered court.

Fr. Maximo Bahinting, parish priest of SILP could not thank enough these women and all others who in one or more, little and huge ways helped make the parish as it is now. May these women of SILP remain as inspiration to many, especially to the young ones, to come and help build the church… that “we may be one” (ut unum sint). (Leah P. Ibañez)