FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga—“The Church is the symbol of God’s love, especially for the poor.”
Thus said this town’s parish priest, Fr. Jess Manabat, at the end of the first Holy Mass at the Saint Joseph The Worker church here last month. He made the statement to answer the frequent question thrown at him. Some naysayers have questioned the necessity of building a P3.7-million church in Nabuclod, an Ayta village perched some 1,300 feet above sea level.
Manabat said “a kind devotee and friend” from Pampanga now based in the US had given him $10,000 for the initial funds of the project. Then the support for the funding snowballed, including those coming from Robert Henson of Bacolor town and the Roman Catholic community in the US.
“What’s amazing is that the contractor of the church refused to stop the making of the House of God, despite the fact that there was a lack of funds during the height of the construction,” said Manabat, referring to Alejo Ponio, an engineer and owner of the Floridablanca Construction Development Corp.
No less than the archbishop of Pampanga, Florentino Lavarias, led the Holy Mass attended by supporters and close friends of Manabat, including businessman Chris Gomez and his wife Rhona.
Lavarias said the building of the church was timely, because “it is the Year of the Poor.”
Nabuclod is an Ayta-dominated village being developed into an agritourism area by the Pampanga provincial government, headed by Gov. Lilia Pineda, in coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Manabat said the church “will not just be a tourism attraction in Nabuclod but a venue for prayer, soul-searching and the manifestation of love for our God.”
Barangay Captain Anita Casupanan thanked Manabat, Lavarias and others who contributed for the completion of the church. It stands in the midst of a housing project for the Aytas.
“We are very happy. Our church is very beautiful,” Casupanan said in the dialect.
Manabat said he was delighted by Casupanan’s expression of gratitude.
“The Aytas are very grateful, even if you only do ordinary things for them,” he said.
Manabat was appointed head of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish here in May 2013. He admitted he was initially afraid of the Aytas.
“I had no knowledge about the Aytas then. I didn’t know how to deal with them. But I later realized they are among the kindest and most lovable creations of God,” Manabat said.
Manabat added that the Aytas, young and old alike, were a bit noisy while he was saying Mass in a makeshift chapel in Nabuclod several months ago. He later learned that the Aytas are noisy and talk a lot when they are happy and excited.
“I thought they didn’t want to listen to me at Mass and the Gospel. I didn’t know the noise and cheering were their way of expressing lots of thanks,” Manabat said.
Manabat said there is much to gain for building the church and spreading faith in Nabuclod. The village and the nearby barangay of Camachile have at least 2,000 families. Other Ayta villages under the parish of Manabat are Mawacat, 300 families; and San Ramon, 200 families.
The addition of more souls believing in God is the ultimate goal. There are at least 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world—and counting.
“Praise to Jesus Christ and His Church,” he said.
Image credits: Leo Villacarlos