After having prepared the Christian community since 2018, the Archdiocese of Davao in southeastern Mindanao, Philippines, established the San Pedro Poveda Parish on December 3, 2021. The new parish was officially created by virtue of the Decree of Canonical Establishment signed by His Excellency Romulo G. Valles, DD, Archbishop of Davao. Fr. Elneri “Menying” B. Meñez was installed as the first Parish Priest.

The Mass, presided by the Archbishop, was concelebrated by eight priests and attended by the Basic Ecclesial Communities (or Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK)) officers, parish youth, Barangay Officials, and hundreds of parishioners and the faithful from other parishes. Members of the Teresian Association in Davao were present to express their support to the new parish. Anabelle S. de los Reyes, Sector Director, Fabiola A. Bustamante, Sector Administrator and Lucia S. Subaldo, President of Saint Pedro Poveda College, Quezon City also came all the way from Metro Manila to attend the celebration.

pastoral council

In his homily, Archbishop Valles emphasized that the creation of the new parish is a response to the pastoral needs of the expanding Christian community and to foster communion among the faithful. He thanked the Teresian Association for its “good-hearted response” to the request for the donation of the land on which the Parish Church will be built. He stressed that it is of utmost importance for the parishioners to know St. Pedro Poveda in order to bring to life “Poveda’s spirit and vision of applying the Gospel in daily life”. The Archbishop also presented the Adhoc Parish Pastoral Council, among them Maria Milarie T. Babia, a member of the Teresian Association and a parishioner who is a volunteer in the youth ministry.

Building the community

congratulat davaoSince December 3 is the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, Archbishop Valles weaved the evangelizing zeal in the lives of the two Spanish saints, how their “electrifying” faith in Christ fired them up and moved them to proclaim the Gospel as they did. He also affirmed the palpable spirit of community among those present and exhorted the faithful to continue building the community in the “spirit and Gospel of Christ”.

Fr. Elneri “Menying” B. Meñez, in his message, thanked the Teresian Association from the local, sector and international levels for the many gestures of support in the past three years that have helped him and the community deepen in their knowledge and appreciation of the person of St. Pedro Poveda and his life. Having prepared the community to become a parish, he reiterated his commitment of “building the people” now that he is Parish Priest.

Two saints united

San Pedro Poveda Parish is the 40th Parish in the Archdiocese of Davao. The new parish, which used to be part of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Mintal, is composed of 21 Basic Ecclesial Communities or GKKs. The Parish feast day will be July 28, feast day of St. Pedro Poveda.

Moved by the serendipitous link of the two saints, December 3 being the birthday of St. Pedro Poveda and the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Fr. Poveda’s saint and namesake, Archbishop Valles declared before the Mass ended that December 3 will be celebrated as a secondary feast day of the new Parish.

members with archbishop Valles and Fr. MenezThe Parish Church, situated beside the Institución Teresiana de Educación y Cultura, Inc. (Saint Pedro Poveda College) is located along Km. 11 in Catalunan Pequeño, a busy thoroughfare that links Davao City to the province of Bukidnon.

The 147th Birth Anniversary of St. Pedro Poveda is truly extra special this year with this new parish under his patronage. It is the ardent prayer of the Teresian Association that the Lord bless this new community and that its members be strengthened in their faith and communion as they gather around the Eucharistic table and as they witness to the love of God, as salt and light, in their ordinary, day-to-day lives.

 

 

 

 

Maria Riza A. Melliza, Davao.

 

 

Published in Newsclicdedito