austraLasia #1873
Mary in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY: 11th June 2007 -- Mary took her place as mother and help for the
people in the southern island of Mindanao (Philippines). Last June 6,
2007, the bishop of Davao City, Msgr. Fernando Capalla, inaugurated the new
parish of Mary Help of Christians and installed the first parish priest, Fr.
Medelino Borgueta SDB. Before a crowd of over a thousand people and more than
thirty priests, the decree was read, delineating the boundaries of the new
parish carved out of the mother parish, Sacred Heart of Calinan, Davao City.
Nineteen chapels and their corresponding basic ecclesial communities were
included in the parish.
In his homily, Bishop Capalla emphasized the ministry of the
Salesians on behalf of young people and challenged them to serve the young, not
only in the parish, but in the whole of Mindanao.
The parish community is made up of farmers, in an area known
for good bananas exported to other countries, and for luscious fruits such as
durian, pomelo, and rambutan. However, the use of aerial spray in the
cultivation of bananas has been affecting the health of the people.
A small chapel and a makeshift convent serves as the
temporary center of the parish. In due time, a larger church and convent shall
rise on land generously donated by families.
Davao City is the third largest city of the Philippines, and
the largest in the world in terms of land area. The parish is located in
barangay Dacudao, in the district of Calinan.
The parish is Don Bosco's second in Mindanao. More than a
decade ago, the Sacred Heart Parish was established in Mati City, a three-hour
trip away. It is God's gift to the people and to the Salesians in the
Philippines.
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