Despite inclement weather, a parish in the northern diocese of Laoag marked on Thursday the 400th anniversary of its establishment with the opening of the “Holy Door” and a Mass.
Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag led the Mass, joined by concelebrants from the clergy and representatives from the missionaries who have served in the St. Lawrence the Deacon Parish in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, for the last four centuries.
The “Jubilee Year” activities began with the bishop blessing and opening of the holy door.
Rogationist Fr. John Francis Aberion, one of the parish’s current assisting priests, read the “Decretum” from the Apostolic Penitentiary in Latin, followed by an English translation by Msgr. Rey Magus Respicio, the diocese’s chancellor.
The Holy See’s Apostolic Penitentiary has granted the parish a “Year of Grace” from Oct. 31, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2025. During this time, the faithful and pilgrims can obtain plenary indulgence by fulfilling certain requirements, including sacramental confession, holy communion, and prayer for the pope’s intentions.
Pilgrims can also receive plenary indulgence by participating in the Jubilee Rites of the church, concluding their visit with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the Profession of Faith, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Lawrence the Deacon and Martyr.
Mayugba, in his homily, urged the congregation to be a church that shares the light of Christ with everyone. He stressed that for 400 years, Christ’s presence has remained among them through the missionaries who have helped strengthen the faith of the people in Bangui.
“It is the four hundred years of mercy emanating from this simple church, and this is the reason that we are celebrating the jubilee year of this church,” Mayugba said.
The local church of Bangui was established by the Augustinians as a “visita” of Bacarra in the late 1590s and became a parish in 1624.
Over the years, the parish has also been served by missionaries from the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) and the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
At present, the parish is administered by the religious community of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus (RCJ).
