Priest dreams of building church

CONCERNED over the state of the community he is serving, a Catholic priest assigned in a mountain barangay in Talisay City plans to build a church in his area.

But while he already has the plans, Reverend Fr. Nestor Atillo admits that the plan has yet to fly due to limited funds.

Atillo, who heads the Mother of Perpetual Help Chaplaincy in Barangay Jaclupan, told reporters that he plans to put up the church in a 3,094-sq. m. lot in the barangay. A groundbreaking ceremony was held by Atillo and others in the area last August this year.

He said the church, named as the Mother of Perpetual Help Church, will be composed of 51 columns and will have a 700-seating capacity.

Atillo said that aside from the church, they also plan to build a bone chamber within the property to transfer the remains of deceased relatives of residents there.

Dream

Atillo, who was assigned by Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in the area back in 2007, said that it has always been his dream to put up a church there.

This dream became a possibility when the then Cebu archbishop declared Jaclupan a chaplaincy, which makes it equivalent to a parish.

Atillo said that with a church in the area, residents from Jaclupan, Camp 4, Manipis and beyond could save on traveling expenses.

Far and away

Most residents in the area often attend church at the St. Joseph Parish in Barangay Tabunok. Those living in the higher barangay areas would go to church in Barangay Cantabaco in Toledo City.

Due to the great distance just to go to church, a lot of residents in the areas would often not take their Sunday obligations seriously, Atillo said.

The residents’ failure to go to mass every Sunday became an issue when close to 30 students of the Jaclupan National High School were allegedly possessed by evil spirits earlier this month.

But while the plan to have a church is already there, one problem they have to encounter is the financial capability to sustain the construction of the building.

Atillo revealed that for the entire structure alone, he needs more than P9 million.

Aside from the structure, additional expenditures would also be incurred for the furnishings and internal structure.

Atillo said that in order to fund the church’s construction, he has started asking for donations from different people just to get his project going.