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Sunday, April 16, 2006
Friends lament crusader’s unfinished business
By Oscar C. Pineda
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
PEOPLE working at St. Joseph’s Parish Church in Barangay Tabunok mourn the loss of Elpidio de la Victoria, 46, even as they worry about two major projects he will never get to finish.
These are a feeding program for poor children and a mass wedding for couples living together without the church’s blessings.
“He didn’t like to leave a project unfinished,” said Edgar, a parish worker.
Now that de la Victoria is gone, parish workers don’t know who will follow in the Cebu City official and church worker’s footsteps.
Church employee Tata Bucao said de la Victoria made it a habit to feed the children in a chapel for 10 days. After that, he transferred to another chapel to feed another group of children, again for 10 days.
Tabunok has more than 100 chapels.
The last chapel where the feeding was held before de la Victoria died was in Rosanna Compound in Sitio Molave, Barangay Tabunok.
De la Victoria’s only son Vincent said more than a thousand children have benefited from this program.
De la Victoria also helped poor couples. Last August, he arranged for the church weeding of 46 couples. Last Dec. 24, more than 30 couples were wed.
After the wedding ceremony in St. Joseph’s Church, the newlyweds and their guests were given a party inside the Tabunok Sports Complex.
Each couple received a cake and a bottle of wine. Their tables were filled with food.
After the party, the couples received a “pabaon” of uncooked pork and fish.
De la Victoria looked for sponsors for all these activities, said the church employees.
Vincent said that two Sundays ago, his father organized a marriage encounter retreat for couples to renew and strengthen their relationship.
De la Victoria’s activities were mostly church-based.
Since 2003, de la Victoria had served as president of the St. Joseph’s Parish Pastoral Council. He was also the president of Kapunungan ni San Jose and a chapter leader of Couples for Christ.
Shortly before his death last Wednesday, while in his office, his mind was preoccupied with church activities. He called up Bucao at 2:30 p.m. and asked her to announce in the mass the broadcast coverage of the Holy Friday procession, the Veneration of the Cross and the “Siete Palabras” at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
“He wouldn’t leave things hanging,” Vincent said of his father.
When de la Victoria was rushed to the hospital after the shooting, Vincent overheard his father saying, “Lord hatagi pa ko og laing chance (Lord give me another chance).”
Church worker Gemma believed de la Victoria did not want to leave his projects unfinished.
“Ang tanang santo iyang gisangpit (He called on all the saints),” she said.
Dela Victoria is survived by his wife Evelyn Gerale, their only son Vincent—and the charity projects that other church workers will now have to find a way to sustain.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 16, 2006 issue)
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