ABOUT 200 people braved the rains Tuesday afternoon, May 30, as they hope for a miracle that the St. John’s Institute (SJI) and the Diocese of Bacolod will still reconcile.
Clad in white shirts, the community joined the prayer walk from San Sebastian Cathedral to the school campus, where a mass was celebrated at the Queen of Peace Parish Church after the activity.
The controversy about the ownership on which the church stands led to the separation of the diocese and the school. Both parties have agreed to a peaceful disengagement of relationship.
With the closure of the church on Wednesday, May 31, SJI, also known as Hua Ming, will be stripped of its Catholic status as announced earlier by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon.
Last mass
Buzon will celebrate the last mass of the parish at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Fr. Jonas Sumagaysay, spokesperson of the diocese, said that after the mass, the Blessed Sacrament will be removed from the church.
After that, masses will no longer be held at the church, which will be considered as merely a structure, he added.
Earlier this month, Buzon issued a circular, stating that the Queen of Peace has ceased to be a parish church and a shrine following its removal from the school.
“It has ceased to be school chapel, and being under the control of a private group, it is, for all intents and purposes, simply be considered as private structure or building. This means that the Blessed Sacrament will be removed from the church and the celebration of masses and the sacraments will not be allowed therein at anytime,” the Bishop said in the circular.
"Because of the pull out, no priest or religious congregation is to be assigned at SJI. No masses will be held inside the campus for the duration of an indefinite moratorium, subject to the prudent determination of the Bishop. Confirmation and First Communion Masses will be allowed among students upon request, but it will be held in a parish church outside of Hua Ming," it added.