Vicariate of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Rev. Fr. MARLON T. OSAL

Vicar Forane

St. Michael the Archangel Parish (Laoang)

Year Founded: 1768

Titular: St. Michael the Archangel

Patronal Feast Day: September 29

Fr. FRED I. PLACA

Pastor Moderator

Fr. EDUARDO E. DORICO

Co-Pastor, Econome

Short History

Laoang is deeply religious town. She has contributed much to the local Church in terms of priests. Legend tells us that the present location of the municipality was understood to be a revealed choice of their titular and patron, St. Michael the Archangel, whose image kept disappearing from the settlers’ first two choices for a village – Onay and later, Rawis, and was consistently being found entwined by salimbabangay vines atop a detta tree on a promontory overlooking Laoang Bay where the present church is located. This area, now known as Guilaoangi, became the nucleus of this pueblo first founded by three brothers from Palapag in the 1600’s. By some unforeseen purpose, this promontory became a sort of lookout for Moro pirates who constantly pillaged villages along the coast and banks of Catubig river. Thus, Laoang, unlike other villages, was fortunate to have always been spared from this menace. The settlement grew rapidly and became a thriving port of commerce and trade by 1800’s. She was established as a mission center in the year 1627 ministered to by a semi-resident Jesuit missionary based in Palapag. With expulsion of the Jesuit from all the territories of the Spanish Empire through an edict of Charles III in 1767, the Franciscan took over the mission a year later. They constructed the present church which became a landmark of Spanish religious architecture and an eloquent monument to the people’s abiding love for the Faith.

Our Lady of the Nativity Parish (Las Navas)

Year Founded: 1883

Titular: Our Lady of the Nativity

Patronal Feast Day: September 8

Fr. ERUEN A. AÑOSA

Pastor

Fr. WENDELL A. ROTAMULA

Co-Pastor, Econome

Short History

Las Navas got her present name in the mid-nineteenth century in honor of General La Navas de Toledo. She was a visita of Catubig until 12 March 1863 when she gained ecclesiastical independence. But in 1883-1884 she reverted to becoming one of Catubig’s visitas, after then Catubig parish priest, Fr. Antonio Sanchez, decided to transfer the township from Las Navas to Catubig. It was only on 8 July 1949 that she was, once again, established as an ecclesiastical territory separate from Catubig.

It was on 26 July 1949 that Las Navas was created into a municipality pursuant to Executive Order No. 243 of Elpedio Quirino, President of the Philippines. But no resident priest could be assigned to her. Rather, priests form neighboring parishes would just come to preside over religious services on important feasts and celebrations. Frequently, it was Fr. Domingo Palomino, Pastor of Catubig, the mother town of Las Navas. Soon after, Fr. Fernando Z. Tan was assigned pastor of the town. He built the first rectory in June 1950, assisted by Most Reverend Miguel Acebedo, Bishop of Calbayog, who then had ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the whole of Samar Island.

After the accidental drowning of Fr. Tan, in February 1958, when he fell out of his outboard motorboat, several priests were again assigned to Las Navas on a temporary basis. When Fr. Anastacio Balite was installed Pastor, a new succession of parish priest was once more established.

St. Joseph the Worker Parish (Catubig)

Year Founded: 1596/1645

Titular: St. Joseph the Worker

Patronal Feast Day: July 19

Fr. CYRIL M. PAREDES

Pastor

Fr. WALTER A. CERBITO

Attached Priest

Short History

Fr. Miguel Gomez of the Society of Jesus was the very first Spanish priest to evangelize Catubig which was to be the first cabacera from whence the Christianization of the northern and eastern portions of Samar was to start. But after the missionaries realized that the place was too far removed and too deep into the interior, they decided to move their mission center to Palapag circa 1605-1606. Even after the transfer, the missionaries did not totally abandon Catubig. As a visita of Palapag, a priest would come every now and then to minister to the community.

Between 1768 and 1858, the Moros abducted hundreds of people from villages along coast and rivers. The worst recorded tragedy in a single year was around 1774 or 1775 when the marauders razed Catubig to the ground and killed an unestimated people. This greatly reduced the number of the taxpayers thereby prompting the authorities to revert Catubig (which was then somewhere in the area where Las Navas is now) back to her barrios status under the jurisdiction of Palapag until 1784 when she came under Laoang. Records show that since 1697 until 1716 Catubig had permanent priest to cater to the spiritual needs of the people. The first church was built by one Fr. Placiencia. Around the 18th century, Cagninipa (the old name of Catubig) had become a progressive pueblo exporting palay, abaca and fruits to Albay in Biconlandia.

St. John the Baptist Parish (Pambujan)

Year Founded: 1868

Titular: St. John the Baptist

Patronal Feast Day: June 24

Fr. MARLON T. OSAL

Pastor

Fr. ALLAN B. ABALON, JR

Co-Pastor, Econome

Short History

In the ancient times, pambujan was known as Bayog or Bayugo. For fear of the constant Moro raids which endlessly plagued coastal villages from 1752 to 1754, the settlers decided to establish their village deep in the interior, along the banks of Pambujan River. It was referred to as Binongto-an (now, Brgy. Ginulgan) for it was to become the nucleus of their bungto. It was only at the end of the Moro raids that they again decided to move their settlements to its present site. There, a church was built which was once the envy of neighboring pueblos because of the classic architectural design of its altar.

During the Spanish-American War, the American forces mistakenly named the place Pambujan when an American, asking for the name of the place, didn’t hear right and mistook a native’s reference to the erosion which caused the river to flow freely to the sea, “nabuhang,” to mean the name of the settlement. The name stuck and was officially adopted when she became a pueblo, independent of Laoang, on 4 August 1863. On this same date, Pambujan’s requests, expressed 10 years back, was realized when she was given her own pastor. Before this, no priest could be assigned to her because the Franciscans did not have enough priest to cover all her pastoral areas.

St. Roche the Healer Parish (San Roque)

Year Founded: 1962

Titular: St. Roche

Patronal Feast Day: August 16

Fr. OTILLO P. LOBRIÑO, JR

Pastor

Short History

As far back as 1762, barrio Laoangan, as San Roque was formerly known, was already a thriving community. For years, she was under the pastoral care of the parish priest of Pambjan, being one of her barrios then. Ever since 1907, Laoangan was already vigorously pursuing political independence from Pambujan. Yet, it was only after 53 years of political maneuverings that, on 23 May 1960, she became a municipality by virtue of House Resolution No. 1804 filed in the Philippine House of Representatives. Amidst so much jubilation, the people did not forget their heavenly intercessor during those turbulent years. In his honor, they readily named their town, San Roque. Two years later, the Bishop of Calbayog, Cipriano V. Urgel, elevated San Roque into parish. Fr. Victorio Galit became her first Pastor.

The fire of August 1985, which completely razed the old church and rectory turned out to be a blessing. Two years later, a totally new and much bigger church as well as a separate rectory was built under the term of Fr. Rogelio Longcop.

St. Isidore the Farmer Mission Center (Silvino Lobos)

Year Founded: 2000

Titular: St. Isidore the Farmer

Patronal Feast Day: June 16

Fr. CLARENCE B. DABOCOL

Administrator

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St. Anthony of Padua Mission Center (Rawis)

Year Founded: 2000

Titular: St. Anthony of Padua

Patronal Feast Day: June 4

Fr. RONEL M. VILAN

Administrator

Short History

Legend says that Rawis was once planned to be the seat of the town of Laoang. In the early days, the image of St. Michael the Archangel was several times brought to the century old acacia along the highway, only to find out the following morning, that it was back in town atop the “Deta” tree besides the Church.

Thus, Rawis remained devoted to St. Michael for several decades. The spiritual and religious needs of the people was catered by the parish priest of Laoang until April 7, 2000 when it was elevated to a Mission Center by Bishop Angel T. Hobayan. The mission center was thus established, with Fr. Eleno Delizon as the first administrator.

Holy Family Mission Center (Hibubullao, Catubig)

Year Founded: 2008

Titular: Holy Family

Patronal Feast Day: June 28

Fr. LEO T. JAZMIN

Administrator

Our Lady of Salvation Mission Center (Salvacion)

Year Founded: 2000

Titular: Nuestra Señora de Salvacion

Patronal Feast Day: August 4

Fr. ARIEL T. QUIBAL

Administrator

Short History

The Mission Center is composed of the six barangays on Batag Island. The Mission Center is bounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Palapag Channel across the mainland of Laoang. For the several years, the administration of the chapel of Barangay Napotiocan was under St. Michael de Archangel Parish in Laoang, Northern Samar. The then Bishop of the Diocese of Catarman, Most Rev. Angel T. Hobayan, issued the Circular No. 61 s. 2000 dated April 7, 2000. By virtue of that decree, the Nuestra Senora de Salvacion Mission Center was thus created composed of the six barangays of Batag and Cahayagan islands.

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