St. Luke's, Malapat

Generally the Episcopal Church in the Philippines expanded in areas where old members migrated. From the established missions in Sagada, Mountain Province it expanded to the flatlands of the Cagayan Valley.

Sometimes in 1977, six hardy men from the village of Taccong, southern Sagada, Mountain Province in search for “greener pasture” winded down in Malapat, Cordon, Isabela and finding the opportunities encouraging settled among the predominantly Ilocano community. Clannish as usual, they started their own neighborhood. A year later their families followed and several other migrants intrigued by their village-mates and their new find followed. From then on the number of migrants keep increasing year after year.

These new settlers were the first missionaries indeed. They attended church services at St. Mark’s Mission (now a Full Parish), Batal, Santiago (now a constituent City). In 1982, the Vicar of St. Mark’s Mission, Fr. Fernando Aroy, started celebrating the mass at Malapat ones a month under the trees or any shaded area during the rainy months. In 1984, it formally became a Preaching Outstation of St. Mark’s Mission. Three years later in 1987, Fr. Alfonso Camiwet took over from Fr. Fernando Aroy and maintained it as an Outstation and given a tentative name St. Luke’s Mission. The choice of the name is such that the Feast Day comes right after the second harvest activities and there is much food. In the Diocesan Convention of 1988, the new congregation sent two visiting delegates. In October 18 of the same year, the Rt. Rev. Robert Lee O. Longid visited the new congregation and celebrated the Feast of St. Luke which gained the Bishop’s imprimatur as their Patron Saint.

In 1989 Diocesan 18^th. Convention, St. Luke’s Mission was admitted in union with Diocesan as an Organized Mission. Almost immediately the Diocese bought a 2,700 square-meters lot from one of the members, Mr. Tito Balong-angey, upon which a cogon grass chapel was built by the members, but devastated by tropical storm Rosing in 1992. The chapel was rebuilt with semi-permanent materials with funding from UTO and the diocesan infra-structure funds. Likewise a cogon cottage for the use of the resident minister was constructed and on the Feast of St. Luke in the same year 1992 the new chapel and cottage were blessed by the Bishop. Mr. Clarence Olat, a graduate intern then (now a priest and Diocesan Development Officer) served as the first resident minister. During the Patron feast of 1993, the Bishop made his third pastoral visit and there was mass baptism, confirmation, reception and marriages.

In April of 1994, a 1,200 square meters drying pavement was constructed with funds from the Regional Development Center (RDC) which was then a partner of the Diocesan Development Office. It served the purpose of the members who incidentally are all rice farmers. The drying pavement was blessed by Bishop Longid on October 18, 1995. In the same occasion the officers of the Young Peoples Christian Fellowship (YPCF) were inducted into office. Likewise the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Chapter was organized and had their first Advent Retreat in November of the same year.

In 1996 a new rectory was built with funds from the Partners in Mission (PIM). In the same year the Malapat Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative was established with the prodding of then Deacon Clarence Olat and the Diocesan Development Office.

1n 1997, Diocesan Convention accepted the elevation of St. Luke’s Mission as a Provisional Aided Parish in recognition of its 10% achievement in terms of self reliance.

Two Non-government Organizations (NGO) partners of the church took office in two vacant room of the new rectory. The RDC-Cagayan Valley and the Cagayan Valley Regional Ecumenical Assembly (CAVREA-NCCP). The RDC is attending to organized Farmers while the CAVREA is the regional expression of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

Fr. Fernando Aroy - 1982-1987, Vicar of St. Mark’s Mission while attending to the new Preaching Outstation.

Fr. Alfonso Camiwet - 1987- 1992, Vicar of St. Mark’s taking over from Fr. Fernando.

Fr. Clarence Olat - 1992-1998 , It was while he was with St. Luke’s Mission that he was ordained to the diaconate and to the priesthood. He had his first sung mass on May 4, 1997.

Mr. Perry Baybay - 1998-2000, graduate Intern, who opted to move over to the continuing diocese prior to the formal division.

Fr. Jonepher Yapes - 2000-2004, relocated from St. Stephen’s Mission, Reserva, Baler.

Eric Paul Palpal - 2004-present, relocated from St. Cathrerine’s Mission, Diagyan, Dilasag, Aurora Province.

Mrs. Ernestine Dinaclag - 1988-1994, CCG Teacher, retired with the rest of the CCG teachers when the ministry was retired from the diocesan budget.

In 2000, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines divided into two dioceses creating the Episcopal Diocese of Santiago. The Episcopal Diocese of Santiago had six deaneries, three parishes and twenty seven Mission Stations. St. Luke’s Mission is within the Green Fields Deanery. All parishes and Missions are participants in the Vision, Mission and Goals 2018 or simply VMG 2018.

To date St. Luke’s Provisional Aided Parish is 27 percent self reliant. The Multi-purpose Cooperative is slowly yet steadily growing. It was a recipient of the Country Side Development Fund (CDF) of the Representative of the fourth Congressional District of Isabela in the form of a multi-purpose Hall. The chapel have been extended to accommodate a growing congregation of 150. It started servicing St. Matthew’s Mission, Abra Santiago City which was admitted in union with Diocesan Convention on 2007 as an organized mission and clustered with St. Luke’s Mission. It is envisioned to become a full parish by 2016.

“those who were part of this brief story can look back to those years and events and savor once more how God in his providence willed that the Episcopal Church plants its see in this part of the world” Perry

Note: Mr. Perry Baybay ended his narration in 1999. Additional narrative were from the journal of convention and reports of local stations.

Send mail to eds-edn@lovelady.org with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2009 Companions in Ministry Last modified: 07/08/10

Send mail to eds-edn@lovelady.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2009 Companions in Ministry
Last modified: 07/08/10