HOLY Sunday, which is the official start of the week for Judaeo-Christian tradition may no longer be just another ordinary day for the Isnag tribe in the mountainous town of Carasi, Ilocos Norte, located 30 kilometers northeast of Laoag City, as a new church, named after St. Joseph The Worker, was built in time for the saint’s feast on May 1. The May 1 canonical erection of the 28th parish of the Diocese of Laoag and the first under the supervision of Bishop Sergio L. Utleg, has given the indigenous people a reason to cheer as their old small and bare chapel, was transformed into a new one with a newly constructed altar, painted walls and a red carpet was laid on the way to the altar, where an image of St. Joseph was also installed. Following the blessing of the major foundation and walls of the newly erected church as well as the church’s parishioners, Bishop Utleg, who was accompanied by 24 priests and a deacon, marched to the church altar as the chancellor read the decree of canonical erection. The decree states the official recognition of the St. Joseph The Worker parish as family church member of the Laoag diocese. The celebration of the liturgy followed and it was attended by more than 500 local residents. T hree years ago, Fr. Greg Atmosfera Apuya, the first assigned resident priest of the St. Joseph The Worker Parish, recalled that people living in the remote area appeared to have forgotten the celebration of the Eucharist every Sunday as almost all of them were not attending Sunday mass as they considered it as an ordinary day then. “Marikanak metten a dagiti tattao ditoy ket medyo ammoda metten ti umasideg iti Apo nga agdaydayaw iti Domingo. Ta idi ket buybuyaenda no ania ti mapasamak. Isu met ti inculcate ko kadakuada a no Domingo, agkararagtayo. Itan, ammoda metten ti makimisa, ammoda metten ti agsungabat ti misa ken ti padida a mangmisa,” Father Apuya said. Though the approximate 2,500 population of Carasi have different religious affiliations including such as Union Espiritista, Jesus is Lord, Iglesia ni Cristo and Pentecost, the resident priest said that majority or 80 percent of them are Catholics. With the presence of un-church Catholics in the area, Father Apuya, who was then serving at the neighboring parish of Piddig, Ilocos Norte, 18 kilometers to the east, extended the church services to Carasi, enjoining the locals to participate in the conduct of mass at the chapel located near the municipality. As the number of faithful increases and are made aware of their responsibility to attend mass on Sundays to feel the presence of Christ and to unite with him, Father Apuya challenged the natives to put up their own parish, to which they readily agreed. The locals then met with Bishop Utleg at the bishop’s residence here in Laoag to express their desire to put up their own church in the area. After a consultation dialogue with the community and the concerned priests’ organization, the group, composed of members of the local community, in cooperation with the different parishes and local businessmen in Ilocos Norte, worked together in raising funds needed for the improvement of the old chapel. The bishop hopes that through the new church, people living in the area would continue what they started and cooperate with church undertakings in promoting goodwill to mankind. “Not all places can have a parish,” Said Bishop Utleg while delivering his homily inside the Carasi church, adding that s parish must be self-reliant and can stand alone to sustain its needs. Though a parish should be independent, the Laoag bishop said the new parish is already a part of the Laoag diocese family, where the locals shall participate and work together with the diocese’s mission and vision in spreading the good news, where love, peace, truth and happiness shall prevail in the service of God. After the canonical rites, the local residents expressed their gratitude for having a new parish by performing a native dance called “Tadek.” Leilanie G. Adriano
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