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One of the major activities of the movement was a RESOLUTION sent to Bishop
William Brasseur for the separation of Potia from Mayoyao as a Mission
Station which was realized three years after. Another action was the
adaptation of February 11, Feast of Our Lady Lourdes, to be observed every
year as a Patronal Town Fiesta. This action made Busilac as the center
Ecclesial Community gatherings in different styles of celebration.
THE FIRST THREE DECADES
Tracing the growth and development of the
church from late 70's to year 2000 millennium established the focal point of
the church history. It was a long way of God's inspiration and guidance
using the first three spiritual players in their own time, namely; Rev.
Father Joop Van Gaalen, Rev. Father Victor Munar and Rev. Father Joseph
Requino.
Rev. Father Joop (Josef) Van Gaalen is a Dutch
Missionary priest who was formerly assigned to Mayoyao Mission Station but
later ordered by the Apostolic Vicar of Mountain Province in the middle part
of 1968 to proceed and prepare the grounds and other necessary requirements
for the creation of Potia as a distinct and separate Mission Station. But
prior to it, the Roman Catholic Action had submitted a negotiated lot
donated by Mr. Esteban Daguio of Busilac. Father Josef wanted a bigger and
wider area totaling to 26, 796 sq. in. particularly bounded in the west side
by the Mapacupaco river, The acquisition was by Deed of Donation and by Deed
of Sale on a minimal amount. This is a portion on Lot 40, PLS 60 containing
an area of 12, 4319 (LRC) PSD 167463 Covered by T-I 39 under TD 93-265.
Immediately, Father Joop took expert
carpenters from Mayoyao and some in Busilac and the construction of the
Rectory and the church building began in full blast. The officers and
members of RCA extended whatever work or service they could. Meantime, the
priest use to say masses in the old wooded chapel built by the community
people of the three barrios.
Finally, the construction of the Rectory and
the Church building was finished and inaugurated on October 27, 1969 which
was acknowledged and marked as the FOUNDATION DAY of the POTIA MISSION
STATION. Rev. Father Joop Van Gaalen assumed as the first Mission Rector.
The Roman Catholic Church in Busilac,
therefore, becomes the pivotal center of religious activities and worship.
But then the wind of change was inevitable and gave the Dutch priest a
second thought - the church must taw the line of political change. It came
to pass that when Gabriel Chocyagan was elected Municipal Mayor of Potia, he
transferred the seat of the local government from Potia to Sta. Maria.
Father Van Gaalen, a wise man in his own thinking, conceived and decided to
construct a church in the new Poblacion at Sta. Maria. He must negotiate a
church site in the first place.
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