Sa usa ka makasaysayanung kasaulugan sa Jubilee Years sa Diocese sa Butuan sa miaging adlaw, dayag nga sa hamubo nga panahon literal nga “giwagtang una ang karaang gabayan sa giingong “SEPARATION OF THE CHURCH AND STATE”.
Kini human makita sa usa ka Eucharistic Mass nga gipahigayun sa St. Joseph Cathedral kagahahapon (Hulyo 10, 2017), ang bug-os nga panaghiusa sa mga kaparian sa tibuok Diocese ug mga lokal nga opisyals sa dakbayan sa Butuan ug Agusan del Norte.
Sa pagpangulo ni Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, ug mga bisitang ka-obispohan sa ubang lugar, nakigduyog sila si Mayor Ronnie Vic Lagnada ug Congressman Lawrence Fortun, sa gipahigayun nga Misa.
Bagang panon usab sa mga Romano Katoliko, nga gikan sa Butuan, Agusan del Norte ug Agusan del Sur ang mitambong sa kasaulugan.
“Ang pagpadayun sa pagbag-o sa kaugalingon ug sa pagsangyaw sa maayung balita” maoy gihatud nga mensahe ni Fr. Josielo Amalla subay sa obserbasyon sa Jubilee celebration sa kamugnaan sa Diocese sa Butuan.
Malipayon si Fr. Amalla sa kalampusan sa kasaulogan luyu nga daku ug gasto aron mahimung mabulokon ang selebrasyon.
Miduyug sa selebrasyon sila si Bishop Antonieto Cabajog sa Diocese sa Surigao, Bishop Alberto Uy sa Tagbiliran, Bishop Nerio Odchimar sa Tandag, Bishop Jose Palma sa Cebu, Bishop Martin Jumoad sa Ozamis, Narciso Abellana sa Romblon, Bishop Jose Cabantan sa Malaybalay, Bishop Patrico Buzon sa Bacolod, Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar sa Pagadian, Bishop Carmelo Morelos sa Zamboanga ug Bishop Sergio Utleg sa Tuguegarao.
History of the Diocese of Butuan: (Courtesy of Diocese of Butuan Webpage)
The Diocese of Butuan was created on March 20, 1967, comprising the civil provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. Its titular patron is St. Joseph, whose feast is celebrated on May 19 each year. This diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. It has a land area of 11,555 square kilometers, with a population of 884,709, of which 81 per cent are Catholics.
Butuan City, created in 1950 is one of the Philippines’ largest cities in land area. It is a large square stradding both banks of the Agusan River, which has contributed to making it the most important trading center of the Agusan Valley. The city differs from other cities in the country in that it has a destiny western atmosphere, very urban, like that of cities abroad.
Agusan del Norte, the smaller of the Agusans, has even rainfall throughout the year, with no pronounced wet or dry season. Agusan del Sur, on the other hand, is rainy from October to February and is prone to flooding during these months. What both provinces have in common is rich alluvial soil which produces rice and corn mainly, and coconuts, bananas, abaca, sugarcane and rubber.
Since March of 1994, the Diocese Butuan has been preparing for a diocesan pastoral assembly originally scheduled for September in 1995. This, however, had to be postponed due to the transfer of its bishop – Most Reverend Carmelo D.F. Morelos, to the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. At present the diocese is in the care of a diocesan administrator, Monsignor Cesar Gatela, and a board of consultors.
There are in the diocese at present 72 priests and religious, ministering to 35 parishes and 1 mission station. It has about 10 Catholic institutions, among them the St. Peter College Seminary in Butuan City. There are now about 600 established Basic Ecclesial Communities in the two provinces.
Tags: Butuan Diocese, Juan de Dios Pueblos, Roman Catholic, Jubilee Years, Lagnada, Cong Law Fortun
