IN LINE with the new mission-vision of UST to expand and improve its community services in the country, the University inaugurated the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel last Dec. 16 at Sitio Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac.
The UST Theological Society sponsored the construction of the chapel as part of its project titled MALASA (MAka-Diyos na mga LAyko ng SAmbayanan: Towards the Improvement of Sitio Malasa’s Spiritual –Religious Conditions).
“This is just the beginning of evangelizing the people of Sitio Malasa. A good start for them to feel the presence of Christ in their lives,” said John Jacome, president of the Theological Society and chairman of the project.
According to Jacome, the society decided to build a chapel for the community to help the spiritual development and liturgical nourishment of the indigenous people in Sitio Malasa, a resettlement area for the Aetas after they fled their original homesites when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991.
Previously, the Catholic priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the neighboring Dapdap Resettlement Area could not say mass in the place due to the absence of a chapel, which the residents could not afford to build because of poor living.
The establishment of the chapel, Jacome said, would facilitate the easy and fruitful spreading of God’s word in the community. It will be the venue for the celebration of the different sacraments such as the Holy Eucharist, which will be held every third Sunday of the month.
“The most important effect of building the chapel (in Sitio Malasa) is the Holy Eucharist. A Christian community is not a Christian community unless there is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist,” Jacome said.
He added that they had also formed the Sitio Pastoral Council and Basic Ecclesial Communities to help them in promoting an active, conscious, and responsible participation of the people in the Church and other religious-related activities.
To monitor the spiritual and religious activities in the community, two seminarians will visit the place weekly to conduct para-liturgies and Bible studies. On the other hand, the student catechists from the College of Science who were trained by the seminarians will conduct catechism every Saturday.
The chapel was built through the help of the UST Office for Community Development, UST Buildings and Grounds, UST Central Seminary Apostolate Committee, College of Science, benefactors, and students from the College of Fine Arts and Design.
The design was done by Varsitarian photographer Clifford Lu under the supervision of architect Willa Solomon of the UST College of Architecture.
