23/08/2026
Naragsak nga Panag-anibersaryo tayo!
MALABING, KASIBU, NUEVA VIZCAYA — With gratitude for the past and renewed hope for the future the Parish of St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope celebrated today, August 23 (originally, Aug. 21), the first anniversary of its canonical er****on as a parish.
Therein they recall a journey of faith and hope that began decades ago in Malabing Valley.
The Catholic mission in Kasibu was introduced through the efforts of Most Rev. Alberto Van Overbeke, CICM, the first Bishop of Bayombong, during the administration of the late Mayor Alberto Bumolo Sr. The mission was strengthened through the ministry of Fr. August Wynns, CICM, and later through the presence of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), who assisted the growing Christian community.
As the Catholic community in Kasibu continued to flourish, the parish of St. Patrick of Ireland was formally erected in 1991. In the years that followed, Christian formation efforts led to the establishment of numerous basic ecclesial communities (BEC), with St. Mary’s Chapel in Malabing Valley emerging as center among nearby communities.
Recognizing the pastoral needs of the faithful in the distant communities of Malabing, Fr. Pedro Dulnuan, CICM, recommended the elevation of St. Mary’s Chapel into a mission station. On May 28, 2022, the chapel was officially declared a Mission Station by Most Rev. Jose Elmer I. Mangalinao, D.D., Bishop of Bayombong, and entrusted to the care of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, marking the 75th anniversary of the Congregation’s presence in the Philippines. Rev. Fr. Gabriel P. Chiniona, MS, was appointed its administrator.
The mission eventually became a quasi-parish under the patronage of St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope, reflecting the identity of the La Salette Philippine Province, Ina ng Pag-asa.
On August 21, 2025, during the Jubilee Year of Hope, the St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope was canonically erected as a parish by Most Rev. Jose Elmer I. Mangalinao, D.D. The newly constructed church, generally established through the effort of the members of the community, was likewise solemnly blessed.
Although the anniversary falls on August 21, the parish community celebrated the occasion today, August 23, in the Holy Mass presided over by Rev. Fr. Gabriel Chiniona, MS, the first and incumbent parish priest of St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope Parish.
The celebration brought together the communities (dagiti gimong) under the parish, as well as guests and faithful from other places. Parishioners, local officials, representatives, and members of the different communities gathered in thanksgiving for the first year of the parish’s journey.
In his homily, Fr. Gabby invited the faithful to look upon the anniversary not merely as a commemoration of an event, but as an opportunity to give thanks, look back at our colorful history, and look forward with renewed hope. The history of the parish, he emphasized, is ultimately a story of God’s faithfulness manifested through the people who built, served, prayed, and persevered together.
He also encouraged the community to continue discovering Christ and listening attentively to the Word of God, recognizing that the parish’s growth must not only be measured by structures and accomplishments, but by the deepening of its life of faith and communion.
A significant part of the celebration was the blessing of the parish’s newly acquired vehicle. Fr. Gabby blessed the vehicle in the presence of the parishioners, marking another fruit of the community’s generosity. The vehicle was acquired through the contributions of the different communities during previous parish celebrations, becoming a tangible sign of what can be accomplished when the faithful work and give together.
From a chapel built through the efforts of migrants and missionaries, to a mission station, a quasi-parish, and now a parish with 16 active gimongs, forming one community of communities, the journey of St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope continues to unfold.
The first anniversary therefore becomes a thanksgiving for the generations of faith that made the parish possible and a renewed commitment to the mission that lies ahead.
As the community continues its journey in Christ, may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Hope, continue to intercede for the parish, its families, its communities, and all those entrusted to its pastoral care.
From the faith of yesterday, through the grace of today, toward the hope of tomorrow—St. Mary, Our Lady of Hope continues to grow as one community in Christ.
