It is located at Zone 1, Barangay Panal, City of Tabaco, Albay, Philippines. The parish celebrates its feast on May 25th. On the exact date of May 25, 1885, an ermita made of light materials such as the nipa was built in El Panal, Tabaco, Albay by the Franciscan friars and by the efforts of the locals on a parcel of land donated by Doña Juana Riosa. The first enshrined image of the Sagrada Familia
was owned by Doña Leona Blanquiza. Nowadays, the image is only brought out during the parish fiesta on the 25th of May. In the later years, the villagers donated rocks which will be used for the structure of the ermita. In 1905, the Capuchin friars would be arriving to help in the catechism of the faithful. It is also during this time that the second oldest image of the Holy Family is enshrined together with a retablo and a frailero (Mass presider’s seat). The image is the presently enshrined image on the right wing of the altar. In 1911, the Capuchin friars left the ermita because of the poverty in the place and its distance from the town proper of Tabaco. During those times, the chapel was a miserable abode for mentally ill people. It is here where they are sleeping and it literally became their comfort room. Though people still continue to donate rocks for the structure of the chapel, no one leads in taking care of it which caused its deterioration. An unknown priest from Catanduanes then came in the 1950s and took care of the chapel but two typhoons hit (Trix in 1952 and Sening in the 1970s) and further turned down the chapel. In the year 1970, the chapel became a diocesan parish with Rev. Tomas Robrigado as its parish priest. After three years of existence, the parish was reverted into its being a chapel due to the lack of diocesan priests during that time. Because of it, the Holy Family Shrine was under the administration of St. John the Baptist Parish of Tabaco and the chaplaincy was by the priests of St. Gregory the Great Seminary. Later events would be a premonition of the chapel’s resurrection as a parish. Andres Tablizo initially took care of the shrine from 1979-1981. Juan Cleofe, being the rector of the seminary, was the coordinator to the shrine. Later, he was succeeded by Rev. Salvador Borjal who was already the Holy Family Shrine’s chaplain. The two monsignors initiated the beautification of the shrine. The Daughters of Mary Sisters led by Sr. Paz Albao, DM and Sr. Erna Pavilanda, DM would be arriving in 1982 and built their convent behind the chapel. They would be helping in the catechism of the faithful and in taking care of the chapel. In addition to those who will take care of the chapel, Fr. Joel Baylon (now the Bishop of Legazpi) and Fr. Jun Barquez organized the Panal Youth and Cultural Organization (PYCO). The youth group is also created to form young people in their spirituality and service to the Lord. Borjal on the other hand, established the Crusaders of the Holy Face of Jesus on August 26, 1986 and the group built a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (PEA) Chapel behind the church structure being the first PEA in Tabaco. It was inaugurated on May 25, 1989. With Msgr. Borjal’s death, Msgr. Cleofe once again took over the chaplaincy. It was in those vibrant spiritual times that a sacrilegious event took place. The images of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus in the Holy Family were stolen with the culprits still unidentified up to this day. With the local community seeking help to Ms. Adela Buenconsejo and to a concerned citizen, the two images were recovered in Manila and in Cebu respectively. On February 4, 1999, the late Legazpi Bishop Jose Sorra welcomed the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (also known as the Sacramentinos) and gave the Holy Family Shrine in Panal for them to administer as a quasi-parish. Jose Arnel Martinez, SSS was then the Parish Administrator. He was then assisted by Fr. Conrad Goulet, SSS, along with Sacramentino seminarians Br. Melchor Castañeda, SSS and Br. Froilan Briones, SSS who are undergoing their pastoral exposure. They were the pioneer Sacramentinos residing in the Tabaco community. Seeing its progress after exactly a year, the shrine once again became a full-fledged parish; this time under the Sacramentinos. Martinez was installed as the first Sacramentino Parish Priest. The Sacramentinos in the parish became true to their zeal of spreading the love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist as manifested by the accomplishments of the past and present parish priests and the other priests and brothers assisting them. One of their apostolates is the Life in the Eucharist Seminar or the LITES. They are holding seminars in the parish and even within the diocese. With the rebirth of the parish, Fr. Martinez organized the religious organizations that form the lay faithful. He then encouraged the faithful in the seven barangays and one sitio under the parish to assist and serve. One very remarkable accomplishment he had is the Basic Ecclesial Communities or the BEC; the pioneer in the diocese. Because of this, the parish became well-known in the entire diocese. Succeeding Fr. Martinez in 2002 is Fr. Miguel Garcia, SSS. He continued and maintained the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the parish and all the other accomplishments of his predecessor. Due to many other appointments, his term only lasted for one year. Dante Funelas, SSS became the third parish priest from 2003-2006. He strengthened more the charism of the Sacramentinos’ love for the Eucharist to the faithful. Remarkable is the Parish Eucharistic Congress held during his term where there were recorded more than 500 participants: the largest in the parish history. Participation in the Eucharist strengthened during his term as the LITES Team had reached out to the entire diocese of the said apostolate. In 2007, the Parish Cana Hall was constructed. It is also being used in non-religious functions aside from other religious functions. During the time of Fr. Mandy Tipones, SSS, the parish priest from 2008-2011, LITES became even more active. Being the Spiritual Director of the Catechists in the First Vicariate, he urged the parishes in the vicariate that all catechists must undergo the Life in the Eucharist Seminar. It was in his time that a canopy was added as an extension to the church façade to accommodate the growing number of churchgoers. Side by side with the charism of the Sacramentinos which is the devotion to the Holy Eucharist, devotion to the Holy Family is also aimed to be propagated. In 2011, Victor Buenconsejo composed for this parish the Himno para sa Sagrada Familia. Three years later it was first sung and played in the parish. On December 28, 2014, Liturgical Feast of the Holy Family, Br. Reynaldo Acabado, SSS and Rev. Choi Castañeda, SSS initiated the holding of the annual SAYAW KA-PANAL or the Sayaw Pasasalamat sa KAomawan kan PAmilyang BaNAL. It is a thanksgiving street ritual dance-procession in honor of the Holy Family. Victor “Junvic” Diolata, Jr., SSS, was the fifth Sacramentino parish priest from 2011-2017. Remarkable in his term is the reconstruction and renovation of the present parish church due to the growing number of pilgrims and devotees although his predecessors already planned of doing such. Works began on March 19, 2014 (Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary). A soft blessing of the main altar was held on November 28, 2015. On August 22, 2016 (Feast of the Queenship of Mary), Most Rev. Joel Baylon, D.D., Bishop of Legazpi led the Solemn Blessing and Dedication of the newly renovated and reconstructed parish church structure. The church structure is fully furnished and beautified during the term of the sixth parish priest, Rev. Anthony Riosa, SSS. Other details on the interior and the exterior of the church were added during his term most especially the grotto of the Holy Family. Thonn, as he is fondly called, continued building the spiritual aspect of the parish as his predecessors did. He continued on maintaining the charism of the Sacramentino in the devotion to the Eucharist and on strengthening the devotion to the Holy Family. At present, the parish priest is Rev. Clifford Barrios, SSS who began his term in 2019 succeeding Fr. Riosa, SSS.
