Virgen de la Candelaria Mission Station – Bagacay, Tacloban City

In 1958, a lot with an area of 275 q m. located in Bagacay was donated to the Roman Catholic Church by spouses Tranquilino Eusebio and Clara Mendiolia (deceased) through “a Deed of Donation”. This would become the seat of Virgen De La Candelaria Mission Station. In the same year, Pedro C. Buclatan and family built a modest wooden structure to serve as a chapel and it was later recovered by Alberto Compas. On December 7, 2015, the Virgen de la Candelaria Mission Station was established with the formal installation of the first Priest-in-charge. The site was justifiably chosen because of its strategic location which is 9km from HLIC Tacloban accessible by jeeps, multi-cabs, and buses. More importantly, the spiritual welfare of the people is of utmost concern because of its growing population. The Titular Patron of the mission station is the “Virgen de la Candelaria” whose feast day we celebrate on February 2. The mission station also has a secondary patron, Sr. San Roque who is the original patron of barangay Bagacay, where the mission station church is situated. The mission station church celebrates the annual fiesta of Sr. San Roque which is a barangay fiesta, on August 23. Under the “pastoral jurisdiction” of the mission, the station is 11 neighboring barangays with 14 chapels. The mission station is bestowed the right and privilege to possess a tabernacle for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, to celebrate regularly the sacraments (especially the Mass) and to keep the canonical books. Unfortunately, on November 8, 2013, the physical structure of the mission station was badly damaged due to typhoon Yolanda. And with the significant increase of population, there is now a great need to construct a new and bigger physical structure of the mission station church.