St. Mark the Evangelist Parish – Linao, Ormoc City

ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST PARISH, Linao, Ormoc City has experienced so much change since her canonical erection as a parish. (Refer to the short history of Brgy, Linao). As an LGU, it has evolved from a sleepy coastal village of Ormoc to a well-populated and busy one.

In the late 1980’s and 1990’s thru the initiative of Msgr. Jaime Villanueva and Msgr. Ben Sabillo. The past parish priest of Sts. Peter and Paul parish, the mother parish of Linao, were preparing the grounds for Linao’s establishment as a parish. The chapel site was defined. The Brgy. Chapel was repaired. Chapel officers were inducted. The catholic faithful were made aware of it.

In 2002, the late Msgr. Ben Bacierra, the parish priest then of Sts. Peter and Paul parish where Brgy. Linao belongs, officially endorsed it to the office of the Archbishop as a mission station. The Archbishop of Palo, the Most Rev. Pedro R. Dean, Jr. D.D., really accepted Linao as one of Palo’s mission station after the pre-requisite deliberations. As if the process was not that tedious for the said Brgy. Has been well prepared years back.

Thus, Fr. Michael Arevalo in 2002 was the 1st priest tasked to handle the affairs of the mission station. Fr. Mike was the in-charge; but he didn’t reside in Linao though. Programs were introduced. Regular mass schedules were drawn. The catholic faithful were made aware of their duties and obligations.

In February of 2002, the 2nd priest tasked to cater to the spiritual needs of this practically new mission station was Fr. Dennis Soon, a native Ormoc. He actively involve the people in all the spiritual activities and even civic. He really lived with the people in the community. Thus, everyone felt the community as a real parish herself. The Brgy. Chapel was transformed into a beautiful church. Some improvements were introduced. The simple rectory was constructed right at the back of the church. Fund raising was initiated. Many religious organizations were established. (But a freak accident happened the rectory was partly burned).

In 2003, the Curia of the Archbishop of Palo together with the Archbishop himself thought of creating Brgy. Linao as a parish separate from Sts. Peter and Paul after all the documents were in placed. Thus without a second thought, the late Rt. Rev. Msgr. Benjamin Bacierra, P.A., a Vicar General and Parish Priest of Sts. Peter and Paul parish confidently endorsed Brgy. Linao as a parish with less problems at all.

Rev. Fr. Jonathan Chavez was installed as the 1st parish priest of the newly erected parish of St. Mark the Evangelist, Linao, Ormoc City. It was during his term that the seawall that protected the parish rectory was destroyed by a strong typhoon. He stayed in the parish for three (3) years before he moved to Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Valencia, Ormoc City in 2006. In May of 2006, Fr. Joselito Laurente got appointed as the parish priest of Linao. He reconstructed the seawall that would serve as a protection to the rectory and the parish church. And in 2010, Fr. Gerald T. Alcantara assumed the pastorship of the parish. It was then that he started the construction of the humble parish rectory fronting Ormoc bay. The newly appointed Archbishop of Palo, the Most Rev. John F. Du, D.D. blessed the new rectory on July 20, 2012.

Up to the present, many religious organizations are cropping up. While the old ones remain strong and steadfast in their faith and commitment to the Lord under the guidance of St. Mark the Evangelist, the others are catching up in their activities in the parish.