First Church Visit Blessing
By: Nonnette C. Bennett
Among the perks of travel are church visits for the first time. Classmates take advantage of making wishes and receiving divine favor. So it was, saying thanksgiving prayers and making the wish are among the rituals one practices, at the Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Sta. Filomena, Dipolog City.
Having missed the Sunday mass, our motley group of ladies of the Bishop Carlito J. Cenzon Foundation eagerly entered the church to send petitions of forgiveness for what is considered a mortal sin.
God’s intercession after forgetting the change from the purchase of the durian fruit from the roadside fruit stall brought the van to the church. We were all happy and feeling blessed for the coincidental return.
AI said that beliefs surrounding a first church visit often associate it with spiritual blessings, such as a deeper connection to God, community, and a sense of peace. While not a formal doctrine, some traditions hold that a first visit is a moment to make wishes or receive divine favor. Ultimately, many see a first visit as a step toward building a stronger spiritual foundation through prayer, community, and learning about faith.
According to historical data, the chapel was a divine prodding when one moonless night sometime in 1933, the late Rafael Jabonillo who lived in Galas Gamay, a sitio of barrio Galas also known as Galas Dako, in his deep slumber dreamt about a wooden statue of Santa Filomena being kept in a wooden chest locally known as “kaban” of a certain friend in sitio Baybay. In his dream, Jabonillo was said to have been requested by the blessed lady to build a chapel for her.
Rafael related to his brothers and a sister who resided nearby. Subsequently, he went to his friend in Baybay an adjacent sitio, and found the 12-inch wooden image of Santa Filomena placed in a wooden chest or “kaban”.
The concerted effort of the small community contributed time and indigenous materials like nipa and bamboo to build the first chapel on the very lot where the present Santa Filomena church now stands. The anniversary is celebrated every August 10th where after the holy mass each family has a banquet.
The relic of Santa Filomena is found in the church. This relic is said to miraculously heal cancer and other diseases because this is how Santa Filomena was known in Italy for her intercession for those afflicted with diseases.
When in Dipolog City after shopping at the Montaño Sardine Factory or the likes, visit this church as part of the tour of Dapitan and the city. Make your wish and wait for the divine favor too.
