Chaplaincy status sought for Queen of Peace Church

St. John’s Institute, through its Board of Trustees, is seeking the reversion of the Queen of Peace Church, more popularly known as Hua Ming Church, from a parish to a chapel from the Diocese of Bacolod, their press release said yesterday.

BOT president Cesar Villanueva said the move, supported by the SJI community, is in keeping with the wishes of the late Msgr. John Su, one of the school’s founders, to bring the Church back to the school to serve as the foundation of the students’ growth in the Catholic faith.

In his letter to then Bishop Vicente Navarra in 2012, Msgr. Su sought the transfer of the Queen of Peace Church’s parochial title to the Redemptorist Church, a property owned by the Diocese of Bacolod and within the same territory.

Msgr. Su died the following year with his request not addressed.

Hua Ming came into being when Msgrs. Su and John Liu were assigned to Bacolod in the 60’s and set up the Chinese Mission Apostolate Center and eventually built the chapel in a lot donated by the Montelibanos. It was primarily intended to nurture Catholicism among the Filipino-Chinese community in the city, the press release said.

The Church, the school, and the community thrived under the management and direction of the founding priests and the support of the Chinese community especially the donors some of whom were not even Catholics.

In 1989, the Queen of Peace Church was elevated from a chaplaincy to a parish.

More than two decades later, however, Msgr. Su expressed his wish to have it reverted to chaplaincy status, due to the perception that “parochial activities” have “hampered” the administration of the school.

In his communication to Bishop Navarra, Msgr. Su said “that the Queen of Peace church will continue to be a place where Filipino Chinese community gathers to worship as one, and where they be administered the sacraments, be instructed about the faith and be enriched in Christian life”.

“In keeping with the trust of the donors who in truth are the real owners of SJI, the Queen of Peace Church cannot be separated” from the only Filipino Chinese Catholic school in Bacolod City if it is to achieve the goal to “put together the Chinese teachings and philosophy in the context of the teachings of the Church,” he said.

The BOT assured churchgoers that all who wish to attend mass and worship the Lord in keeping with Msgr. Su’s wishes are welcome at the chapel.

Villanueva said that, along with this request is also their hope that the Diocese, through newly-appointed Bishop Patrick Buzon, will allow them to choose a religious congregation of their choice that will partner with them in managing the affairs of both the church and the school in a manner attuned to the founding fathers’ mission and vision, the press release added.