Retired Hagonoeño Priest visited by Seminarians

KAKATHA News Events 2012

Dated: August 23, 2012

Fr. Bartolome Saguinsin Bernabe has
been a priest for 49 years. He shall be
celebrating his Golden Sacerdotal Jubilee
in 2013.

PLARIDEL, BULACAN - Last August 23, 2012 the class of the fourth year college seminarians of the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary's Philosophy Department had its annual Dalaw Pari as a partial requirement for their class on Priestly Spirituality and Discernment. Sem. Kendrick Ivan B. Panganiban (San Pedro) is a member of this class and he was the one who contacted for Rev. Fr. Bartolome Saguinsin Bernabe, a native of Sto. Rosario, Hagonoy, Bulacan.

      Fr. Bernabe received the class in his home at Sta. Monica Subdivision in Sto. Niño, Plaridel, Bulacan. The group chatted with Fr. Bernabe on his vocation story and how he was able to move from place to place in his priestly ministry. In line with what he said, he began as one the pioneer priests of the Diocese of Malolos when it was established in 1962. He served as a parochial vicar in the Diocese of Malolos until one of the Hagonoeño priests, Rev. Fr. Tranquilino Castro Cruz (Sta. Monica), a military chaplain with the rank of general who was then President of the Kapatiran ng Kapariang Taga-Hagonoy, Inc. asked him to enter the Military Ordinariate. Fr. Bernabe served as a military chaplain for about 20 years. When he decided to retire, he wished to go back to Bulacan, yet he was invited by the Most Rev. Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., D.D., Bishop of Kalookan (former Auxiliary Bishop of Malolos) to serve in his Diocese. With this he was assigned as an associate priest at San Jose de Navotas Parish. After his stay in that Diocese he spent his later years of retirement in Bulacan where the diocesan clergy of Malolos welcomed him back with open arms.

     Yet a grave part of Fr. Bernabe's life is his struggle with his eyes which have left him completely unable to see. At present his family is able to help him for his needs and they come together for the Holy Eucharist, for which Fr. Bernabe is able to do with the help of his sister dictating the prayers to him. Truly Fr. Bernabe's life is a testament of faith for all the years that he has struggled with the challenges that he had made him more holy.

     The Dalaw Pari of the Philosophy IV class was a success with Fr. Bernabe's family who prepared a meal for the seminarians in light of Fr. Bernabe's 76th birthday that was to be celebrated the next day, feast of St. Bartholomew to whom Fr. Bernabe is named. This event was a remarkable vision of the fatherly love of a Hagonoeño priest. KAKATHA News Admin