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Saturday, October 14, 2006

riot grabee! hehehehe

Priest, 92, still celebrating Mass in Pangasinan
By Eva Visperas
The Philippine Star 10/11/2006

DAGUPAN CITY — At “only” 92, Rev. Monsignor Leon Ver Bitanga is probably the oldest priest in Pangasinan, even if the other clerics tell their real age.

Bitanga is a retired parish priest but he still celebrates the Holy Mass every day, rain or shine. He retired from his official duties as a parish priest but he is still allowed to celebrate Mass.

“I am only 92 and my memory is fresh,” Bitanga said.

Gifted with a pleasant voice, Bitanga says Mass that is always a hit among parishioners and people look forward to the old priest singing the gospel. He gives short, lively and practical homilies.

Residents can catch Bitanga’s daily Mass at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish Church in Bonoan, Dagupan City Cathedral, and at the Colegio de Dagupan church.

Bitanga said when he sings, it is always with feeling.

He said he criticizes church choir members if they sing out of tune because “it gets into my nerves.”

The articulate and humorous Bitanga, who was ordained as a priest in 1938 at age 24, said his secret to longevity is that he eats everything but moderately.

He still loves to eat crispy pata, lechon, chicharon, dinuguan, sinampalukan and also drinks a little Fundador brandy and red wine daily, “because it’s good for the heart.”

Although Monsignor Bitanga now walks with a cane, he speaks and hears clearly, and does not need reading glasses. “I only use eyeglasses so I can look better,” he quips.

The monsignor, who was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, considers this city his second home because he had been assigned in Pangasinan since he was ordained 68 years ago.

He currently stays at the Villa San Raphael in Bonoan, a retirement home for priests where he has only a loyal male helper to attend to his needs.

Bitanga, a protonotary apostolic which is the highest rank of a monsignor, was once considered for promotion to bishop but he declined it. He said he knew how difficult it was to refuse it “but I am like a bishop because I am a protonotary apostolic.”

As senior monsignor, he also wears the vests of a bishop but he cannot ordain new priests and has no diocese.

FIRST IN MANY THINGS 

Bitanga said he belonged to the first batch that studied in the Mary Help of Christians Minor Seminary in Binmaley, Pangasinan when it opened in 1930.

He was already in junior high school in a minor seminary in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, when the late Rev. Fr. Isaias Edralin, who was a townmate and then parish priest of Lingayen, encouraged him to transfer to Binmaley.

Bitanga was also the first priest ordained in 1938 by Bishop Mariano Madriaga in Lingayen.

Among his batch of five seminarians who all became priests, he is the only one surviving.

He was ordained priest at age 24 and usually a church official would not ordain a candidate to priesthood if he is below 25 years old, so he got a dispensation or a formal authorization.

He was appointed parish priest of Sta. Maria, Pangasinan at the age of 25, which is considered a young age for a parish priest.

World War II came and after the liberation, Bitanga was transferred from Sta. Maria and became the parish priest of Basista which was a newly recognized town. Basista was a former barrio of San Carlos City before the war.

From there, he was assigned to many other parishes, even as far as Moncada, Tarlac, which was formerly part of the Lingayen archdiocese.

ALONE BUT NOT LONELY 

Bitanga, the youngest in a brood of 10, said he describes his priesthood life as happy, active and lively. He is the only one among the Bitanga family who is still alive.

He said despite his age, he can solve his problems easily, has strong faith in the Lord, has many friends, watches the basketball games of Purefoods Hotdogs, goes downtown daily to buy flowers and a copy of The Philippine STAR.

Asked why he likes reading The STAR, he said it’s because of Max Soliven, who is his favorite columnist.

Bitanga said he knew Soliven’s father, Benito Soliven, a former congressman of Ilocos Sur who is “one of the best we ever had and if he had not died, he would have succeeded (President) Elpidio Quirino.”

Bitanga’s father, Andres, was also presidente of their town twice.

He said he did not face any difficulty in his life because he was able to get along with everybody and he is loved by his bishop.

In fact, he proudly said that when Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz was assigned here, he asked around who among the local priests preaches the best, and Bitanga’s name was always the one mentioned.

Unlike other priests who have their anti-gambling crusade, Bitanga said he is not an anti-gambling advocate. He admitted that he bets in the lotto in the hope of winning the jackpot to replace his 20-year-old car. He said he bets in the Mega Lotto and the Super Lotto.

But he never bets on jueteng, otherwise, “if Archbishop Cruz learns that I bet on jueteng, I will be condemned.”

For Bitanga, who has been a priest for 68 long years, his advice to aspiring priests: “You must see to it that you are the most diligent in your studies, the most fervent in your prayers and the most enthusiastic in sports.”

He said there’s nothing more he could wish for “but I will just wait for eternity because there is an eternal life.”

“Heaven is our eternal home. I hope to see you there,” he said.