Vision and Mission

VISION:

“A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, UNITED IN THE SAME BELIEF, FULLY DEVELOPED, GOD-LOVING AND RESPONSIBLE THAT PRAYS, TEACHES, AND SERVES IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHURCH AND EFFECTIVE IN SPREADING THE WORD OF GOD.”

MISSION:

WE THE FAITHFUL OF ST. JOSEPH PARISH, INSPIRED BY THE WORD OF GOD AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH COMMIT OURSELVES TO HELP ONE ANOTHER:
1. TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE PARISHIONERS THAT WITH MOTHER MARY AND ST. JOSEPH LOVE AND WORSHIP GOD, UNITED WITH HIM IN HOLY EUCHARIST;

2. TO BECOME INFORMED, FORMED, TRANSFORMED PARISHIONERS WITH DEEP CHRISTIAN VALUES, WHO ARE EVANGELIZED AND EVANGELIZING, CATECHIZED AND CATECHIZING, LIBERATED AND LIBERATING; AND

3. TO LIVE IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND SERVICE FOR OTHERS AS WE GROW IN FAITH AND UNDERTAKE THE EVANGELICAL TASK OF TOTAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.

ST. JOSEPH, Our Patron Saint

(Note: The following story, excerpts from an unknown source considering a rotten scratch paper picked-up by the unknown writer, which seemed to be a paper wrapper thrown out along Magsaysay St., of Barangay Lungsoda-an in which, some parts of it were no longer readable having been terribly wet and tear-off.)

Joseph is a Jewish working man. He comes from the tribe of Judah, the family of David. The Bible calls Joseph a just man, for he spends his life in conformity with the will of God.

His great faith in God is shown when he accepts without question the role that God gives him. God assigns him to be the head of the family, for whom Jesus is a member. As head of the family, he becomes the protector and provider for Jesus and his mother.

The humble, obedient faith of God’s great servants like Moses and Abraham, is found also in Joseph. Because of his concern for others, he heeds the call of God to be of service to the people.

Today, as Patron of the Universal Church (Pope Pius IX proclaimed him in 1870), St. Joseph still continues his role as guardian of Christ in the Church. He continues his mission of service to the people. According to Matthew (13:55), Joseph was a carpenter. It is almost certain that he died before Jesus’ public ministry began. He is never named during this period when other relatives are mentioned. Moreover, when Jesus was dying on Calvary, he entrusted Mary to the care of St. John, indicating that she was then a widow…(this was the portion no longer readable having been wet and tear-off).

Husband of Mary.

Joseph and Mary, being truly married, possessed full marriage over each other like any other husband and wife, although by common consent they abstained from use of those rights. The ultimate theological reason why Jesus was to be born of a virgin mother was that, as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, He had been generated from all eternity by God the Father. However, God wanted Jesus to be born within human family. Joseph though not his father the physical senses, was linked to Jesus by spiritual bonds of fatherly love, authority and service. Jesus belonged to Joseph’s family and the relationship is expressed by describing Joseph as the foster father, the virginal father or the legal father of Jesus.

After the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph is our most powerful intercessor before God. St. Joseph faithfully cared for his family, Jesus and Mary. No sacrifice was too great for him. Now Jesus shows him His gratitude by granting our requests through St. Joseph’s intercession.

The Great Silent One.

Joseph is called the man of deep silence. He came and went did his work, and gave orders in his home in a kindly way, with a purpose which had matured in him after he had learned the divine will, after he had tried to study what the Lord wanted. His way of giving orders was to make a slight sign, to give a slight hint of what seemed to him to be the will of God. This man of deep silence occupies as first among the saints, and what an amount of wisdom his mind contained!

In an inexpressible manner, St. Joseph was and is a faithful cooperator in the redemption of the world. He is the foster father of Jesus and His provider, the defender of the Virgin Mother of God, the rescuer of the threatened life of the Savior, the protector of the Universal Church, the confident and hope of innumerable souls who have recourse to him.

Lungsoda-an...

Lungsoda-an…
A Visayan Term for Old Town

Barangay Lungsoda-an, was then the site of the Municipality of Hinundayan, Southern Leyte. Why it was transferred to the present location now, is a fascinating story as told by an aging folk. He would then, evidently with pride, earnestly narrate to anyone interested the untold heroism of the early Hinundayanons, a couple of years past.

Facing the enormous Pacific Ocean in the East and dwarfed by the unknown Mt. Kantawoktok in the West, the peaceful town of Hinundayan can be reached after a five hour ride from Maasin, the Capital town of Southern Leyte. Mostly viewed by the 144km. journey along the parsley-paved roads, a rice farmlands that are almost immediately walled by the mountains. Lungsoda-an is less than a kilometer from Poblacion, having been cut by the Camunga-an River in the South. Even before the turn of the centuries Lungsoda-an has been at the top among rice-producing barangays of Hinundayan, whose area is about 933,707 square meters.

Hinundayan was one of the Visayan villages that experienced the fury of the Muslims Marauders during the 17th and 18th centuries. The shoreline of the town which curves to form a small bay is an inviting resort for refuge to imperiled bathers. The mile long beach grants an excellent atmosphere to any campers or picnickers. Thus, the Muslims might have this idea when they made their unforgettable stopover.

The people were just alarmed one day, when a flotilla of Muslim vintas made the most unexpected landing, supposedly to fetch fresh water. Upon learning that the place was populated, the relentless pirates moved to plunder the town.

The Muslims, entering the river, sailed nearer but viewing a resistance from the distance, positioned themselves in the bank opposite the Markadero. What ensued was a great battle between the Hinundayan Christians and Muslims, unknown in our history. The hole-wielding defenders, though greatly swarmed, fought valiantly to the great surprise of the Muslims. Some defenders were said to be stone-bodied and the pirates found it futile to pierce their “Kris and Kampilan”.

All the efforts of the defenders were directed to prevent the Muslims from pushing through, for a breakthrough for them, would mean perile or death to the many people inside the town Church. After almost a day of heavy encounter, the defense seemed to weaken. Heroes steadily lost their courage.

A few defenders languid and demoralized having perceived the futility of further resistance, fled away. Only a handful of heroes remained and fought to the last breath. The Muslims sensing victory, found new energy and became more ferocious in crashing the waning adversaries. At sunset, the skirmishes were over. The triumphant pirates then advanced, razed the houses and lotting everything including domesticated animals. The church was not spared. A few families were able to escape before it was burned down. Many people perished in the fire together with statues of images of Saints in the altar.

The pirates were astonished when they saw

the image of Saint Joseph remained unscathed after the whole church was razed down to the ground.

They dragged the image and tried to crush it into pieces with the use of an axe, but to no avail. So, they threw it away somewhere near the church. The Muslims, enjoying the deserted farmland of the place, choose to reside for months before leaving. They waited the harvest time of the crops principally, corn. Their enjoyment was undisturbed by any threat from the Spaniards, but they could not penetrate the neighboring pueblos. They then sailed away after harvesting the crops and never set foot again in Hinundayan. They attempted to carry the “Lingganay” (The Golden Bell of the Church) along with them, but any boat would then can capsize once loaded with the very precious load. The Golden Bell fell into the deep river and thy never were able to retrieve it.

The families who fled to the mountains and those of the neighboring villages, begun to settle again. They rebuild the badly plundered church. They were able to recover the image of Saint Joseph. Many had attempted to retrieve the Golden Bell from the river, but all were in vain. The Golden Bell would periodically show its glitter from the deep river but then would vanish when anyone attempts to find it.

Weeks after the people had settled down, they unanimously resolved to move the town opposite Camunga-an River. It was a more spacious place than the previous site. They named the town Hinundayan (“Ang Hinungdan, Dayan-dayan…) to honor the fallen defenders during the siege. Naturally, the old place was appropriately called, “LUNGSODA-AN”, a Visayan term for Old Town.