The Beginnings:
Before 1961, the Roman Catholics in Socorro joined the Philippine Independent Church (IFI) because there was no Catholic Church yet in the locality.
The restoration of the Catholic Church in Socorro began only in 1961 when a cooperative movement called "Unitary" was launched. The fore-runners of this movement were mostly Catholics headed by Mr. Mesias Mahomoc. And the restoration of the Catholic Church was one of the agenda of the movement. Then, in the following years a Catholic chapel was constructed right in the poblacion. Fr. Jose van Asperen, MSC, was the one who blessed the chapel since he was the parish priest of Dapa at that time; and Socorro was still under the Dapa Parish.
One November 19, 1964, the Catholic chapel was destroyed by supertyphoon "Louis". So by 1965, a new chapel was constructed right on the spot where the present Catholic Church is erected (1989). During this time Sunday services were handled by a lay-liturgist, since the parish priest of Dapa could visit only once a month.
Sometime in 1979, the present Catholic Church was constructed under the financial sponsorship of Fr. John Rutgers, SVD, the parish priest of Dapa at that time. The financial counterpart of the Catholic community in the locality was very minimal. The construction was supervised by Mr. Dionisio Ruaya and Mr. Warlto Noguerra. And it was Fr. Eduardo Rocha, SVD, who blessed the newly finished Church sometime in 1980. After Fr. Rocha, came Fr. Gil Espuelas, SVD, then Fr. Briggs Angngasing, SVD, who is the present parish priest of Dapa.
Before 1961, the Roman Catholics in Socorro joined the Philippine Independent Church (IFI) because there was no Catholic Church yet in the locality.
The restoration of the Catholic Church in Socorro began only in 1961 when a cooperative movement called "Unitary" was launched. The fore-runners of this movement were mostly Catholics headed by Mr. Mesias Mahomoc. And the restoration of the Catholic Church was one of the agenda of the movement. Then, in the following years a Catholic chapel was constructed right in the poblacion. Fr. Jose van Asperen, MSC, was the one who blessed the chapel since he was the parish priest of Dapa at that time; and Socorro was still under the Dapa Parish.
One November 19, 1964, the Catholic chapel was destroyed by supertyphoon "Louis". So by 1965, a new chapel was constructed right on the spot where the present Catholic Church is erected (1989). During this time Sunday services were handled by a lay-liturgist, since the parish priest of Dapa could visit only once a month.
Sometime in 1979, the present Catholic Church was constructed under the financial sponsorship of Fr. John Rutgers, SVD, the parish priest of Dapa at that time. The financial counterpart of the Catholic community in the locality was very minimal. The construction was supervised by Mr. Dionisio Ruaya and Mr. Warlto Noguerra. And it was Fr. Eduardo Rocha, SVD, who blessed the newly finished Church sometime in 1980. After Fr. Rocha, came Fr. Gil Espuelas, SVD, then Fr. Briggs Angngasing, SVD, who is the present parish priest of Dapa.