Bais San Nicloas de Tolentino Parish Church

 Bais was organized into an independent town in 1801 but some time passed before it would be established as a parish by the Augustinian Recollects.

Before November 1872, the town was under the parish of Tanjay and, a few years later, of Manjuyod. Nevertheless, the parish priest of Manjuyod continued to minister to the town until it was appointed its down spiritual administrator beginning 1873.

A book on the evangelization work of Augustinian Recollects in Negros, “Handurawan: Visita Iglesia Negros Y Recoletos,” said Fr. Benigno Jimenez took over in April 1873 as the first Recollect parish priest.

Church beginnings

During his tenure, a modest convent and chapel made of bamboo and nipa was built and used by the town for close to three years. He later built a wooden convent and fortified the chapel with bricks but these were destroyed during a strong storm in 1874.

Fr. Jimenez worked on the church reconstruction using strong materials and his successor priests contributed through improvements and renovations.

A need was seen, however, for an even bigger church to accommodate the growing population of the parish.

Modern edifice

Upon the instruction of the bishop in 1891, plans for the building of a modern church following the design of the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral in Dumaguete started in earnest.

The present lot church was a generous donation by the family of Don Romualdo Somoza  Since the sourcing of materials during the term of Fr. Manuel Guillormo in 1891 to the start of work in December 1892 overseen by then parish priest Fr. Guillermo Garcia and its subsequent completion and succeeding renovations from the mid to late 20th century, this third reconstruction of the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino remains standing today in Bais.

Improvements on the structure were made possible by the generous support of devoted parishioners and other generous souls in the province and abroad. The Bais church is one of the beautiful churches in Negros and hosts an old statue of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. 

stole the 70-year-old tabernacle of San Nicolas De Tolentino Parish IN 2019 

Two hours before the first mass at San Nicolas De Tolentino Church in Bais City, Negros Oriental, lay minister Rolando did not feel right.

When he saw the church's door slightly open, he peeked in and saw a man carrying away the church's tabernacle.

Rolando said he did not come near the person out of fear. When he finally approached the altar, he was distressed to find that the tabernacle—a locked box where the Blessed Sacrament is kept—had indeed been stolen.

He immediately reported the incident to the parish priest, Monsignor Ramon Duran.

"That's so precious for us, the very precious treasure in our life as Christians. Nung nalaman ko na nangyari 'yun, I was so disappointed, I was so depressed. Nalulungkot ako, naaawa ako sa mga tao sa parokya kasi they will have to sacrifice, walang misa dito, at least for 30 days siguro, depende sa Bishop," Duran told Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

Duran said he also felt bad for the thief.

"Naawa rin ako sa offender kasi 'yung consequence, yung ginawa niya is offense against religion. Sa Canon Law 1367. You are no longer part of the church, you cannot receive all the sacraments, so talagang tanggal na kayo sa Simbahan, unless otherwise there is total remorse that he is willing do reparation for the sin he has done," he said.

Under "Delicts against religion and the unity of the Church," Canon 1367 states that "A person who throws away the consecrated species or takes or retains them for a sacrilegious purpose incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; moreover, a cleric can be punished with another penalty, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state."

Theft

San Nicolas De Tolentino Church is 147 years old, and possesses valuable artifacts that thieves had taken interest in several times.

The church's monstrance at the Adoration chapel was previously stolen. Just last January, the head and the hands of the image of San Jose were also looted.

It has been said that the recent thefts have something to do with the Lenten season—Duran said that "healers" or albularyos would use such blessed items as  ingredients in their medicines.

"Usually siguro iba 'yan, parang hearsay, but in reality talagang nangyari 'yun," he said. 

"Some of the quack doctors o albularyo, they used to get some sacred things, especially the Blessed Sacrament, because they believe that the power of the consecrated host is very powerful, that it can heal any kind of illnesses, so that's why for them that's the very special ingredient of their medicine," he said.

Acts of Reparation

The tabernacle that was stolen is 70 years old and has an estimated value of P300,000.

To make amends for the travesty, the Archdiocese of Dumaguete demanded that the church suspend Mass and perform Acts of Reparation.

"The bishop advised me to suspend; walang misa muna. And then, he told me to do the Acts of Reparation: rosary, holy hour, and do a holy procession around the church," said Duran.

"'For the mean time, I will give you three days' suspension for masses. Then pray hard that we can recover the tabernacle, especially the Sacred Sacrament,'" the monsignor recalled the bishop saying.

The church reported the theft to the police.

Recovering the tabernacle

Some hours after the tabernacle was reported stolen, a worker at a sugarcane plantation in Barangay La Paz noticed pieces of consecrated host scattered on the road.

"Nanikip 'yung dibdib ko. Hindi ko maintindihan ‘yung nararamdaman ko na ‘yung ostia nagkalat," said Cristino Esmerom.

Esmerom followed the trail of the sacramental bread, and it led him to the missing tabernacle of San Nicolas De Tolentino Parish, left on the ground.

Esmerom had heard the news about the stolen tabernacle on the radio.

"Sira ang lock pero ang nagalaw lang ay ‘yung ostia pero hindi nila nabuksan; may basag lang. Akala ko tinapon lang talaga ‘yun," he said.

Esmerom and his friend went straight to the church to report their discovery. "Kaya ‘yun natuwa sila, 'Ay salamat nakita na! Sinong nakakita?' Tapos tinuro niya ako. Kaya sabi 'Samahan siya! Samahan siya!' Kaya pumunta kami dito. Gumawa sila nghealing. Lahat umiyak dito. Ako rin na tinitignan ko lang, tumulo rin ang luha ko," he said. 

But who stole the tabernacle?

Confession

Jessie Jamito, who works at the vulcanizing shop beside the church, said he saw two men outside the place of worship with a motorcycle pedicab at around 11 p.m. on March 11.

"Diyan sila nakatayo dalawa. ‘Yung isa nag-drive. Ang isa nandun sa gilid, nakatayo. Oo, kahina-hinala talaga ‘yung kilos nila," he said.

Jamito said that the two men looked scared, but he did not witness them with the tabernacle.

"Yung nahuli, namukhaan ko ‘yung nahuli. ‘Yung isa, hindi makita, madilim talaga diyan," he said.

The police's investigation eventually led them to two teenagers, who were seen outside the church on the night of the incident.

Maynard, 15, said that his friend Ramil invited him to go to the park, where they saw the church's open gate.

Ramil said he felt like someone was whispering and commanding him to go inside the church.

"Parang may bumubulong na, 'Pasukin mo ‘yan! Pasukin mo ‘yan! Tapos pumasok kami diyan sa simbahan, ‘yun lang po. Iba kasi ‘yung relihiyon ko kaya ko kinuha ‘yun. Akala ko walang halaga ‘yun," he said.

Maynard said he tried to stop Ramil but Ramil insisted that the tabernacle had money inside it, so they grabbed it and made off with it in their pedicab.

"Sinabihan ko siya na, 'Huwag mong nakawin ‘yun. 'Makonsensiya ka at grabeng kasalanan sa Diyos.' Sabi niya, 'Pera ang nasa loob, Jom, pera daw. Sinasabi ko sa kanya, 'Hindi ‘yun pera ang nasa loob.' Sabi niya pera daw kaya pinagpatuloy naming dalhin," said Maynard.

They went to the sugarcane plantation, where they forced open the box.

When Maynard and Ramil found out that there was no money inside, they left it on the ground.

Maynard said he felt guilty, but that he was scared to give it back.

"Marami na ang tao pagbalik namin. Natatakot, nakonsensiya ako, hindi ako makatulog. Hindi ako pinapatulog ng Panginoon," he said.

Police Superintendent Marcial Yanguas Chiel said that charges of theft have been filed against the two youths.

Forgiveness

Duran said the bishop asked them to find charitable ways to help the offenders.

"'Saka pag makulong, Monsignor, pwede ba sana just for a week? Para lang turuan ng leksyon na hindi talaga maganda ang ginagawa nila, especially the desecration of sacred things,'" Duran recalled the bishop saying.

Ramil and Maynard asked for forgiveness and showed remorse for stealing the tabernacle.

Duran added that the San Nicolas De Tolentino Church is "not a condemning church."

"We are a forgiving church, so we are so open for acceptance...with open arms we are welcoming all those people who asked for forgiveness and acceptance of the church," he said. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/BM, GMA News