Parishes
St. Joseph the Husband Parish
Rizal, Nueva Ecija
VISION:
Kaming mga mananampalataya ng Parokya ni San Jose, pinagbubuklod ng banal na espiritu sa patnubay n gaming mahal na Patron, ay nagpapahalaga sa biyaya ng Diyos, maunlad, nagdadamayan, makatao at makakalikasan.
MISSION:
Pagsasabuhay ng tunay na diwa ng Damayang Kristiyano.
BEGINNINGS:
Rizal officially became a town in 1901. Before 1901, it was a part of Bongabon town. In the early years, the main bulk of the population belong to the Aglipayan Church which was the first established religion in Rizal. It is only in 1935 that the presence of the Roman Catholic Church was established in Rizal. The church was at first located on the foot of the hill overlooking the Rizal Centrl School. It was located in the general vicinity of the lot owned by the Guerrero family along Alvarez St. in the vacant lot beside the present Pantabangan Bonari Masonic Lodge.
This very church was under the administration of the Diocese of San Fernando, under Bishop Madriaga. A year later in 1936, the very first priest was assigned in St. Joseph Parish Church. He was Rev. Fr. Simeon Ginete. The church was moved from its location to its second location on a “Camarin” type house owned by Mrs. Elvie Berin Tan. From this place the church was moved to its present location on the corner of Quezon St. and Aglipay St. This lot was donated by the Aleta family. Rev. Fr. Ginete also began the construction of the present day church.
1n 1941, during the outbreak of WWII, Rev. Fr. Gregorio Liwag replaced Fr. Ginete, who was then succeeded by Rev. Fr. Florencio Tantoco, who was also replaced by Rev. Fr. Delfin Bernabe, an Army Chaplain, he was then replaced by Fr. Celso Guevarra, then followed by Rev. Fr. Vicente de Leon who stayed in the parish for 12 years. It is during the tenure of Fr. De Leon that the Diocese of Nueva Ecija was divided into two. The Diocese of Cabanatuan was formed in the south and the Diocese of San Jose in the north. The first bishop of the Diocese of San Jose was the Most Rev. Florentino Cinense, and then replaced by the Most Rev. Leo Drona in July 1987, and in May 2005, Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara took over as the new bishop of the diocese.
TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES:
Rizal is situated in the North-Eastern part of the province of Nueva Ecija, where it lies 36 kms from the capital city of the province, Cabanatuan. The town is 153 kms from Manila and 16 kms away from San Jose City. It is bounded on the North by the municipality of Pantabangan, on the East by the municipality of Bongabon, on the West by the municipality of Llanera and San Jose City, on the South by the municipality of Natividad. It is the gateway to the gigantic Pantabangan Dam, a man-made dam.
ADMINISTRATION:
The successions of priest are as follows: After Rev. Fr. Vicente de Leon
Rev. Fr. Bonifacio Flores July 1980 – December 1985
Msgr. Rolando Mabutol December 1985 – June 1989
Rev. Fr. Renato Santos June 1989 – August 1991 as church administrator
Rev. Fr. Ruben Ortiz August 1991 – May 1993 as church administrator
Rev. Fr. Marcelito Paez May 1993 – April 1994
Rev. Fr. Nestor Romano April 1994 – May 1997
Rev. Fr. Francis Umalin May 1997 – May 1998 as church administrator for 1 year because Fr. Bong was given sabbatical leave
because of an illness in the bone of his neck.
Rev. Fr. Nestor Romano May 1998 – May 2000 resuming and completing his term as parish priest.
Rev. Fr. Marcelito Paez May 2000 – May 2007
Rev. Fr. Ruben Ortiz May 2007 – November 2007
Rev. Fr. Menardo Natividad November 2007 - present