Msgr. Bitanga, 93, is laid to rest
Msgr. Leon Ver Bitanga, who passed away last April 19, 2007, was finally laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Park on April 22, 2007. He was 93 years old. He served as the director of the St. John’s School and spearheaded the construction of the new St. John’s Cathedral in Dagupan City.
A popular priest among Dagupenos, many regularly flocked to his celebration of the Holy Mass at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish Church in Bonuan, Dagupan City Cathedral, and at the Colegio de Dagupan church.
Born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, he was ordained as a priest in 1938 at age 24. He had been assigned in Pangasinan ever since.
At the time of his death, he was a protonotary apostolic which is the highest rank of a monsignor.
Bitanga 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 the first priest ordained in 1938 by Bishop Mariano Madriaga in Lingayen, and was the last known survivor of the classmates at the seminary who became priests.
He was appointed parish priest of Sta. Maria, Pangasinan at the age of 25, and, and was transferred to Basista to be its parish priest.
Bitanga, the youngest in a brood of 10, was the last to survive in the family.
Six months before he passed away, he said “there¹s nothing more I 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.
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