By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

On the feast day of its patroness, the Queen of Peace of Church will officially be “de-parished” and, after more than four decades, will no longer be considered by the Catholic hierarchy as a place of worship after a final mass is celebrated today.
Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon will officiate the mass at 10:00 a.m., after which, he will read a decree withdrawing of the status of parish church, shrine, and school chapel.
The decree also calls for the removal of the Blessed Sacrament from the building, which will disallow the celebration of masses and sacraments.
Negotiations between Buzon and the St. John’s Institute (SJI) Board of Trustees, earlier this month, failed because of “irreconcilable differences in principles and position.”
The decree also removes the status of SJI as a Catholic school, which has caused school alumni and members of the local Chinese community to protest the Bishop’s decision.
However, in a joint statement between Buzon and Benjamin Lopue, Jr., chairman of the SJI Board, they have agreed to pursue a “peaceful disengagement of relationship that will start by May 31.”/WDJ