The big-hearted Kapampangan religious with a reputation for his boundless generosity and his enduring passion to serve God and people was born Sixto Malino Manaloto on 6 July 1891 in Capas, Tarlac. Though Tarlac-born, Fr. Manaloto would make a lasting impression on Magaleños, serving their parish for an unprecedented period of nearly 30 years.
The young Sixto found God’s calling early in life, and at
the age of 14, entered the Seminario de San Francisco Javier (the name given
by the Jesuits, upon their return to the Philippines, to Colegio de San José) in
1905. In the beginning of the school year 1911-1912, Manaloto, along with seminarians
Pedro Guevara, Felix Martin, Emilio de la Cruz and Santiago Talavera, were admitted to San Carlos
Seminary on Arzobispado Street beside the San Ignacio Church.
Hardly had he settled for a month in San Carlos when he and his fellow Carlistas were ordered to move back to San Francisco Javier as the Jesuit
administration of San Carlos lapsed on 17 August 1911. San Carlos would later be merged with San Francisco
Javier Seminary on Padre Faura St., until the latter’s closure in 1913.
That same year, San Carlos Seminary was transferred by Manila
Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty to a building in Mandaluyong, and would be put
in the charge of the Paules (Vincentians) . It was here that Manaloto finished
his studies in Sacred Theology and Philosophy. On 8 December 1915, feast of the
Immaculate Conception, Sixto Manaloto was ordained into priesthood by
Archbishop Harty himself.
Fresh from his ordination, the young prelate was sent off
to Pangasinan to undertake his first assignments in the municipalities of Agno
and Bani. Then , he hied off to his home province to minister in Victoria,
Tarlac, and then secured assignments in Pampanga—first in Sta. Ana, and then, in
1923, in Magalang, succeeding Fr. Felipe Romero. There, he would remain until his death.
As cura parocco of the San Bartolome Parish, Fr. Manaloto,
he is known for his major restoration works on the ancient church, including
the replacement of the supporting wooden columns of the lateral aisles with sturdier
concrete cement posts.
He also opened a parochial school that served the youths
of Magalang. Likewise, the good father sent poor, but deserving students to Manila,
many of whom eventually returned as professionals and became leaders of the
community. Fr. Manaloto also took to raising
foster children, a few of whom were his own nephews. He lived to celebrate his sacerdotal silver
jubilee of his ordination, with a big “boda de plata” party held in Magalang on
18 December 1940.
He died on 30 March 1952 at age 61, after serving his
beloved adopted town for 29 years and 7 days. A commemorative plaque can be
found in the church, which pays tribute to this magnanimous man of God and his
selfless contribution to the spiritual upliftment of Magalang and its people.
I supposed it is now the right time for his virtues and holiness mase known to all Filipinos especially Kapampangans whom he serve. I guess, why not have his cause for beatification be considered by the Archdiocese of San Fernando?
ReplyDeleteAmong Sixto was supposed to be executed by the Japanese during the war. But miraculous intervention of our patron saint, San Bartolome, he was able to escape from the brutality of Japanese.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing an article for ma great great grandfather.
ReplyDelete