Church of the Nativity

Pastor Fr. Agustin Opalalic

Pastor
Phone: 858-756-1911
Email: Click Here to Email

Father Agustin T. Opalalic is a Teacher and a Pastor. Ordained forty three years ago on December 20, 1977 in Dolores, Eastern Samar, Philippines he ministered in the Diocese of Borongan as a Teacher in the minor seminary, Seminario de Jesus Nazareno, for three years (1978-1981) and Rector of the College Seminary, The Nativity of Our Lady College Seminary for seven years (2001-2008). The former was his first assignment after ordination and the latter his last, before coming to the United States of America in 2008.
In between the years as seminary formator he served as pastor in the towns of Quinapundan, Guiuan and Sulat (three large and old parishes in the in the Province of Eastern Samar, Philippines) and Administrator at the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua in Sulangan, Guiuan, Eastern Samar for three (3) months, besides working for his post graduate studies (1981-1982). In the first parish he constructed the church building and in the two others, he renovated the rectories. He also administered the parish school of the second and acted as its principal. The existing edifice of the college seminary was the last building he helped construct while still serving in his diocese of origin. While ministering in the third parish and administering the seminary, he simultaneously held the office of Judicial Vicar of the diocese until 2008.
He obtained an MA in theology from Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University in 1982, and in 1996 a doctoral degree in canon law (JCD) from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
On July 27, 2013 he was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Angels, San Diego, after serving as a resident priest at St. Mary’s Church, National City (2008-2009), Associate Pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Vista (2009-2011), Pastoral Administrator at Blessed Sacrament 2011-2012, Pastor St. Patrick Calipatria (to which he could not report due to health reasons) and for one year as Associate Pastor at the Church of Our Lady of Angels where he served as its Pastor for almost eight (8) years (2013-2021). Besides his pastoral ministry, he also served as the Defender of the Bond at the Tribunal and taught canon law courses at the Institute of the Diocese of San Diego. On July 1, 2021 he will assume his new pastoral ministry as the fourth Pastor of the Church of the Nativity Parish in Rancho Santa Fe. He is known as Fr. Gus and loves to play table and lawn tennis during his free time.