It was truly a sad day for many Mangaldanians when news of Msgr . Segundo Gotoc's passing on was announced .
Msgr. Segundo Gotoc shown as a young priest and in his retirement years .
Anna Marie Cera Palma pays tribute to Msgr . Gotoc in her following write-up :
Save The Last Dance For Me
By Anna Marie C. Palma
Msgr. Segundo B. Gotoc succumbed to heart failure at dawn on December 18. He was 77 ." How can a priest die ?" Bishop Soc asked . No, he can't . " A priest called by God is forever ", he said . I firmly believe him . This is our faith , after all .
I saw Msgr. Gotoc last on the eve of his death . The Mangaldan Central School Teachers Club ( MCSTC ) officers and members paid him a visit that night and sang him Christmas carols . It was to be his last laugh .It was to be his last dance . Yes , he laughed and danced with us .
Msgr. Gotoc , the priest, would always have a distinct place in my life . When he was the parish priest of the town , I was recruited to the Children's Choir . I was 9 years old then. I looked up to him as a father and he never failed me . He would often task me to lead Marian processions dressed as an angel .I felt special . Later on , he gave me a prayer book he used when he was still in the high school seminary . It was one of his prized possessions which he gave up for me . Now , it comes handy when I teach my two little boys how to pray . It is now one of my prized possessions .
He figured in most phases of my life . He was at my wedding . He attended the baptisms of my two sons .
The night before he passed on to eternity was a mystery in itself . It was the last day of the MCSTC's three- day caroling . He was first on our list that night . We hired two vehicles for the trip . Our group went ahead to Msgr. Gotoc's place as the other group was still waiting for another member to arrive . It took almost half an hour for us to realize that the person the other group was waiting for was with us all along . This , however , proved to be providential .
I had enough time to catch up on different matters with the Monsignor . He was my biggest fan . He maintained subscription to the Pangasinan Sentinel and would always look forward to reading my Flashcards column . It has been months since I last wrote . He asked me when I would be writing again . I promised him I would dedicate my next column to him . I am now keeping my promise . Sadly , he would not be able to read it anymore .
We later sang carols for him . We had a wonderful time . I told him that I expect to see him on the 19th at my Uncle Sam's ( Samuel Cera ) 40th day Commemorative Mass . He smiled and said , " I can't promise . "
And yes , he danced . He danced with me ..
He could have been the father who would have the first dance with the bride . But it was not meant to be . In the end , however , he saved the last dance for me .
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