After more than four years of fruitful missionary apostolate in the academe. Fr. Alberto I. Tamisen, CICM, officially bade goodbye to Saint Mary’s University where he worked as University Chaplain for 5 years.

Fr. Bitoy started his stint as chaplain at the height of the pandemic (2020), catering to the spiritual and psychological needs of the pupils, students, and employees albeit though online modality. With the eventual ease of the pandemic, he started to administer sacraments, sacramentals, spiritual directions, sick calls, and organizing recollections and retreats. Fr Bitoy also served as on-call priest in nearby parishes like Kasibu, Villaverde, La Torre, and the Saint Dominic’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Bayombong.

Silent and unassuming, Fr. Bitoy attended to the concerns of the University Chaplaincy within the 3 campuses with the help of the Campus Ministry staff, and the SMU-CICM Campus Mission Volunteers (SMU-CCMV), of which he was mentor and spiritual adviser.

In his last Mass at SMU last August 1, 2025, he thanked the entire community for sharing their lives and loves, and their struggles and joys with him as a missionary priest, as a colleague, and as a friend.  He said, “We must also learn that people grow, people evolve; and most of all, people surprise us if we allow them. Let us continue to see each with fresh eyes, with faith, hope, and love.”

Thank you so much, Fr. Bitoy for the warm friendship! Let us continue dedicating ourselves to the good and beautiful mission we have been given!