Rev. Msgr. Fernando C. Lansangan, also known as Apung Bipo, was born on 15 August 1913 in Sta. Ana, Pampanga. He was ordained as a priest on 19 March 1939. His first assignment as an interim parish priest was at Our Lady of the Pillar Parish in Morong, Bataan.
On 16 July 1970, he was invested as an Honorary Prelate by Saint Pope Paul VI, granting him the title of Monsignor.
In 1942, while serving as the parish priest in his hometown, Sta. Ana, Pampanga, Apung Bipo recognized the need for an educational institution in the eastern part of Pampanga that would provide quality and affordable education.
With a burning passion to educate the youth, he led the founding of Holy Cross Academy three years after assuming his role as Parish Priest in Sta. Ana, Pampanga. He received support from 39 other civic-minded individuals from the town, who played significant roles in the school’s establishment.
Initially housed at the Sta. Ana Parish Convent, Holy Cross Academy began with a fourth-year class consisting of six students. It was the first Catholic High School in the municipality, utilizing the Convent “Gratis et Amore” as its first building, which was approved on August 8, 1945.
Over the next seven years, an increase in enrollment necessitated the acquisition of resources for a larger permanent building. Responding to this need, founder and HCC’s first Vice President Msgr. Fernando Capati Lansangan voluntarily offered a lot located at Barangay Sta. Lucia, Sta. Ana, Pampanga for the construction of a 7-room edifice. By the end of the school year 1954-1955, the building was completed, furnished, and equipped.
The school then moved from the convent to its present site at the beginning of the school year 1955-1956.
A year after founding Holy Cross College in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, Msgr. Lansangan also established Holy Cross College in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija.
Renowned for his dedication to educating the youth and providing affordable, quality education, Msgr. Lansangan left an indelible mark on both communities.
Rev. Msgr. Fernando Capati Lansangan passed away on 10 October 1980 after serving the town of Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, as parish priest for 35 fruitful years, leaving behind Holy Cross College Pampanga and Holy Cross College Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija as his legacy. His life stands as a testament to his Faith in God, Charity to the underprivileged, and dedication to liberating the youth from poverty and ignorance.
The founder’s initials, “FCL,” also inspired the school’s core values: Fides (Faith), Caritas (Charity), and Libertas (Liberty).