DIOCESE OF ILAGAN

SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH

SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

HISTORY OF SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH

(SANTIAGO DE CARIG, EST. 1743)

THE BEGINNING
On the occasion of the May 4, 1743 Dominican Provincial Council held at the Santo Domingo Convent in
Intramuros, Manila, the mission of Carig was established with Santiago Apostol as its patron, coinciding
with the establishment also of the town of Carig. It was under the care of the Our Lady of the Pillar Parish
of Cauayan. The former poblacion of Carig was located south of Picat (now part of Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya)
at the slopes of Mt. Dalayag. In 1746, three years after its founding as a “Pueblo”, Santiago (Carig) had
only 47 catechumens, seven of whom became apostolates. In 1752, there were 55 neophytes or converts
and 57 catechumens according to the missionaries who resided in Sta. Barbara de Lappao. It became a
vicaria (Parish) during the April 19, 1755 Dominican Provincial Council with Fr. Gregorio Marinas, OP as its
first Parish Priest. On April 30, 1757, it was once again reduced to a mission under the Cauayan Parish and
on May 5, 1759, it regained its parish status with Fr. Cristobal Francisco, OP as its Parish Priest. The
Vicariates were transferred from Patul to Carig in 1772. Carig had a convent and a church of regular
structure until the middle of 19th Century. Its actual population was one thousand six hundred sixty
tributaries.
The 30-meter convent of stone, constructed in an earlier year, was destroyed by lightning. In 1860, it was
rebuilt by Fr. Bonifacio Corujedo, OP. In 1870, the "convento" was enlarged by 2 meters by Fr. Santiago
Yutgla, OP. Fr. Manuel Candela, O.P. was assigned to Carig as Parish Priest in 1883 and built a beautiful
church structure (Spanish-era church, 67 meters in length and 17 meters in width) but was not finished
because he fell into hands of the Tagalog “insurectos” in September, 1898. He never returned to Carig. Fr.
Nicanor Alcid, Parish Priest of Echague occasionally ministered to the spiritual needs of Carig. Fr. Salazar
Victorino who was in the “insurectos” introduced the Aglipayan religion.

THE TAKEOVER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF IMMACULATE HEART (CONGREGATIO IMMACULATI CORDIS

MARIAE, OR CICM) AND SECULAR PRIESTS
In 1910, the Dominicans left the towns they administered in Isabela. The Missionaries of Immaculate Heart
(Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae in Latin) took over the southernmost towns which include
Santiago (Carig). In December, 1916, Fr. Joseph Waffalert, C.I.C.M. was assigned to Santiago. In June, 1923,
Fr. Felix Bumos, C.I.C.M. took over. Again, in March, 1931, Fr. Joseph Waffalert, C.I.C.M. was re-assigned
to Santiago. From June, 1931 to 1945, Fr. Serafin Devesse and Fr. Lorenso Decastaker, both C.I.C.M.,
administered to the spiritual needs of Santiago. These Priests were unfortunately killed by the Japanese
on March 3, 1945.
On October 3, 1945, Msgr. Domingo P. Mallo, a secular Priest, was assigned to Santiago. He constructed
a wooden chapel along the Provincial Road. Two years after, Fr. Pio Morales was also assigned as assistant
Priest to Msgr. Domingo P. Mallo.

THE TAKEOVER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE (MISSIONARIUM SALETINIENSIS)

On November 5, 1948, (+)Fr. Conrad Blanchet, M.S., (+)Fr. Raymond Leduc, M.S., (+)Fr. Paul Doulliard, and
(+)Bro. Donat Levasseur, M.S., left New York, U.S.A., they reached Manila on December 12, 1948, and
marked the arrival of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette (Missionarium Saletiniensis in Latin) to the
Philippines in response to the call of (+)Bishop Constance Jurgens of Diocese of Tuguegarao (now
Archdiocese of Tuguegarao) to meet the spiritual needs of Isabela, and they arrived at Isabela on
December 22, 1948. (+)Fr. Conrad Blanchet, M.S. said the first mass on December 24, 1948 (Christmas
Eve).
The first La Salette Missionary assigned in Santiago was (+)Fr. Conrad Blanchet, M.S. The first year of La
Salette Fathers were spent in the organization of the Parish. In 1951, (+)Fr. Conrad Blanchet, M.S.
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

continued rebuilding the church and was later completed in 1954 (later called the “Old Church” or “Social
Hall”) by Fr. Maurice Cardinal, M.S. who later took over as the Parish Priest.
In the mid-1960’s, after the Vatican Council II, the thrust of the Parish centered catechesis with emphasis
on liturgies. The Parish Pastoral Council was organized like: (1) The Family Life Program, (2) Marriage
Encounter organized by (+)Fr. Emery Des Rochers, M.S. and the Cooperatives through the initiative of Fr.
Efren Musñgi, M.S. These program were introduced in the other La Salette Parishes with St. James the
Apostle Parish as springboard.
In the early 1980’s, the Parish Pastoral Council as an organization was extended through the establishment
of the Worship, Evangelization, Service, Temporalities (also known as WEST) Commissions. The
commissions which were introduced by Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S., strengthen by Fr. Constante Dannug,
M.S. and continued and activated by succeeding Parish Priest initiated the involvement of so many lay
leaders and members. The “WEST” Commissions have been a great help in the systematic functioning of
an alive Parish in its thrust of creating Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Barangays.
To date, St. James the Apostle Parish has a new church , a bell tower, and a newly erected convent . The
Old Church which was built in 1954 in now converted into the St. James the Apostle Parish Multi-Purpose
Hall, also known as Saint James Social Hall .
In April, 1989, Fr. Efren Tomas, M.S. assumed the post of the Parish Priest. Assisting him were Fr. Matthew
Manjaly, M.S., (+)Fr. André Lussier, M.S. , Rev. Albert Luzano, M.S., Rev. Dario Bebillo, M.S. and two other
Brothers who were temporarily assigned in the Parish to assist.
The Parish was active in the implementation of its program and projects. Lay leaders were trained to make
them effective in re-awakening and strengthening the Catholic faith as well as those of others.
On April, 1994, Fr. Efren Tomas, M.S. was elected as the Provincial Superior of the Missionaries of Our
Lady of La Salette in the Philippines (called Ina ng Pag-Asa Province). Fr. Franklin G. Picio, M.S. , who was
working at the La Salette High School as the Principal took over the Parish. Closely working with him were
Fr. Emery V. Cadiz, M.S. , Fr. Jacob Vettathu, M.S., with the assistance of Fr. Dioscorro Layug , and Bro.
(later Fr.) Cyriac Mattathilanickal, M.S.
The Parish is much alive with the regular classes of the Parish Renewal Experience (PREX), Life in the Spirit
Seminars (CHRISM Community), Couples for Christ and other renewal movements were hundreds of
parishioners experienced the conversion process.
New Priests came, in the persons of Fr. Gregorio Honorio, M.S., Fr. Danilo Galang, M.S., Fr. Agoes Raharjo,
M.S., Rev. Fr. Cyriac Mattathilanickal, M.S., who later had to move on to a new assignment.
FINAL YEARS OF THE MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE (MISSIONARIUM SALETINIENSIS)
On July, 1998, the New Saint James the Apostle Parish Church which was constructed almost 25 years ago
through the generosity of the parishioners had ventured into an expansion to accommodate the
increasing number of parishioners, especially on Sundays. The ground breaking of the extension was done
during the celebration of 252nd Patronal Fiesta on July 25, 1998 through the able leadership of then-City
Mayor Amelita S. Navarro and Fr. Franklin G. Picio, M.S. as Parish Priest.
Fr. Franklin G. Picio, M.S., after seven years of service in the Saint James the Apostle Parish, with his
companions, had to move on into a new venture in April, 2001. The much needed construction and
expansion was passed on the new Parish Priest in the person Fr. Noel S. Cruz, M.S. , with his assistants, Fr.
Abmar C. Dumayag, M.S., and Fr. Joy Porathur, M.S. who worked hand on hand to accommodate the work.
Fr. Eulalio Culang, M.S., (+)Fr. André Lussier, M.S., Fr. Efren Tomas, M.S. who had other assignments
outside the Parish took turns in helping out.
Fr. Stevanus Suharna, M.S. , an Indonesian Priest who was ordained in December, 2003 joined the group
and was later followed by Fr. Benny Thadathilkunnel, M.S. on September, 2004. Fr. Arnel M. Soriano, M.S.
, who was ordained in May, 2004 is the last La Salette Missionary assigned in Saint James the Apostle
Parish as assisting Priest. He left the Philippines in January, 2006 to join the Missionaries in Hawaii.
It is through the initiative of Fr. Noel S. Cruz, M.S. that stained glass images of Saint James the Apostle and
that of Our Lady of La Salette was installed. The renovation is done phase by phase. In the summer of
2004, the Altar is completely renovated. With the continuing generosity of the parishioners here and
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

abroad, the Saint James the Apostle Parish is now a beautiful place of worship of which Santiagueños is
proud of.

THE MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE (MISSIONARIUM SALETINIENSIS) TURNOVERS THE

SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH TO THE DIOCESE OF ILAGAN (DIOCESAN ERA)
On the summer of 2007, the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette turnovers the Saint James the Apostle
Parish to the Diocese of Ilagan. Then-Rev. Jeofrey Escorpezo was assigned to the Parish for the ceremonial
turnover which occurred with a Holy Mass. All La Salette Priests assigned to the Parish concelebrated to
the Holy Mass, witnessed by thousands of parishioners. Rev. Fr. John Arthur P. Bartolome and Rev. Fr.
Vener C. Ceperez were the first Priests assigned to the Parish, entering the Diocesan Era. The first projects
under the leadership of the Priest are the construction of parking lot. When Rev. Fr. Vener C. Ceperez
assigned to the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, then-Rev. Alden Matthew Zulueta, assigned to the
Parish, as well as Rev. Fr. Jomil U. Serafica. The final parish project of Rev. Fr. John Arthur Bartolome was
the construction of Saint James the Apostle Parish Pastoral Center build in the former site of the Old
Church/Saint James Social Hall.
In the Chrism Mass of 2011, the Diocesan Chancellor announced the re-assignment of all the Priests in the
Diocese, and during the announcement, Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro, then-Parish Priest of Saint Vincent Ferrer
Parish in Angadanan, Isabela, together with Rev. Fr. Amadeo Vinasoy, announced as the new Parish Priest
and Assistant Parish Priest. During his time as a Parish Priest, he witnessed the finishing of the Saint James
Parish Pastoral Center. In early 2012, Rev. Fr. Amadeo Vinasoy assigned again to another Parish because
of his health concerns, leaving Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro serving the Parish alone. Rev. Fr. Ric-Zeus Excellency
Angobung temporarily assigned to the Parish for a year to help out Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro, other Priests
like Rev. Fr. Lazaro Quitain, Rev Fr. Jomar Castañeda, Rev. Fr. Samuel Salazar, O.F.M., Rev. Fr. Pacifico
Mangulabnan, Jr., Rev. Fr. Macario M. Cristobal, Jr., C.M., and the La Salette Priests helping the Diocesan
Priest to said mass in the Parish. In the peak of leadership of Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro, his next and final
project was the construction of the Adoration Chapel and the Saint James the Apostle Chapel, located at
the old Saint James the Apostle Parish Convent to accommodate some of parishioners attending masses
that were standing outside the church.
On April 12, 2017 Chrism Mass, Rev. Fr. Gregorio Marvic C. Uanan, J.C.D., Diocesan Chancellor of the
Diocese of Ilagan, announced the re-assignment of the Clergy of the Diocese. Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro,
assigned to the Sto. Niño de Praga Parish in Cordon, Isabela. Rev. Fr. Carlito G. Sarte assigned to be the
Parish Priest of Saint James the Apostle Parish, together with the newly ordained Rev. Fr. Timoteo A.
Ronan from Daraga, Albay as the Assistant Parish Priest. The La Salette Priest, and Rev. Fr. Macario M.
Cristobal, Jr., C.M. help out to serve the Parish. Last November, 2017, Rev. Fr. Carlito G. Sarte announced
the renovation/construction of the Saint James the Apostle Parish Church , and on January, 2018, the
proposed design of the church was approved, and the design of the church was inspired by the
architectural structure of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain, which is the burial site of Saint James
the Apostle. On September 8, 2018, the feast of the Birth of Blessed Virgin Mary, the groundbreaking
ceremony took place and on November 26, 2018, the construction of the new Saint James the Apostle
Parish Church commence.

These are the names of the the past (and present) Parish Priest of our beloved Saint James the Apostle
Parish
• Rev. Fr. Manuel Candela, OP
• Rev. Fr. Joseph Waffalert, CICM
• Rev. Fr. Felix Bumos, CICM
• Rev. Fr. Seraphin Devesse, CICM
o Founder of Saint Louis University
• Rev. Msgr. Domingo Mallo (1945-1948)
o Secular Priest
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE PERIOD (1948-2007)

• Rev. Fr. Conrad Henri Blanchet, MS (1948-1953)
• Rev. Fr. Maurice Cardinal, MS (1953-1958)
• Rev. Fr. Andre Lussier, MS (founder of Sodality of Saint Dominic Savio, 1958-1963)
• Rev. Fr. Roger M. Leroux, MS (1963-1966)
• Rev. Fr. Efren Musñgi, MS (1966-1968)
o the FIRST Filipino La Salette priest to be named Parish Priest of Saint James the Apostle
Parish and SECOND Filipino ordained La Salette Priest
• Rev. Fr. Alphonse Larochelle, MS (1968-1973)
• Rev. Fr. Paul Dion, MS (1973-1974)
• Rev. Fr. Orlando "Orly" Sapuay, MS (1974-1980)
• Rev. Fr. Constante "Tante" Dannug, MS (1981-1983)
o Present School Director of La Salette of Ramon
• Rev. Fr. Domingo Gumpal, MS (1983-1985)
• Rev. Fr. Antonio Max Abuan, MS (1985-1987)
• Rev. Fr. Emery Cadiz, MS (1987-1989)
o Now a Diocesan Priest
• Rev. Fr. Efren A. Tomas, MS (1989-1994)
• Rev. Fr. Franklin G. Picio, MS, Ph.D. (1994-2001)
o present University President of University of La Salette
• Rev. Fr. Noel S. Cruz, MS (2001-2007)
o the LAST appointed La Salette Parish Priest
DIOCESAN PERIOD (2007- PRESENT)
• Rev. Fr. John Arthur P. Bartolome (2007-2011)
o former Vicar General of Diocese of Ilagan
• Rev. Fr. Patrick D. Caro (2011-2017)
• Rev. Fr. Carlito G. Sarte (2017-2023)
o former Vicar General of Diocese of Ilagan
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

HOLY CROSS CHAPEL

Brgy. ViCaRos (Victory Norte, Victory Sur, Calaocan, Rosario)

KEY OFFICERS (AS OF JULY 2022)

BPC President: Concepcion C. Villanueva
SJPYM Organization Committee Coordinator: Moreene Viane Kaye B. Aguilar
Chapel Youth Coordinator: Eliza V. Corpuz
Assistant Chapel Youth Coordinator: Trixia Mae B. Aguilar

MAIKLING KASAYSAYAN
Ang kapilya ng Banal na Krus o mas kilala bilang ViCaRos ay nagsimulang itinatag bilang isang munting
pamayanan, noong 1974 nang ang parokya ni Santiago Apostol ay nasa ilalim ng pamumuno ng noon ay
kura parokong si Padre Orlando P. Sapuay, MS. Bagamat bago pa ang taong ito, may mga pangkat nang
doon ay datihan nang dumadalo sa mga misang ginaganap sa tuwing araw ng Linggo. Ang mga unang
misyonerong La Salette sa katauhan nina Padre Maurice Cardinal, M.S., Padre Andre Lussier, M.S., Padre
Rene Bisaillon, M.S., Padre Efren Musngi, M.S., Padre Robert Galon, M.S., at iba pa ang nagpalit-palit sa
pagmimisa sa kapilya.
Sa tulong at pagtitiyaga ng mga seminaristang La Salette at ng mga Assumption Sisters na noon ay
naglilingkod sa kapilya, unti-unting napadami at dumami ang mga mananampalatayang katoliko na regular
nang dumadalo sa mga misa. Nagkaroon din ng mga “block rosary” sa mga bahay-bahay na naging daan
upang ang sama-samang panalangin ay maging simula ng pagkakakilanan ng iba’t ibang mag-anak. Pinili
ng pamayanang ito na maging patron ang Banal na Krus na sagisag at simbolo ng dakilang pag-ibig ng
Diyos sa tanan. Ipinagdiriwang ang kapistahan nito tuwing ika-14 ng Setyembre.
Taong 1974 din nang pormal na binuo ang pagkakaroon ng mga lider na siyang nakitang maayos na paraan
upang ang mga taong likas na sa lugar na ito ang siyang kumilos upang mapaganda at maisaayos ang
munting kapilya. Si G.Catalino Villanueva Jr. ang siyang nahalal bilang pangulo ng kapilya at sa tulong ng
iba pang mga opisyales na kasamang nahalal, ang kapilyang dating gawa sa mga ordinaryong kahoy
lamang ay unti-unting napaayos at napagyaman. Hindi maikakaila na ang naging donasyon ng iba’t ibang
mga taong may mabuting kalooban at ang pag-aalay ng panahon at talento, ang naging inspirasyon ng
lahat upang ang isang simpleng pangarap ay nagkaroon ng katuparan.
Mula kay G. Villanueva na naglingkod bilang president mula taong 1974 hanggang 1988 ay sumunod sa
pamumuno si G. Bert Dionisio mula 1988 hanggang 2001. Mula 2002 hanggang 2006 naman at si Gng.
Erodita Masa ang namuno at sa kasalukuyan, ang kapilya ng Banal na Krus ay pinamumunuan ni Gng.
Concepcion C. Villanueva. Kung anuman ang katayuan ng kapilya ng Banal na Krus ngayon ay dahil sa mga
taong ang pananampalataya ay binigyang buhay hindi lamang sa salita kundi maging sa pang-araw araw
na paggawa.
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

(1521-PRESENT)

I. SPAIN CONQUERS THE PHILIPPINES WITH THE CROSS OF CHRIST

Catholicism came to the Philippines with the European discovery of the archipelago. The explorer
Ferdinand Magellan set foot on the islands in 1521 and planted the cross on the island of Cebu, cradle of
Christianity in the Philippines. There, he spearheaded the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his consort
Harah Amihan, who took the baptismal names Carlos and Juana (after the Spanish king and queen
mother). This happened within weeks of the offering of the first Mass in the islands by Fr. Pedro de
Valderrama, chaplain of the voyage, on March 31, 1521. Magellan had named the islands the “Archipelago
of St. Lazarus.” On the day he first sighted land (March 16, 1521), it was a Saturday, the eve of Passion
Sunday, when in the old Roman liturgy, the gospel was the resurrection of St. Lazarus. The name that
stuck however was “Las Islas Filipinas” (the Philippine Islands), given by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos who
headed one of the follow-up expeditions after the death of Magellan in the hands of the natives in the
Battle of Mactan.
The evangelization of the Philippines began with the arrival of the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
in Cebu on April 27, 1565. The natives fled and burned their homes, but in one hut was recovered the
image of the Santo Niño, the Child Jesus. It was Magellan’s baptismal gift to Queen Juana, and today the
object of the largest Christian devotion in the country. Legazpi called the first Spanish settlement the “City
of the Most Holy Name of Jesus,” the feast attached to the devotion to the Holy Child.
The Augustinian friars who came with Legazpi, led by Fray Andres de Urnadeta, built a church and convent
in honor of the Santo Niño in Cebu. In 1571 they went with Legazpi as he conquered Manila and turned
the then bustling Muslim settlement into the walled capital (Intramuros) of the new Spanish colony. For
13 years the Augustinians were alone in the missionary effort. The Franciscans arrived in 1578, followed
by the Jesuits in 1581. The Dominican mission arrived in 1587. But the first Dominican to land on the
islands was Fray Domingo de Salazar, who accompanied the Jesuits six years earlier and took possession
of the newly established Diocese of Manila as first bishop. The See of Manila was a suffragan to Mexico
until August 14, 1595 when it was elevated to an archdiocese, with the dioceses of Cebu, Nueva Segovia
and Caceres (Naga) as suffragans.
The choice of Salazar as first bishop was propitious. Salazar was a disciple of Bartolome de las Casas, who
defended the Amerindians from the abuses of the Spanish colonizers. Salazar was bent on doing the same
in the Indies. The legitimacy of the conquest was a question that vexed the young colony, and was
addressed precisely by the Synod of Manila convoked by Salazar in 1582. The Synod Fathers concluded
that Spain must exercise political dominion over the Philippines to fulfill its primary duty of evangelization,
as commissioned by the Pope. Salazar’s synod, more importantly, condemned slavery and resolved to
spread the Gospel using the native languages, a key decision that preserved the local tongues.
As expected, Salazar encountered stiff opposition and had to go to Spain to personally plead for the rights
of the natives before the royal court. Upon his death the struggle was continued by a fellow Dominican,
Fray Miguel de Benavides, who pointed out that tributes had been collected unjustly from unbelievers.
Spain must make restitution, he argued, and obtain a just title to the Philippine islands. This can be done
only if the natives submit freely to the colonizers.
The Catholic king acceded. The victorious Benavides returned to the Philippines, now the bishop of Nueva
Segovia, and himself oversaw the gatherings in which Filipinos voluntarily agreed to be the Spanish king’s
subjects. This was the reply of one Filipino to the question of ratification: “We answer that we want the
king of Spain to be also our king and ruler because he has sent Spaniards to free us from the tyranny and
domination of our own rulers, and also because he has sent us missionary fathers to help us against the
Spaniards, ready to defend us against them.”

II. A CHURCH ESTABLISHED BY MISSIONARY ZEAL

 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

“The conquest of the Philippines,” the Dominican historian Fr. Lucio Gutierrez explains, “was due
fundamentally not to the sword of the conquistador but to the cross of the missionary … it was the
missionaries’ zeal and charity that brought the Filipinos into the fold of the Church.” This was because
Spain’s military presence in its 333-year rule was “relatively insignificant.” Gutierrez quotes the Viceroy of
Mexico who remarked: “In every friar the king of Spain had in the Philippines a captain general and an
entire army.”
At the time of their arrival, the missionaries had the benefit of drawing from the experience of the
conquest and evangelization of the Americas. The Synod of Manila reminded the encomenderos that their
right to collect tribute carried a dual responsibility: administration of justice and preaching of the faith. In
each encomienda there must be a missionary. Later on the Spaniards carried out a system of reduction.
They had found the in Philippines, unlike in the Americas, scattered villages (barangays) where extended
families lived together under a datu, the chieftain. To facilitate catechism, Filipinos had to be bajo la
campana (under the sound of the bell). Today, the plan of the town plaza survives—town hall, market,
school, and church. The Dominicans introduced the printing press in the islands, publishing the first book,
the Doctrina Christiana, in 1593. The contents of the basic doctrine – the Our Father, Hail Mary, the Credo,
the articles of faith – were usually recited before Sunday Mass. The norm for Confession and Holy
Communion was once a year, during Easter season.
Missionaries corrected the initial practice of mass baptism and ensured that Filipinos underwent pre- and
post-baptismal catechesis. Conversions started with the datus, called fiscales by the missionaries, who
were tasked to spread the faith among their people. Evangelization made use of the existing structures,
and engaged in true inculturation by retaining native practices while rejecting pagan ways. Drama, dance,
and music accompanied the observances of religious feasts. An enduring Filipino devotion is the Misa de
Aguinaldo, novena (“gift”) Masses held at dawn in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord. The Pasyong
Mahal of Gaspar Aquino de Belen, first published in Tagalog in 1703, is a permanent pious practice during
the Holy Week of the Lord’s Passion.
The friars were not just church-builders. With the help of the natives they built roads and bridges, replaced
primitive farming with the wheel and the plow, constructed large-scale irrigation, and brought in new
crops like tobacco, coffee, and cocoa. The opening of hospitals, asylums, and orphanages showed a
concern for material, not just spiritual, welfare. The Franciscan Juan Clemente started in 1578 what
became the San Juan de Dios and San Lazaro hospitals, two well-known social institutions. The Hospicio
de San Jose traces its beginnings to 1778. Today the Daughters of Charity continue to operate the welfare
institution at Isla de la Convalescencia, the island in the middle of Pasig River where the patients of San
Juan de Dios used to convalesce.
Education was an important component of evangelization. As soon as they arrived, the Augustinians and
Franciscans put up schools for basic education. In 1595, the Jesuits opened a college that became the
Universidad de San Ignacio in the Walled City. The oldest existing university, not just in the Philippines but
also in Asia, is the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611 by the Dominicans
upon the bequest by Fray Benavides of his library and a seed fund of P1,500. For women, the Colegio de
Santa Potenciana (later merged into the Colegio de Santa Isabel, now one of the oldest schools for girls in
the world), was founded by the royal decrees of 1593 and 1594. It was followed by the Colegio de Santa
Rosa (1750) and the La Concordia (1868). In Cebu City, the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos opened in
1783.
At the close of Spanish colonial rule, no less than the Americans testified to the fruits of the labors of the
Church and its intrepid missionaries. “In no other part of the world,” writes the military chaplain of the
American army in 1899, “is Christian charity more flourishing and more wide spread than in the
Philippines; the hospitals, the maternity houses, the arts and trade schools and other like institutions
would bring honor to any nation.”

III. SPIRITUAL LIFE FLOURISHES AMONG FILIPINOS

By the close of the 17th century the faith had blossomed in full as Filipinos yearned for a deeper religious
life. Historian Schumacher considers this the “golden age” in the life of the Philippine Church, as it saw
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

the emergence of the beaterios (mystical communities of the lay folk as described by writer Nick Joaquin),
and the Filipino clergy.
The Monasterio de Santa Clara had been in existence in the Walled City since 1621. But it did not admit
native women. Under the spiritual care of the Dominicans, five beatas lived together in a private home,
praying the Rosary and doing mental prayers and spiritual exercises. Upon reaching 15 beatas,
corresponding to the 15 Mysteries, the Beaterio de Santa Catalina was founded on July 26, 1696, with
Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo as prioress. Construction at the convent later drew the ire of the
governor-general, and soon the beatas clashed with the archbishop, who wanted to assert his authority.
The beatas went to Santa Potenciana in exile. After negotiations, the archbishop had a change of heart
and allowed the beatas to return. Mother Francisca brought back 16 beatas and agreed to observe the
rules of enclosure.
The next harvest was literally at the churchyard garden of the Augustinian Recollects. The Bulakeña sisters
Dionisia and Cecilia Rosa Talangpaz sought a life dedicated to the Eucharist and the Lady of Mt. Carmel.
The Recollects of San Sebastian Church obliged and gave them the habit of the mantelatas of the
Augustinian Third Order on July 16, 1725. The sisters and two other beatas lived in prayer in a nipa house
at the Recollect garden. Problems arose when more young women sought admission into new beaterio,
forcing the Recollect prior to shut it down. Appeals softened the heart of the prior, and the beatas got
back their habits and the nipa house. The Beaterio de San Sebastian finally gained royal recognition in
1756, but not before encountering opposition from government and religious authorities.

The Chinese mestiza Ignacia del Espiritu Santo initially planned to join the group of Dominican tertiaries,
which later became the Beaterio de Santa Catalina. Mother Ignacia instead founded the Beaterio de la
Compañia under Jesuit spiritual direction as she began to attract more followers. The beaterio, restricted
by its directress to indias and Chinese mestizas, gained archdiocesan approval in 1732, but traces its roots
to 1684 when she began work on her community after a spiritual retreat. It is said to be the first Filipino
community to elect its officials through secret ballot. The perseverance of Mother Ignacia and her
successors led to the beaterio’s establishment, more than a century and a half later, as the first indigenous
foundation in the Philippines to become a religious congregation, known today as the Religious of the
Virgin Mary.
The confraternities, sodalities, and other religious associations also played a significant role in the religious
and social life of Filipinos. The Santa Mesa de la Misericordia, formed in 1593, took the lead in the corporal
works of mercy, its hooded members seeking alms for the poor. The brotherhood helped the poor, the
orphans, and deserving students. It buried the poor, the abandoned, and criminals who had been
executed. The Jesuits founded the Congregacion Mariana, or the Sodality of Our Lady, exhorting members
to a deeper Christian life. The Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, founded by the Dominicans in 1590,
produced Lorenzo Ruiz, the escribano of Binondo Church who fled with the Dominican missionaries to
Japan to escape a false charge. In 1637, he was martyred by the Tokugawa shogunate for refusing to
renounce his faith. Three hundred years later, he was canonized as the first Filipino saint. San Lorenzo
would rather die a “thousand deaths” than deny the Savior.
Another layperson, Pedro Calungsod, died a martyr in 1672, four years after he went with Fr. Diego Luis
San Vitores and other Jesuits to evangelize the Chamorros in Guam. The young Calungsod was struck by
a spear in the chest while protecting Padre Diego from two native attackers. Rumor had spread that the
Jesuits’ baptismal water was poisoned, turning the Chamorros against the missionaries. Nearly three-and-
a-half centuries later, Calungsod, the proto-martyr of the Visayas, was proclaimed a saint.
That the first two saints produced by the Philippines were laypersons is no coincidence. Schumacher
writes: “The religious life introduced by the missionaries was not a diluted version of European Christianity
… Not mere individual conversions were sought for, but rather the creation of a Christian community.”

IV. A FILIPINO CLERGY EMERGES

The friars were not without defects. By the 18th century, the parishes had become too dependent on the
missionary orders, stunting the development of native priests. The bishops at first attempted to break the
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

hold of the friars by asserting their visitation rights over the parishes. The friars, of course, resisted another
layer of authority and wanted to be answerable solely to their religious superiors. They threatened
repeatedly to abandon their parishes and the bishops backed out. The dispute over “secularization,”
which initially took on a racial overtone, became a nationalist cause.
According to the Dominican historian Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, the first native Filipino to be ordained to the
priesthood was Agustin Tabuyo of Cagayan (1621), followed by Miguel Jeronimo of Pampanga (1653). The
Jesuit historian Fr. John Schumacher, however, contends it is doubtful if Tabuyo and Jeronimo were
indeed natives. The “first definitely known Indio priest” was Francisco Baluyot, ordained in December
1698, according to Schumacher. Ordinations were few and far between as the Jesuit and Dominican
colleges produced few candidates, and these were Philippine-born Spaniards. Moreover, the policy in
Spanish America of not ordaining natives was carried over to the East Indies. By 1768, the Archbishop of
Manila, Basilio Sancho y Santas Justa y Rufina, was confident enough to insist on the visitation and
secularization of the parishes. In 1773, he built the Seminary of San Carlos on the site of the University of
San Ignacio, which had been abandoned due to the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768. Sancho proceeded
posthaste to train and ordain secular priests, as he needed them to take over the parishes and at the same
time replace the expelled Jesuits.

The wave of secularization failed. It bred enmity; for one, the takeover from the Augustinians in
Pampanga, led by Governor-General Simon de Anda himself, turned violent. Secular priests proved to be
ill-prepared and poorly trained to take over the parishes. In 1787 the colonial government petitioned the
king to put an end to secularization. It continued, however, with the number of missionaries sent to the
islands by the friar orders dwindling as a result of the imposition of diocesan visitation. It did not help that
the friars became denouncers of Spanish officials, causing the latter’s resentment. Government
intervention in clerical posts also intensified, with Spain stretching the limits of the Patronato Real, the
age-old papal concession of religious affairs to the king in exchange for material support to the missionary
campaign. Religious fervor of the friars waned. Worse, discipline was relaxed.

Many in the secular clergy eventually proved worthy of their vocation, and began to fight for their rights
to take back the parishes. The cause was led by Fr. Pedro Pelaez, an outstanding priest and academic who
raised funds to send a representative to Madrid, wrote pamphlets in favor of secularization, and
petitioned the Queen of Spain for support. He was succeeded by his protege Fr. Jose Burgos, the most
brilliant student ever to come out of the portals of the University of Santo Tomas. Another secular, Fr.
Mariano Gomez, did not possess the same credentials, but was nonetheless an excellent organizer.
The return of the Jesuits in 1859, nearly a century after their expulsion over political controversy in
Europe, exacerbated the situation. The Jesuits got back their Mindanao parishes from the Recollects, who
had to be reassigned elsewhere. The Filipino clergy felt deprived. In Cavite, secular priests were evicted in
favor of the Recollects and Dominicans. Pelaez, vicar capitular of the Manila archdiocese, was himself
overruled when he appointed a secular to Antipolo. The post went to a Spanish Recollect. The Spanish
government had become suspicious of native clergy given the experiences of Mexico and Peru whose
revolutions were led by secular priests.
At age 28, Padre Burgos rose to the rectorship of Manila Cathedral and captured public attention when
he countered a series of newspaper articles by a Franciscan belittling the secular clergy. Prior to that, an
anonymous manifiesto extolling the virtues of Filipino priests, widely attributed to Burgos, circulated in
Manila. The story of Burgos ended in the garrote vil. He, along with Fathers Gomez and Jacinto Zamora,
was implicated in the Cavite mutiny of 1872. As there was no evidence except hearsay, the “Gomburza”
priests remained in good standing, and the archbishop refused to have them defrocked. The bells tolled
for the priestly triumvirate.
Enmities worsened when the Spanish curate of Tondo, Fr. Mariano Gil, uncovered the revolutionary plans
of the secret movement Katipunan in 1896. The execution of the nationalist Jose Rizal further heightened
the fervor of the revolutionaries. Before his death, Rizal went back to the faith with the help of the Jesuits.
At the height of the Philippine Revolution in 1898, there were 967 parishes and missions, more than 800
of which were under the religious orders. The revolution took a heavy toll on the friars. Around 400 of
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

them were captured and many were killed. Among the captives was Jose Hevia Campomanes, Dominican
bishop of Nueva Segovia, who tried to escape via Aparri along with 70 Augustinians, three Dominican
priests, and eight Dominican sisters.
The arrival of the Americans marked the end of the Patronato Real and for the first time, the Vatican’s
direct intervention in the affairs of the Philippine Church. American bishops and the Holy See’s apostolic
delegates supported the Filipino clergy. In 1905, the highly qualified Bikolano cleric Jorge Barlin was
appointed bishop of Caceres, becoming the first Filipino to rise to the episcopate. Barlin proved very
capable and loyal, dealing a blow to the schismatic Iglesia Filipinia Independiente by resisting its
recruitment efforts and winning a court battle over church property. Pope Leo XIII himself called for a
greater role for Filipino priests in the Apostolic Constitution Quae mari Sinico in 1902. The Pontiff carved
out new dioceses and urged bishops to open seminaries to train more young Filipinos for the priesthood.
“As experience has clearly shown that in every part of the world a native clergy is of great utility, let the
Bishops procure with all diligence that the number of native priests be increased…”

V. A MISSIONARY CHURCH FOR ASIA AND THE WORLD

Pope Leo XIII’s Apostolic Constitution Quae mari Sinico breathed a new vitality into the Philippine Church
in the American era. For nearly three centuries, the Philippines only had one archdiocese and three
dioceses. The Diocese of Jaro was carved out of Cebu in 1865. Quae mari Sinico created the dioceses of
Lipa, Tuguegarao, Capiz, and Zamboanga. The early 20th century however was a period of myriad
challenges amid changes brought by the new dispensation. The Church had to contend with the arrival of
Protestant missionaries and the Aglipayan schism. The big dispute with the Americans was the ownership
of friar lands, which the Holy See decided to dispose of. Only affluent Filipinos, however, benefitted from
the sale.
Four Americans replaced the Spanish bishops, and with the departure of many friars, non-Spanish
religious orders started pouring in: the Redemptorists (1905), St. Joseph’s Missionary Society (1906),
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (1907), Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (1908), the
Society of the Divine Word (1908), and the Christian Brothers (1911). The Americans established the first
council of the Knights of Columbus, the lay fraternal and charitable organization, in the Walled City of
Intramuros in 1905.
In a sign of its growing importance in the Universal Church, the Philippines became the first country in
Asia to host the International Eucharistic Congress in 1937. The theme, “The Eucharistic Apostolate in the
Mission,” emphasized the evangelization of the Far East.
The war emergency prompted the bishops of the Philippines to form the Catholic Welfare Organization in
1945. Soon it became the official organization of the Church hierarchy, and in 1968, it became the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, tasked to promote solidarity in the Philippine Church, formulate
joint pastoral policies and programs, promote the pastoral thrusts of the Universal Church, assume
responsibilities as evangelizer in relation to the people and with the civil authority in particular, and foster
relations with other episcopal conferences. Church leaders closed ranks against moves of the state seen
as hostile to Catholic education.
In 1960, Rufino Jiao Santos of Pampanga became the first Filipino cleric to be elevated to the College of
Cardinals. Santos, one of the active fathers of the Second Vatican Council, was a builder, leaving as his
legacy the establishment of Catholic Charities, St. Paul’s Hospital, and more importantly, Radio Veritas
Asia—the short-wave station that brought the Word of God to the world’s largest but least Christian
continent. The reconstruction of the Manila Cathedral, which was destroyed by World War II, in 1958 was
symbolic of efforts to rebuild the Philippine Church. Vatican II ushered in an era of change, most visibly in
the liturgical life of the Church.
The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines heralded another period of renewal, with the Philippine
Church resolving to be a community of Christ’s disciples and a “Church of the Poor.” The council, convened
in 1991, also called for integral evangelization and holistic spirituality. The push for social justice had
prompted the hierarchy, led by Jaime Cardinal Sin, to support the popular revolt that toppled the Marcos
dictatorship in 1986.
 DIOCESE OF ILAGAN
SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE PARISH
SAINT JAMES PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
HOLY CROSS CHAPEL YOUTH MINISTRY
VICTORY SUR, SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES 3311

Today, the Philippines has a total of 86 archdioceses, dioceses, prelatures, and apostolic vicariates, with
over 80 million faithful. The Philippine Church looks forward to 2021 on the 500th year of the arrival
Christianity in the Philippines, grateful for triumphs as well as tribulations, but more so for standing the
test of time as an ever-faithful people of God.

SOURCE:

History. 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines. (2021, May 19). Retrieved July 10, 2022, from
https://500yoc.com/history/

Reyes, A. G. (2020, May 11). History of Saint James the Apostle Parish. Facebook. Retrieved July 10,
2022, from
https://www.facebook.com/SantiagoDeCarigPH/posts/pfbid02BzKvdiM712Py1T2Mi72RQA5zatQ
sYtaUrg877LbzTtVAHNSJBqGPiLGBModiRCHQl