December 20th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, City Tours, Pangasinan, Patron Saints, Religions, Religious Shrines |
The patron saint of the San Carlos City is Saint Dominic de Guzman. He is the founder of the Order of Preachers and credited for performing miracles in the city. Among them was the minimal damage to the city caused by the return of the Americans to the islands during the close of World War II. The parish church built in his honor was once the biggest in Luzon. The parish of San Carlos is the oldest in Pangasinan.
Roman Catholicism remains the faith of majority of San Carleñians, although there are other denominations that co-exist peacefully in the city. Discrimination of religion is discouraged, though religious practices that seem bizaare and unacceptable by society is widely looked down upon.
- Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church
- Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Soledad
- Our Lady Queen of the Holy Family Parish Church
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Lokal ng San Carlos
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Ano
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Salinap
- United Methodist Church
- San Carlos Baptist Church
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Faith Assembly of God
November 4th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Religions |
The religion of the people of Pangasinan is predominantly Christian, although few are strict believers and continue to practice their indigenous beliefs and rituals, like most of the people of the Philippines. Spanish and American missionaries introduced Christianity to Pangasinan. Prior to the Spanish conquest in 1571, the predominant religion of the people of Pangasinan was similar to the indigenous religion of the highland Igorot or the inhabitants of the Cordillera Administrative Region on the island of Luzon who mostly retained their indigenous culture and religion. Pangasinan was also influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism before the introduction of Christianity.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan is Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz.
Pangasinan is known as a land of miracles. Whether this remains to be proven or not, the main pilgrimage centers of Pangasinan are the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag (reputed to be the pilgrimage capital of the North), the Shrine of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Divine Treasure in Calasiao (known to be patron of the sick), and Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church in San Carlos City. The Founder of the Dominican Order is credited for the countless miracles that saved the city and province from disaster and for guiding the lives of many Pangasinenses.
August 30th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Fiestas, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
The church itself is simple with the façade flanked by two square columns wherein the main attraction of the church is the statue of the crucified Christ. The feast of Santo Cristo Milagroso or “Apo Lacay” as local folks call him, stands out among other religious celebrations in Ilocandia. Every year, thousands of devotees within the region and outside flock to the shrine of Apo Lacay in Sinait several days before his feast which is on the 3rd of May. According to the old tales, boxes containing the images of Apo Lacay and La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc drifted ashore in Logo, a sitio of Dadalaquiten along the boundary of Sinait, Ilocos Sur and Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Although the versions of the origin of the statues vary in some details, they all agree of one thing: Apo Lacay and La Virgen Milagrosa chose where they wanted their images to be. The people of Sinait wanted to bring home La Virgen Milagrosa while Badoc wanted the Crucified Christ. The respective parish priests of Sinait and Badoc ordered men to carry their respective statues home. To their dismay, the statues could not be moved despite the number of men trying to carry them. After failing, the priests tried exchanging the icons instead. The first miracle of the images happened! The images were lifted without difficulty: the Virgin to Badoc, the Crucified Christ to Sinait.
Today, the Sto. Cristo Milagroso attracts devotees just like the Black Nazarene of Quiapo ant the faithful pay homage to Apo Lacay inside the Church. These are annual pilgrimages to the shrine and there is an impenetrable crowd in the church on the first Friday of every month.
August 30th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Fiestas, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
The church, classified by experts as Baroque, is famous for its antique wooden altar (retablo) which is still being used. An old choir loft and the pulpit have been preserved but no longer functional.
The beautifully carved three-layered retablo is divided into eight niches, each occupied by saint. Two pairs of three-tiered slender columns flank the church’s façade. A statue of the parish’s patron saint, St. William the Hermit, in the church façade greets visitors and devotees. Magsingal became an independent parish in 1676 and the feast day of St. William the Hermit is celebrated on February 10.
August 30th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Fiestas, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
Miracles are attributed to the parish’s patron saint, St. Vincent Ferrer, thus attracting pilgrims from far and near. The church façade has two layers of columns divided by ornate architraves. The convoluted cornices in the church’s top section add beauty to the structure. Octagonal columns top with mini-domes rise from the base on both sides of the church’s façade. The ornate wooden pulpit is still preserved. The parish was established in 1795 and the feast day of St. Vincent Ferrer is celebrated on April 5.
August 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Historians, Ilocos Sur, Religious Shrines |
At the end of Vigan’s Quezon Avenue stands the Simbaan a Bassit which is actually a cemetery chapel wherein rectangular columns support the church façade. It was built in 1852 and dedicated to the Sto. Cristo, popularly revered in Ilocos as “Apo Lakay” who was believed to save Vigan from a plaque that ravaged it. Historian Alberto Lacsamana writes that the “uniqueness of the chapel lies in its being the only one in the region having an espadaña hung with bells.” A statue of the crucified Christ is found behind the main altar. The chapel’s marker bears that the cemetery was blessed by Rev. Vicente Barreiro on Nov. 9, 1852 but the chapel’s interior now looks modern with all the repairs done through the years.
August 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Cathedrals, Churches, Historians, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
As founded in the church’s marker, the original church was a chapel of wood and that erected in 1574 on orders of Juan de Salcedo, the conquistador and Founder of Villa Fernandina (now Vigan). Historian Benito Legarda writes that the “construction of the cathedral to replace the dilapidated church of San Pablo was authorized by the celebrated Governor Jose de Basco y Vargas in 1786, and the cornerstone was laid on January 31, 1790.” The church itself became a cathedral when the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia was transferred from Lal-lo, Cagayan to Vigan in 1758. An imposing structure in the heart of Vigan, the church’s main door was flanked by two pairs of columns which rise to the second tier of the façade. A niche above the main door houses a statue of St. Paul. There is a three-story bell tower with a square base and a mini-dome at the top lies nearby.
August 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
The church is home to the venerated our Lady of Charity, patroness of Nueva Segovia. The Statue of Our Lady adorns a niche at the top section just below the ornate cornice of the church façade. Below in it is another niche occupied by a statue of St. Augustine of Hippo and flanked by narrow stained glass windows. Based on historical records, the statue was canonically crowned by the Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on January 12, 1956. The shrine attracts devotees from within and outside Ilocos Sur.
The parish of Bantay, Ilocos Sur was established in 1591. The parish’s patron saint is St. Augustine of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace whose feast day is on May 05. The feast day of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad is celebrated on the second Sunday of January in commemoration of the canonical coronation of the image.
August 28th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
The Assumption Church was designated as a National Historical Landmark on September 26, 1982 and included in the World Heritage List on December 11, 1993. It was built on top of a hill giving visitors a panoramic view of the town, the green fields and the blue sea in the horizon. The Baroque church can be reached via an 82-steps stairway. Two huge columns flanked the façade of the church. What makes the church attractive is the reddish exterior due to the exposed brickwork. An octagonal bell tower is located nearby.
The patron saint of the parish, which was established in 1765, is Señora de la Asuncion and her feast day is celebrated on August 15, the feast of the Assumption. Enshrined in the church is the Virgin’s statue made of wood in ornate sculptural style, with ivory face and hands. She stands on pedestal of clouds surrounded by angel’s heads.
August 28th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Sur, Patron Saints, Religious Shrines |
Sta. Lucia Church is the only one in the province with a transept and experts as seen and described in the dome’s overhead which was Renaissance in style. Consoles projecting downward from the cornice make the church façade looks attractive. It is a four-storey tower with a mini-dome at the top stands to the right side of the church façade.
The main attraction of the church is the statue of St. Lucy, believed to date back to the 19th century. She has been credited as the source of many miracles especially for the persons suffering from eye ailments. Attached to the vestment of St. Lucy are plates cast in the image of an eye. As a parish, Sta. Lucia, named after its patron saint and was established in 1586. The feast day of St. Lucy is celebrated on December 13.
August 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Historical Sites, Ilocos Sur, Wars |
St. John the Baptist Church was constructed in 1799 through voluntary labor from residents and it is “home” to the predominantly Catholic Lapogueños. This is where scores of Lapogueños were held hostages by the Japanese forces during the Second World War. Japanese soldiers detained the people inside the church and threatened to bomb the place if nobody would reveal the burial site of a comrade. The people were spared by the valiant Constante Castro who led the Japanese to the burial site.
August 16th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Historical Sites, Ilocos Sur |
A World Heritage Site and a National Landmark, this centuries-old church nestled atop a hill at the town proper of Sta. Maria was used as a fortress during the 1896 Revolution.
The church is a great attraction to both the traveler and the faithful in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. It is a unique structure with a diversified architectural design and built of heavy stones and mortar. Like other sister churches in the Ilocos Region, the Santa Maria Church is of lesser proportion, flamboyant in scale and less stunning in the façade and expresses a tightness of space. It shows also a simplified and primitive form of architectural design.
July 20th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Norte, Tourists Spots |
Built in 1779, Sta. Monica Church is considered the biggest church in Ilocos region. Sarrat Ilocos Norte is the birth place of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Sta. Monica Church is a red-brick structure built in neo-classical style. The design elements on its facade are simple yet formal and elegant. The inverted scroll on its pediment gives hints of its Baroque origins.
Its convent was built in 1769 and served as a temporary chapel until the church itself and the bell tower were completed ten years later. A brick stairway connects the church to its convent, a unique structural feature and the only one in the Philippines. The church faces a river and beside it are ruins of an old building and a museum.
In 1983, Santa Monica was the site of the grand wedding of Irene Marcos-Araneta, the daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. The wedding rivaled that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s and was considered the “wedding of the century” in the Philippines.
Sarrat is only 7 kilometers east of Ilocos Norte’s capital, Laoag City.
July 18th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Norte, Tourists Spots |
St. William’s Cathedral is older than Paoay Church and even older than the Missions of California.
Located in Laoag City, the church is famous for its Italian Renaissance design as well as its Sinking Bell Tower, which 85 meters away from the church.
The church has an unusual two-storey facade, supported by two pairs of columns on each side of the arched entrance.
The top of the facade holds a recessed niche that showcases the image of the city’s patron saint, San Guillermo (St. William). It has windows made from capiz with wrought iron screens.
St. William’s Cathedral was built by the Augustinian friars to support the growing Christian population in Ylaua. Ylaua (which literally means “light” or “brightness”) was the first name of Laoag City, which served as a mission detachment of Vigan during the Spanish era.
The church was originally built using lime, molasses, big stones, gravel and sand. Molasses was mixed with lime for added strength. Wood was used for trusses to support the roof, which originally was made of cogon grass and was later replaced with nipa. Much later the roofing was again changed to taleb, a corrugated galvanized iron sheet made of whole bamboos.
It was in 1612 that the foundations of the present church of Italian Renaissance were made replacing the former wooden chapel. The church was damaged by hurricane in 1640, by earthquake in 1706, by fire in 1843. The church was restored in 1880.
Sinking Bell Tower
St. William’s Cathedral’s bell tower is massive and solid, and at 45 meters high it is known as the tallest bell tower in the Philippines.
It is called the “Sinking Bell Tower” as it sinks about an inch each year, because of its weight and and its foundation (it was built on sand).
In fact, it has sunk so deep and its entrance is half-buried that you now would have to stoop to enter when previously a man on horseback could ride through its entrance with absolute ease.
The bell tower is situated 85 meters away from the church - a rare position among the Spanish church structures.
July 16th, 2008 -- Posted in Churches, Ilocos Norte, Tourists Spots |
St. Augustine Church, or more popularly called Paoay Church, in Ilocos Norte is one of the the oldest churches in the Philippines and is among the major attractions of the province.
It is inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage list (together with 3 other Philippine baroque churches: Nuestra Senora in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; San Augustin in Manila; Miag-ao Church in Iloilo) in recognition of its unique architectural style which is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen.
The Paoay Church in particular is famous for its distinctive Gothic, Baroque and Oriental architecture. Its facade reveals Gothic affinity, its gables show Chinese elements, while the niches topping the walls suggest Javanese influence (reminiscent of the famous Boroboudur Temple).
Construction of Paoay Church was started by Augustinian friars in 1694. It was completed in 1704 and re-dedicated in 1894.
The church was dubbed “Earthquake Baroque” because of its fortress-like structure, with 24 massive buttresses designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.
Its thick walls were built of coral stones and bricks and sealed by hard lime mortar, which according to historians, was made by “mixing sand and lime with molasses boiled with mango leaves, leather and rice straw for two nights.”
A three-storey coral stone bell tower stands a few meters away from the church. The bell tower served as a look-out point for Philippine “Katipuneros” during the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards, and again by the Filipino “guerillas” during the Japanese occupation in World War II.
History has it that that the bell tower also served as a status symbol for the locals. The bell would ring more loudly and more times during the wedding of a prominent clan that it would during the wedding of the poor.
The panoramic view from the top of the bell tower is simply magnificent. Here you can see the vast expanse of land until it merges with China Sea.
