Thursday, June 19, 2014

EVANGELIZATION AND CHURCH HISTORY OF PANGASINAN (UNTIL 2012)



I. Introduction

Histories, including the good and bad events, are meant to be kept and to be treasured. They are there to remind us of beauty of life and inspire us to seek it more fully. They are there to serve as guideposts in our journey forward as well as milestones of our past. They are there to uplift us in moments of unhappiness, to anchor u in times of uncertainties, and to spur us to greater heights.

History are meant to be kept alive and burning that is why the Our Lady of Manaoag Formation Community have chosen Evangelization and Church History of Pangasinan as this year topic for their educational tour.

Before we go to the history of Pangasinan, let us try first to refresh our memories of what evangelization means. The term evangelization has a very rich meaning. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines evangelization as the proclamation of Christ and His Gospel by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ’s command.[1] Evangelization means bringing the good news of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. 

Evangelization sums up the Church’s entire mission: her whole life consists in accomplishing the proclamation and handing on of the Gospel, which is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16) and which, in the final essence, is identified with Jesus Christ himself (cf. 1 Cor 1:24). Understood in this way, evangelization is aimed at all of humanity. In any case, to evangelize does not mean simply to teach a doctrine, but to proclaim Jesus Christ by one’s words and actions, that is, to make oneself an instrument of his presence and action in the world.

The object of Catholic evangelization is conversion to Jesus Christ in and through the Church. The Gospel is the good news of salvation in and through Jesus.  For us, it is the evangelization message that we are called to proclaim and to witness.

Let us now then see the history of how the province of Pangasinan was evangelized and later on her growth having three dioceses.

II. History of Pangasinan

Background

After the Spanish regime, Luzon was divided into several provinces. Pangasinan was one of those pioneering provinces in Luzon; along with it were Pampanga, Ylocos, Cagayan, Camirines, La Laguna, Bombon y Balayan, and of course Manila, the capital of Philippines.

Etymologically, Pangasinan means “a place of salt” or a place where salt is made. The root word is “asin” and the prefix “pang” and “an” form the word for the place of salt. Pangasinan was the name given because its topography is near the coastal areas of the north-eastern part of the country. Such kind of natural resources gave the natives the avenue to develop an industry of salt making which subsequently became well known throughout the neighboring regions and provinces because of the good quality of salt they produce.

Pangasinan was actually not the sole and original name of the province. Such name only existed after the Spaniards discovered the product and considered it as one of the goods in trade industries for domestic or international.

Before the Spaniards came the province was also known as Caboloan, which is derived from the word bolo which is special specie of bamboo. Caboloan means a place where bamboos are found. The central part of Pangasinan is rich in producing bamboos. Bolo are not just the ordinary kawayan that may be found anywhere in the contry. It is thin and light – very much apt for weaving baskets, sawali and bilao. However, the name Caboloan, as the name of the provinces, was no longer used when bolos all over the region came to extinction.

Dialect and People

Pangasinan, as the name of the province, is also the name of the dialect spoken by the natives who dwells therein. As to the people living in Pangasinan, they are called Pangasinense. Pangasinan (as a dialect) belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian languages (the language of Malays). The alphabets of Pangasinan carry some parallelism to that of Tagalog, which also originated in the Malayan language. Pangasinan has only three vowels, viz.: A, E-I, O-U; and twelve consonants, viz.: B, D, G, H, K, L, M, N, P, S, T and V.[2]

Land Area

Originally, the jurisdiction of Pangasinan included Zambales and La Union, thus having an area of 11, 253.63 square kilometres. But in 1878, when La Union and Zambales became independent from Pangasinan, the province’s jurisdiction deduced to 5,368.18 square kilometres. Looking into the topography of the province, the terrain can be classified into three types: 1) the vast plains of the central portion; 2) the swamp or coastal areas in the west; and 3) the mountainous part in the in the east near the Cordillera.[3]

Foundation

Pangasinan was founded by the Austronesian civilization that wandered in the countries of Southeast Asia. Austronesians called themselves Anakbanua, meaning “child of banua.Banua is an Austronesian concept that could mean territory, homeland, society, civilization or cosmos.[4] They established their settlements along the Agno River and the Lingayen Gulf which were the center of trade industries to other tribes from different countries.

Anthropologists point out that Pangasinenses come from the lines of Malays who belong to the Austronesian civilization that settled in Southeast Asia. The Malays are classified as a branch of the Mongoloid race: brown-skinned, short, inclined to round-headedness, and have smooth skins.

A Dominican missionary named Fr. Colin, affirms that Pangasinenses are classified as one of the most civilized provinces in the early times of Luzon since that it was learned that the Tagalogs in central Luzon and the Pangasinenses have the same racial stock – the Malays. Thus, the Pangasinenses did not have much difficulty in economic exchanges with the Tagalogs who were better-off than other provinces in Luzon. Most of those in the central plains of Pangasinan are ancestors of Tagalogs and some Pampangos.

Culture

According to missionary-historians, the natives of Pangasinan also had its social classes like that of the Hindu Caste System. The natives are divided into three classes, viz.: the pangolo (or the anacbanuas), the highest rank; the timaoa, the middle rank and the aripuen class composing the servile rank.[5] Those in the rank of pangolos are usually the anacbanua who were believed to be the pioneers of the Pangasinan race. The class of anacbanuas constituted a council of elders for the whole community or baley.

Among all these ancbnuas the elders choose the sovereign pangolo who is actually the primus inter pares since the leadership had already been institutionalized by the council leaders. Again, this societal system is another norm similar to that of the Tagalogs’ social classes, viz: dato,maharlika, aliping namamahay,and aliping saguiguilid.

This social class radically affect the customs and legislations of the natives. For example, in their marriage customs one cannot marry those belonging to the higher ranks. If so, the groom should first exhibit bravery in battles and give amounts of bride-price dependent upon the rank of the bride. However, grooms need not to give bride-price to those belonging to the lower rank.

Another awe-striking custom of the Pangasinenses is the burial practices. They also believed in the life after death. On the grave of the dead, the natives placed material possessions  like food for his voyage, oil to anoint him, clothes to wear, and gold to pay the banquero who would carry him through a river to the next world.[6] Moreover, if the dead belongs to the high ranks of the society, one or two slaves were buried with him to serve him in the next world.

The families of the dead also practice a period of mourning. This mourning was marked by fasting and abstinence from rice, wine, meat and fish. They are only allowed to take in fruits and water. As to their traditional mourning attire, they wear gold chains or a piece of rattan around their neck. At the end of their mourning period, it was necessary that the family kill a person, often a slave, or more appropriately their enemies be it a woman, a child, or an old man. Great feast is also served where food and drinks are without limits.

Religious Practices

The religious practices of the Pangasinan folks were like that of all the Filipinos, the Pangasinenses believed in environmental-sprits, and a hierarchy of deities led by a ranking deity, not a supreme deity, for each had specific and some independent functions.[7] The term for their ranking deity was Ama-Gaoley, their highest idol, or “Apolaqui, to whom they prayed when they go on a voyage, a journey or a business.[8] The environmental deities were called Anitos, and these deities are either good or bad depending on the natives experience of them in their daily life. All hardships, bad moments, illnesses and deaths were all attributed to the bad anitos; whereas all the good happenings were to the good anitos. The natives believe that the deities control the weather, the success of the harvest and some other phenomena in man’s life.

Consequently, when these deities were not given due respect; if food and drink are not given to them in rituals, these deities would get offended and will cause illnesses and misfortunes to the natives. To find the favour of the deities, the natives also wore charms all over their bodies. These charms were intended to protect them from illness, evil spirits or to whatever threats of death.

The religious functionaries were women. They were called managanito.[9] The natives seek her assistance to interpret dreams and omens. They also help on making decisions favourable to the deities, for example, in marriages, harvests, journeys, hunts and wars.

Hispanic Period

Spanish conquest and colonization began in 1571 under Martin de Goiti, who conquered the entire terrains of the Luzon. A year later, Juan de Salcedo sailed up the western coast and landed at the mouth of the Agno River. Both of them ruled Pangasinan and the neighbouring provinces, viz.: Zambales, Pampanga and Ilocos. This time, it was no longer the pangolos or the anacbanuas that rule the province.

The province had been under the system of encomienda of Spain through Gaoiti and Salcedo. In 1574, this Spanish rule was threatened by an invasion of a Chinese pirate named Limahong. At that time, Goiti died while defending Manila from some other foreign invaders. Thus Lavezaris a soldier of Goiti needed to ask the help of Salcedo from Vigan to lead the defence of Pangasinan against Limahong. In August 4, 1575, Salcedo was able to exile Limahong from the Pangasinan. Limahong chose to leave and try his luck on other shores.[10]

This advent of the Spanish conquest in the lands of Pangasinan brought about a lot of breakthroughs in the social structure of the natives. One change they encountered was the reorganization of the natives’ society. This time, the Spaniards introduced the village systems where native families begin to live in clusters in a certain poblacion. The choice of site for the poblacion was made by the Spanish friars. Usually, poblacion was the place where the Church was built. 

Another significant breakthrough the natives encounter was the abolition of slavery. Spain guaranteed the servile classes to be afforded with freedom and the property of rights in the society.

In 1580, the first missionaries arrived in Pangasinan. Binalatongan (now San Carlos City) was the chosen site which friars made as the poblacion. It was in this poblacion that the Dominicans started their first missionary efforts. The missionaries had difficulty evangelizing the natives because of the fact that the natives were very attached to their own customs and beliefs. They were zealous in defending their customs and beliefs because they were afraid of losing their liberty once they joined the religion introduced by the aliens. It took the Spaniards three years to administer their first baptism among the natives. In 1611, Pangasinan became a Spanish colonial province, comprising the territories of Zambales and some areas of La Union and Tarlac.

When the Spaniards came in Pangasinan, it was discovered that there were 4,000 natives living in the province. But at the end of Spanish regime, there were said to be more than 10,000 natives who got baptized to the Christian religion.

The Malong Revolt

The poblacion system was an adoption of the European structure of social locus. When this system was introduced, paying taxes was also imposed which led to an unjust collection of taxes among the natives. Aside from that, the natives were also made to work in the construction of church and some other infrastructure like roads and residences of the Spaniards without being paid for the labor.

In Binalatongan, which was the first poblacion in Pangasinan, Andres Malong, who was one of the oppressed laborers, was the chief of the natives. He knew that his fellow natives were really discontented with the rule of the foreigners. Thus, in 1660, Malong gathered all the oppressed natives and planned a rebel against the Spaniards. Their assault started by burning the church in Binalatongan.

The movement became stronger when Malong mustered 40,000 troops from some other allies from Pampanga, Ilocos and Cagayan Valley. In this revolt, Don Francisco Pulido, the Alcalde of Pangasinan, and his wife was murdered. Subsequently, Malong, upon killing the alcalde, proclaimed himself as the Ari Pangasinan (King of Pangasinan). On the same year, Andres Malong wanted to extend his kingdom to Ilocos and Pampanga. He sent able generals to conquer the region, threatening the Spanish government over the areas. Malong’s army was expelled in the end by the raging reinforcement of the Spanish government.

The Palaris Revolt

In 1762, another Pangasinense leader, Juan de la Cruz Palaris rebelled against the Spanish imposition of the tribute. It was a two-year revolt against the Spaniards. Like that of the Malong Revolt, Palaris’ was another attempt to overthrow the Spaniards from Pangasinan. It could have been an opportune time to assault the Spanish Colonials since they were busy in their war against Britain. But in 1763, that war of Spain against Britain ended through the Treaty of Paris. Thus, the Spanish colonial forces went back to the Philippines and executed their counter to the revolt of the natives. On January 16, 1765, Juan de la Cruz Palaris was captured and Pangasinan independence was again lost.[11]

Today, the population of Pangasinan is 2,434,086. Pangasinan is the third most populated province in the Philippines.[12]

III. THE ARCHDIOCESE AND DIOCESES OF PANGASINAN

A Diocese is a portion of the people of God which is entrusted for pastoral care to a bishop with the cooperation of the presbyterate so that, adhering to its pastor and gathered by him in the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and the Eucharist, it constitutes a particular church which the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and operative. (Canon 369)

This canon which is derived from the Vatican II document Christus Dominus, the Decree on Pastoral Ministry of the Bishops in the Church, vividly describes to us the notion of the diocese. Firstly, the diocese is not preliminary a division of the Universal Church but rather a community of the baptized confessing the faith, sharing in the sacramental life, and entrusted to the ministry of the Bishop. 

Secondly, the portion of the people of God is entrusted to the Bishop as the visible principle and foundation of its unity. He is the ordinary, proper, and immediate pastor of the church entrusted to him. He governs and represents the Universal Church, and these are present through the preaching of the Gospel and the celebration of the sacraments mediated by the Bishop. 

Thirdly, despite this preeminent status, the bishop does not function as an isolated figure in the pastoral ministry. Somewhat comparable to his relationship to his brother bishops in the College of Bishops, he functions with his fellow presbyters in a hierarchically structured exercise of the priestly, teaching and pastoral ministry of the Lord. The collaborative efforts of the Bishop and presbyters are geared to fostering the union of the faithful with Lord in such a way that the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is truly active and present in the diocese.

As a rule, that portion of the people of God which constitutes a diocese is limited to a definite territory so that it comprises all the faithful who inhabit that territory (Canon 371, 1). This provision of canon law states that normally, a particular church is territorially established, i.e., those Christians living in a precisely defined area formed into a community whose spiritual head is the Bishop. Thus, the individual Christian is given his own pastor.

In 1579, the first diocese in the Philippines, that of Manila, was created. This diocese then encompassed the whole country.

In 1595, Manila was elevated into an archdiocese and three suffragan dioceses were created, namely, Nueva Segovia (erected first at Lal-lo, Cagayan and transferred to Vigan, Ilocos Sur in 1758) Caceres in Naga, Camarines Sur, and Cebu.
In 1928, the Diocese of Lingayen was created. It became Lingayen-Dagupan when the Episcopal See was transferred to Dagupan City. The diocese then comprised the whole civil province of Pangasinan, several towns of Zambales, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. When the Diocese was elevated to an archdiocese in 1963, it comprised the whole Pangasinan only.

Then in 1985, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was partitioned into three ecclesiastical jurisdictions: Lingayen-Dagupan as the mother archdiocese, and Alaminos and Urdaneta as its daughter dioceses.

A. HISTORY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN

FOUNDATION

The first Spanish expedition to Pangasinan was made by Maestre de Campo Martin de Goiti. That was in the year 1571. After that year, there was again an expedition by Capitan Juan de Salcedo. The motivation of this expedition was a hot military pursuit of Limahong. Limahong was a Chinese corsair who attempted to conquer Manila but failed; so, he went to Salasa, Pangasinan to hide and establish his own kingdom there.

Capitan Salcedo did not want this tyranny to happen. So, he planned an attack against Limahong. Augustinian missionaries joined Capitan Salcedo’s expedition. The Augustinians were the first wave of apostles who tried to evangelize the land, notably Martin de Rada and Pedro Holgado. They even built a small chapel in Labrador where the people had no religion but paganism. The natives were addicted to idolatry and superstitious beliefs. They did not want to give in to the preaching of the Augustinians.  So, they left Pangasinan and headed towards Ilocos Norte.

After the Augustinians came some Fransiscan Friars, particularly Fr. Juan Bautista Pisaro and Sebastian de Baeza. They also attempted to evangelize the province. Yet, just like their predecessors Augustinians, they also found Pangasinan unrelenting and fierce.

THE DOMINICANS

It is to the Dominicans whom Pangasinan owes her evangelization and conversion. The Dominicans arrived in the province in September 1587 and stayed until the early years of the Revolution in 1898. However, it was not an easy and swift task for them. Just like their other predecessors, they also experienced the same resistance that the natives had showed.

The Dominicans did not give up. The fire in their hearts which has always been a characteristic of their founder, St. Dominic, was never dampened but even all the more blazed with passion in service and evangelization. Indeed, their efforts were not put into waste. The first Dominican missionaries who came to Pangasinan were Fathers Bernardo de Santa Catalina (who acted as the superior of the small group), Gregorio Ochoa, Juan de Castro; Pedro de Soto, Marcos de San Antonio and Juan de la Cruz.

After three years of birth pains, the constant prayer and good example set by the friars converted a small group of men which later on swelled into a mass conversion of people who rushed to the redeeming waters of baptism. By the year 1612, they were already at least 10,000 baptized Christians in Pangasinan. From then started the founding of more parishes in the land.

The process of evangelization went on for almost four centuries, the Christian community in the provinces continued to grow and to flourish. In 1898, when the Dominicans gave up the work of the church in Pangasinan there were 293,111 souls under the care of 35 priests distributed over 29 towns. All of these parishes were under the Diocese of Nueva Segovia who had jurisdiction over the whole of Northern Luzon. On May 19, 1928, the Diocese of Lingayen (comprising the whole civil province of Pangasinan, 11 towns of Tarlac and 10 towns of Nueva Ecija, and 3 towns of Zambales) was separated from the mother diocese.

Most Rev. Cesar Maria Guerrero was the first bishop of the new diocese. He was shortly followed by the Most Rev. Mariano Madriaga. Since 1928, the Episcopal seat was Lingayen; but, it has to be moved to Dagupan on May 11, 1954 because of the destruction wrought by World War II. Thus, the Diocese of Lingayen was renamed Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Nevertheless, Lingayen remained co-cathedral.

On February 16, 1963, Pope Paul VI reconstituted the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan into an Archdiocese comprising the whole civil province of Pangasinan. The towns from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija were returned to their respective civil provinces to form two independent dioceses each as suffragan of the new Metropolitan See.

BISHOPS

Most Rev. Cesar Maria Guerrero was the first bishop of the Archdiocese. Msgr. Madriaga, the one who succeeded, served the Archdiocese for more than 35 years. He was followed by the Most Rev. Federico Limon.

Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, JCD continued the work of Most Rev. Limon for 18 years. Bishop Renato P. Mayugba was appointed as auxiliary bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on Oct. 18, 2005. His Episcopal ordination was on Dec. 27, 2005.

On September 8, 2009, the current Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, DD was installed.

ECCLESIAL TERRITORY

Stating again from the history of Pangasinan, we have known that in 1898, when the Dominicans gave up the work of the church in Pangasinan there were 293,111 souls under the care of 35 priests distributed over 29 towns.

In the statistics in the year 1985 during the synod, it is said that the territory of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was made up of 2 cities and 15 municipalities. The population is about 775,300 with approximately 693,100 Catholics in an area of 1,176.15 sq. kms.

Now, the Archdiocese is comprised of 2 cities and 15 municipalities in the central part of Pangasinan. It serves as the metropolitan diocese of the nearby dioceses namely: Alaminos, Cabanatuan, San Fernando (La Union), San Jose (Nueva Ecija) and Urdaneta. The population now is 1,215,000. The Catholics are 1,002,500 in area of 1,565 sq. km.

EARLY CHURCHES

In the history, it is said that the Dominicans Arrive in the province in September 1587, they established themselves in Binalatongan where they were first accommodated in a humble but "made of branches and leaves" which the then Spanish encomendero of Binalatongan named Jimenez del Pino had provided them.

The other parishes were Gabon (now Calasiao) in 1588; Mangaldan in 1600; Manaoag in 1608; Lingayen in 1614; Bayambang in 1619; Binmaley in 1627; San Jacinto in 1643; Malasique in 1677; San Bartalome de Agno in 1688; Asingan in 1698; San Fabian in 1718; Salasa in 1720; Maliong-liong in 1739; Santa Barbara in 1743; Labrador in 1755; Pandayocan (now Villasis) in 1763; Aguilar in 1810; Mangatarem in 1837; Sual in 1837, Binalonan in 1841; Tayug in 1841; San Nicolas in 1849; Urbiztundo in 1855; Urdaneta in 1863; San Manuel in 1878; Pozorrubio in 1881; Alcala in 1881; Santa Maria in 1890 and Alava (now Sison) in 1896.

The western towns of Pangasinan which formed a part of the Zambales mission were administered by the Augustinian Recollects. Already from 1609, we could trace: their missionary activities in Bolinao, Alaminos, Bani; Dasol; Anda, Burgos, and Infanta respectively according to the date of their founding.

ASSEMBLIES, PASTORAL PLAN

We cannot just forget the Synod and the Pastoral and Administrative Documents of the Archdiocese which have served as pillars of our house in guiding and directing its mission as a church. The synod of the archdiocese was convoked and presided over by his Excellency Most Rev. Frederico G. Limon, SVD, DD from July 13 to December 7, 1985. The purposes of the synod are: 1­) adaptation of the laws and norms of the universal church to local conditions, 2) to point out the policy and program of apostolic work in the Archdiocese, 3) to resolve problems in the apostolates and administrations, 4) to give impetus to projects and undertakings, 5) to correct errors in doctrine and morals if any have crept in.

After the synod came the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly which tries to renew and promote the ministry of the clergy, the  apostolate of the laity, the formation of basic ecclesial communities all over the Archdiocese. The Pastoral Assembly was held from November to December, 1968 for four Saturdays. There were more than 200 participants to the assembly. They came by representation from the following nine sectors: Parishes and Chaplaincies, Catholic Schools and Seminaries, Archdiocesan Organizations and Movements, Religious Sisters and Clergy, and the Youth.

PRESENT PROGRAMS

Just like any other house, there are inevitable damages, corrosion, and destruction that happen. Our Archdiocese has also experienced such. That is why there are restorations, refurbishing, and remodeling that have been made in order for the faithful to always feel at home. But, the pillars and foundations are still the same. One of the reconstructions is the vision-mission of the Archdiocese.

The vision-mission of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan is summarized in the acrostics ICTHUS. ICTHUS is the Greek word of fish. The fish is very close to the heart of Pangasinenses because it is the main livelihood of the place; and at the same time, it has also become a trademark of the province, whenever one says Pangasinan, the first thing that comes into mind of the people is fish especially bangs.

The fish too is also a symbol of Christianity for the early Christians. The early Christians were persecuted because of their Christian faith. This was the reason why they could not profess their faith in public, so they celebrated their liturgy in catacombs. They also needed a cryptic image which will symbolize the Christian faith – the fish, the ICTHUS.


ICTHUS

I - Integration of Faith and Life

There has really been a gap between the faith and the moral life of Catholics nowadays. Thus, there is a need to encourage once again the people to be involved in socio-political, socio-economic, socio-ecological institutions, offices and ministries, especially family involvement in the church. This is to attain a renewed and mature personal life in the context of stewardship spirituality

C - Catechesis

Adults and students alike are the focus a coordinated comprehensive systematic continuous sustained and updated catechetical program. There is also a concern on the formation and support of volunteer catechists.

TH - THanksgiving
The Eucharist is still the source and summit of Christian spirituality where the perfect act of thanksgiving made by Jesus Christ is present again. Hence, there must be a Eucharistic spirituality that is truly inculturated and biblically based and socially engaged which is actively promoted, deepened and sustained.

U - Unity and Diversity

This is a call for the use of all social and ecclesial initiatives that promote communio among the laity, religious and clergy on the parish, vicariate, and archdiocesan levels in the context of the Archdiocese’s vision-mission: the ICTHUS. This is to make sure that there is a constant renewal of the people’s desire to achieve this vision-mission.

S - Service, Justice, and Charity

It was Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese who promulgated the commission or the movement named Caritas. The mission of the Caritas is to extend the help of the church towards the people especially the marginalized through medical and dental outreach, housing assistance, livelihood and micro financing, educational scholarship programs, and social advocacies. This Caritas must be intensified and emphasized.

Such is the vision-mission of the Archdiocese, truly very ideal and promising; but, this would all be useless if it is not translated in action. The Archdiocese needs to walk the talk or else they would just like be the hypocrites who knew very well the Law but did not practice it in their lives. So, there are actual and concrete programs and spirituality that are now observed in the Archdiocese.

THE RENEWAL OF SHEPHERDS

The renewal of priests is one the most significant and crucial moves of the Archdiocese since Most Rev. Villegas was installed as Archbishop. If the church wish to convert her sheep, she must first of all start with the shepherds. Conversion starts in the clergy. Conversion starts in the seminary. This is the reason why aside from the monthly meetings, recollections, and annual retreat, the priests of the Archdiocese undergo a thirty-day retreat individually to renew their commitment in following Christ and serving the people.

The Archbishop has also shown his love for the seminarians by constantly repeating that the seminary is the heart of the Archdiocese; thus, the seminarians are in the heart of the Archbishop. During summer vacations, seminarians undergo intensive and special seminars just like team-building, homiletics course, advanced leadership program, efficiency in the English language and communication skills, seminars on prayer and spirituality. During summer apostolate, seminarians no longer stay in the Parish convent but immerse themselves in far-flung places.

One of the highlights and at the same time the legacy of the celebration of the golden anniversary of the Archdiocese is the establishment of the theology seminary in Palapad, San Fabian. “We need to form priests from Pangasinan, for Pangasinan, in the culture of Pangasinan. We need to form priest with the clergy of Pangasinan, among the people of Pangasinan,” these were the very words of the Archbishop. Everyone is called to take part in the building of the theology seminary especially now that the spirituality of stewardship is introduced to the Archdiocese.

HOUSE OF STEWARDS

Last 2011, for four consecutive Sundays of the Lenten season, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas introduced to the Archdiocese the spirituality of stewardship through his pastoral letters.

In one of his reflections he said: The spirituality of stewardship is not new. It is based on many biblical traditions but we want to inject a new perspective to our stewardship in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan—primarily, that we are all stewards of the earth because we are all created by God; secondly, that we are all stewards of spiritual gifts on account of our Christian baptism and lastly; that generous, cheerful and humble stewardship can make us holy.

Stewardship calls us to conversion. We are not owners. We are tenants and stewards. Stewardship calls on us to share our blessings, our lives and our resources at the service of the mission of Christ. Through our stewardship of time, talent and treasure, may others be led to spiritual maturity and abiding loyalty to the Church.

THE PHASE-OUT OF THE ARANCEL SYSTEM

In line with the spirituality of stewardship, the Archdiocese is phasing out the fixed offerings for the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals. The Archbishop continues to explain that the spirit of stewardship finds its meaning in fulfillment in sharing, generosity, and love. This new spirituality changes one’s understanding of the Church from being a stone building or a service agency to a community of disciples called by Jesus: the Church as a communio. This must liberate one’s religious experiences from individualism and narrow mindedness.

SCHOOL OF LAY LEADERS

Under the vision of Catechism, the Archbishop is now heading a basic catechism program for adults of which the Archbishop himself is the speaker and teacher. Each parish must send at least 8 competent and potential catechists to attend this free program. These leaders now become leaders of their parishes who have the task to share and evangelize what they have known.

CORRECTIONS IN THE LITURGY

In consonance with the vision of the Archdiocese under Thanksgiving, there have been a lot of changes and corrections in the practices of the extraordinary ministers of communion, lectors, and commentators. Some of these are: the introduction and petitions in the mass, only the baptismal names without any title or surname of the petitions are announced, the extraordinary ministers have a formula to follow in giving Holy Communion to the sick members of the community, the new responses in the mass are also gradually being observed.

B. THE HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF URDANETA

FOUNDATION

The Diocese of Urdaneta was created and erected on January 12, 1985, and its first Bishop, the Most Reverend Pedro G. Magugat, MSC, D.D. took possession and was installed as its Bishop on June 29, 1985. On May 5, 1990, the Diocese became vacant with the untimely death of Bishop Magugat. The second Bishop, the Most Reverend Jesus C. Galang, D.D. took over the Diocese and was installed as its Bishop on February 9, 1982 until his untimely demise on September 16, 2004. Then came the appointment of Most Reverend Jacinto A. Jose, D.D.  as the third bishop of the diocese. He was installed as its Bishop on December 31, 2005.

The Diocese of Urdaneta is made up of 17 municipalities in the Eastern part of Pangasinan. To date there are 25 Parishes.

ECCLESIASTICAL TERRITORY

The Roman Catholic of Urdaneta used to be part of the Diocese of Lingayen which was erected on May 19, 1928, comprising of the whole province of Pangasinan, 11 towns of Tarlac, 10 towns of Nueva Ecija and 3 towns of Zambales. On February 16, 1963, the diocese was reconstituted into an archdiocese, encompassing only the civil province of Pangasinan, with the towns from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija being returned to their respective civil provinces to form two independent dioceses each, suffragans of the new Metropolitan See of Lingayen-Dagupan.

On January 12, 1985, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, by the virtue of the papal Bull, NON RARO CATHOLICORUM, erected the Diocese of Urdaneta, detaching it from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. The clergy and the laity in the affected portions were at first adamant with this new development. If they had only their way they would like to preserve the integrity of the whole civil province of Pangasinan as one definite portion of the people of God. However, they eventually saw the wisdom of the Holy See in establishing a new entity even at the pain of separating from the mother Archdiocese. 

The Archdiocese at the time of division had a total population of 1,616,905; 1,374,280 of whom are catholic souls, spread out in a land area of 5,630.14 sq. kms. The Archdiocese was such an immense pastureland that one shepherd would not suffice to lead the flock.

The size of the diocese territory and the number of its inhabitant should as a general rule be such that on one hand the bishop himself, assisted perhaps by others, is able to duly exercise his pontifical functions and carry out his pastoral visitations in it. He should also be in a position to control and coordinate effectively all the apostolic activities in his diocese, and especially to know his priest and all the religious and laymen who are involve in diocesan activities. On the other hand, a diocese should provide a sufficient and suitable scope for the bishop and his priests to employ usefully all their energies in the ministry, taking into account the needs of the universal Church. (Christus Dominus 23, 2)

The territory given to this new diocese sits on 1,616.22 sq. kms. Of the lands in eastern Pangasinan, inhabited by 516,611 people, 81.3% of whom are Catholic faithful, distributed in 17 municipal and 4 barangay parishes which, except for 3 parishes, used to form the vicariates V and VI of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. On April 22, 1985, the Most Rev, Pedro G. Magugat MSC, D.D., until then the Military Vicar of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was appointed as the first residential bishop of Urdaneta. 

On June 29, 1985, the decree of erection and the decree of canonical possession by the new bishop were executed, with the Cathedral Parish of the Immaculate Conception in Urdaneta as the seat of the diocese.

BISHOPS, CLERGY, AND RELIGIOUS ORDERS

The diocese started with a cash asset of around 150,000.00 as its share from the old Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. For a sole corporation, such as an amount is obviously beyond imagination as to how it could start an operation. With said P 150,000.00, the new jurisdiction had to build the Chancery office and other offices; give subsidies to poor parishes; finance the apostolates; build a quarter for the bishop (not to mention, the little subsidy given to him as he had no parish); maintain personnel and offices. Without necessarily discounting the sacrifices of many others, it is to the credit of the late Bishop Pedro G. Magugat, the Vicar-General, Msgr. Aureliano B. Ruiz of happy memory, and Rev. Fr. Arturo Aquino who was then the Chancellor-Economus, that the diocese was able to survive the pangs of beginnings.

Collaborating with the Bishop were 26 pioneering diocesan priests, 2 deacons, 2 SVD fathers, 5 Religious sisters of St. Dominic (OP), 3 Religious Sisters of St. Catherine (OP), and 42 Religious Sisters of our very own Diocesan Religious Institutes – The workers of Christ the Worker, founded in 1971 by the Superior General, Rev. Mo. Deolendes Luza, WCW. Of the 26 Diocesan priests, 3 were already retired and 1 was at sickbay, which left with only 22 strong to men the 21 parishes. With 22 priests on active service ministering to 616, 611 people, the ratio was priests per 23, 482 souls.

With a diocese reeling under a severe shortage of ordained manpower, the death of 12 priests within 25 years is very hunting. That is a high 44.55% mortality rate from among the founding Fathers. As of this count, only 7 out of the 27 pioneering Fathers, 2 of whom in a retired capacity, are still actively working in the diocese. However, the diocese has been blessed with a steady flow of vocations that almost every year, neo-presbyters join the ranks. To date, 32 ordinations have been held, giving us a batting average of 1.28 ordinations per annum.

With the advent of 31 priests and 1 deacon, 6 of whom are presently out of the active list. With the present population of our Diocese pegged at 748, 792 souls spread out in now 25 parishes, (with the creation of St. Isidore Parish in Umingan, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Urdaneta, St. Raphael Parish in Binalonan, and Divine Mercy Parish in Urdaneta), the ratio is priest per 22, 691 persons.

The death of the first Bishop, Most Rev. Pedro G. Magugat on May 5, 1990 dealt a big blow in this new Diocese. Just as we were gaining head way in our diocesan life, he suddenly passed away. Among others, it created some kind of concern on the real assets of the Diocese. The incumbent Vicar General was elected Diocesan Administrator and as he was working hard so as to make a clear delineation of the Diocesan properties. He, too, followed to the great beyond exactly 6 months after the death of the Bishop – November 5, 1990. The untimely demise of two clerics, let alone, its top two leaders in a span of six months inevitably created a manpower as well as leadership vacuum.

The College of Consultors held another election and the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Amado M. Lopez, HP was resurrected from his retirement since 1987 to fill up the lacuna and steered the local church as Diocesan Administrator for the rest of the vacancy of the See which was to last for one year and eight months. The period of Sede Vacante was a difficult time for the diocese. Diocesan life consisted mainly on maintaining ecclesiastical operations as it is the provision of law not to make substantial changes in a vacated See. It is to the credit of the laity and clergy of the Diocese to have been able to sustain the faith and the apostolate and the whole operation of the Diocese during those difficult times, as it was indeed a veritable experience of our Lord’s words, “they are like sheep without a shepherd.”

On December 7, 1991, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, appointed the second Bishop of Urdaneta, His Excellency the Most Rev. Jesus C. Galang, D.D. until then the auxiliary Bishop of Pampanga. The new Bishop was installed and took canonical possession of the diocese of February 9, 1992. Having barely warmed his seat, he immediately embarked on fixing the kinds in the Diocese which were a natural consequence of the long period of sede vacante.

One of the first acts he made was to pursue the case left behind by the first administrator, Msgr. Ruiz – the recovery of the Diocesan assets. Bishop Galang doggedly worked on this for more than a year and happily he was able to reach a satisfactory resolution. Not long after, he began the construction of the Bishop’s House. Until this time, the bishop was a tenant in the parish convent of Urdaneta. This beautiful Bishop’s House which eventually blessed a good two years after his arrival in this diocese, conspicuously stands at the former site of the parish convent as a testament of the Bishop’s gift of himself to the diocese as well as the people’s gift of themselves to their bishop. Through the vision of Bishop Galang, henceforth the bishop who will succeed him and all the bishops who will come and go in this diocese will have a comfortable abode they can call their home.

The headaches of the bishop seemed unrelenting. Immediately after recovering the assets of the diocese, he began to wage a series of legal battles if only to protect and defend the rights of the diocese. This concerns the agrarian case against tenants of the land in the vicinity of the cathedral. Way back a grant from German funding agency for the construction of the Diocesan Pastoral Center. 

The request was granted but no Pastoral Center could be constructed due to legal impediments, the resolution of which even reached the office of the President the Republic of the Philippines. Even before the death of the former Bishop, the case had already been decided upon in favor of the diocese. However, the execution of the decree could not be implemented due to legal dilatory tactics. When Bishop Galang came in, he made a firm resolve to overcome obstacles in giving due to the diocese. Thus, even to the brink of bodily risk, with the support of the clergy and the laity, particularly, Congressman Amado Perez Jr. and Mayor Rodolfo Parayno of Urdaneta, he was able to get what is rightfully due to the Diocese of Urdaneta.

On November 13, 1994, after many months of almost violent clashes between representatives of the diocese and the tenant and his cohorts, the cornerstone of the Diocesan Pastoral Center was finally laid. The very next day, construction began. And today, this Diocesan Pastoral Center (the John Paul II Pastoral Center) proudly stands as a poignant symbol of the diocesan’s pain and glory.

ASSEMBLIES AND PASTORAL PLANS

The pastoral thrust of this local church since its creation was the establishment of this diocese into basic Christian communities (Basic Ecclesial Communities / BEC). However, since the new diocese was not quite ready for this new concept of being a church, it was rightly appraised that the utmost priority was the manpower of both the clergy and the laity. Thus since then, the diocese marshaled all its resources just to prepare and dispose the clergy and the lay leaders for the enormous task of building basic ecclesial communities. Manpower development of the clergy was geared towards the building up of a basic Christian community of the clergy – the forming of a presbyterium, the fusion of the sacramental bond. It was an inerrant perception that the key to success of any diocesan endeavor is a united and cohesive clergy. The so-called BEC is but an illusion until it begins with the presbyteral community. To achieve this, the diocese embarked on an ambitious and massive On-Going Formation and Renewal Program which covered the whole spectrum of clerical life: Psycho-Sexual Development, Management skills, Spiritual Renewal, Theological Updating, Social Awareness Programs, and Community-Building. It is significant to note that these costly programs have no financial subsidy. Expenses incurred are shouldered by the priests themselves: board and lodging, transportation, honoraria or stipend of facilitators or resource speakers, an incontrovertible evidence of the clergy’s will and desire for growth and development, as well as it firm resolve to establish a community within itself.

Formation of the laity has always been integrated with the establishment of the various commissions, ministries and apostolates. Aside from the regular seminars and training sessions conducted in their respective organizations, lay leaders undergo special trainings in different areas of apostolate. Family life Apostolate (FLA) workers have been sent yearly at the Center for Family Ministries at the Ateneo de Manila University. Biblical Apostolate (BA) workers have been undergoing formation at the John Paul I Biblical Institute.

Lay Liturgical Ministers have been training under the auspices of the Word Alive Bible Institute. Catechetical workers have been studying at the Stella Maris and St. Benedict Catechetical Institute. On BEC orientation a 3-day seminar for the clergy and lay leaders alike was conducted by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo. Again, as the diocese is in dire financial want, the lay leaders themselves spend for the most part for their training, - another indubitable verification of our people’s magnanimity in making sacrifices for the local church.

On the Feast of Christ the king, November 20, 1994, the Bishop of Urdaneta, proclaimed January 12, 1995 to January 12, 1996 as the DIOCESAN YEAR OF REVITALIZATION AND RENEWAL to celebrate the 10th Founding Anniversary of the Diocese of Urdaneta which aims at consolidating our gains for the last decade as well as reflecting on our setbacks in order to make a diocese that is more attuned to the human condition and responsive to the ecclesial needs and demands of the third millennium.

At the launching program of the 10th anniversary celebration on the 28th January, the Most Rev. Bishop enunciated his hope that during that one-year period, the diocese would have been able to begin putting in place the organizations and structures, both in the administration and in the apostolate, and come up with the concrete pastoral vision and diocesan plan relevant to a church of the 21st century.

Responding to this call of the Bishop, the clergy immediately underwent a 5-day seminar on Organization Planning and Development in February 1995 in Baguio City. Thereat, plans and programs for revitalization and renewal were mapped out, all in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines.

As the diocese is comprised not only of clerics but embraces the whole Christ’s Faithful, the participation of the religious and laity was considered an imperative. Thus was born the idea of a Diocesan Pastoral Assembly, which was to serve as the springboard for the realization of the hopes and ideals laid out in the rationality of the 10th anniversary program.

Right at its inception, the problem of logistics for such an activity played a militative factor against its fulfillment. In the end, the clergy came up with a final solution which at the time of its proposition in February was practically rendered as a gross impossibility – a Musical concert to be participated in by all the priests of the diocese. In October of that same year, the Priests’ Concert, “Our Father,” made its premiere presentation at the Divine Word College of Urdaneta. The following month, the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA I) was convoked and was subsequently held at the Betania Retreat House in Baguio City from November 5-10, 1995, participated in by 131 clergy, religious and lay leaders.

For 5 days, the diocese, at least thru its duly authorized representatives, practically underwent a painful process of self-introspection as it confronted its problem and its causes if only to make a fairly attainable vision-mission statements, as well as realistic goals and objectives.

In February of the next year, a 30-man DPA Core Tem underwent a so-called Organizational Planning System (OPS) workshop for 10 days to process the inputs of DPA I, and in November, a 3-day Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA II) was convened at the Assumption Retreat House in Baguio City to validate the output of the Core Team and thus finalize the draft for what is to be known as the Diocesan Integrated Pastoral Plan (DIPP). Finally, with the publish edition of the DPA documents, the Diocesan Bishop promulgated, approved, and launched on Easter Sunday, March 30, 1997 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the Diocesan Integrated Pastoral Plan (DIPP) and thereby mandated its full implementation in the whole Diocese. Thence on, the parishes responded with the holding of their own Parish Pastoral Assemblies (PPA) that by the time of general reshuffle in May, 1998, all but one of the parishes have already gone through with PPA I.

As the diocesan pastoral programs were gaining their momentum, Bishop Galang met an accident which eventually led to his death on September 16, 2004. Again, the Diocese was under a period of sede vacante for one year, three months and fourteen days. The Vicar General, Msgr. Marlo M. Peralta, was elected by the College of Consultors as Diocesan Administrator. He eventually became the Bishop of the Diocese of Alaminos. On the 21st of September 2005, the Most Reverend Jacinto A. Jose, D.D., JCL, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Urdaneta. Bishop Jose took possession of the Diocese on December 31, 2005.

Apo Jack, as he is commonly called, remarked during a homily, “A healthy clergy is a healthy diocese.” Hence, it is observed that his initial tasks as the shepherd of the diocese were on the wellbeing of the clergy. One of the significant manifestations of which is the conversion of the “Bahay Kanlungan” into the “Bahay Pari”, where ailing and retire members of the clergy can have a place and be cared for more closely. All priests can now avail of the annual executive medical check-up whose expenses are paid from the priest’s individual health funds that are accumulated through a policy initiated by Apo Jack.

In order to secure the financial stability of the priests and of the parishes, the Bishop with some members of the clergy in the Diocese. Also, to address various issues concerning the life and ministry of priests in the diocese, Apo Jack convoked the Priest’s Assembly which convenes regularly, consequently strengthening also the camaraderie and rapport of the clergy. One physical structure that expresses this intention of Apo Jack is the Diocesan Gym, on which the priests and lay alike can come together for tennis games, and which is also utilized as venue for diocesan celebrations and occasions.

The Bishop likewise promotes the pastoral thrust of the Diocese. Easter of 1997 already marked the historic launching of the DIPP. Following the launching was the concerted effort of the Core team to replicate the process of the DIPP at the parish level through Pastoral Assemblies. However, the move was overtaken by some turn of events, among others, the unsustained pursuit of direction as priests were focused on their own parish activities, the demise of His Excellency Jesus C. Galang, D.D. and the period of sedevacante. Through the initiative of Bishop Jose, in February 2009, the presbyterium convened in Sta. Catalina Convent, Baguio City for the revisiting of the DIPP. The body invited Rev. Fr. Manny Guazon, as facilitator. At the end of the 3-day workshop, the clergy unanimously agreed to work out on the following recommendations: (1) Creation of a New Core Team, (2) Review of DIPP by the Core Team, (3) Review of DIPP with the Lay, and (4) Parish Pastoral Assemblies (PPA).

On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the Diocese, Bishop Jacinto A. Jose, D.D., declared 2009 as “Year of Renewal.” The impetus was the review composed of representatives from the 3 Vicariates. Each Vicariate was composed of 3 priests, 4 lay leaders and one youth representative, and 2 representatives from the seminarians. The ex-officio members were the Bishop and the Vicar General.

The initial meeting of the group was held on June 7, 2009 at John Paul II Pastoral Center, Urdaneta City. It was convened and presided over by Bishop Jose. The review of DIPP was conducted on August 10-14, 2009 at John Paul II Pastoral Center, Urdaneta City. Again, Rev. Fr. Manny Guazon of the Archdiocese of Lipa was invited as moderator. At the end of the five-day workshop a nine-man drafting committee was organized to make the revision edition of the DIPP.

PRESENT PROGRAMS

The Revised Diocesan Integrated Pastoral Plan was launched on February 28, 2010 as part of the yearlong celebration of the silver Jubilee Year of the Diocese of Urdaneta. The new core group replicated the Revised DIPP to all the parishes, and the process of which was divided into four phases: (1) Orientation Phase, (2) Catechetical Phase, (3) Planning Phase, (4) Evaluation Phase. The parishes are now in the process of formulating their own Parish Pastoral Plans that are patterned after the Revised DIPP.

Another concentration of the Bishop is to further develop the catholic schools in the diocese. The Diocesan Schools of Urdaneta (DSU) offer quality education imbued with Christian values and praxis, and are agents of evangelization to the students in its additional subjects of Christian Living Education which deals with the Catholic religion and teachings.

The former parochial schools are now referred to as Diocesan Schools of Urdaneta due to the fact that their administration and management are centralized. With a group of select clerics and lay people, the Bishop undertakes a top-down reorganizing of the Diocesan Schools’ staff and personnel and the introduction of new administrative and fiscal systems. At present, there are 12 educational institutions under the direct supervision of the Diocese.

With the recent centralization of the DSU, a closer administration responsive to the needs of the schools and her personnel in the fields of close supervision, quality education, faculty development, and financial viability are the programs for the future.

In barely six years after the Most Rev. Jacinto A. Jose, D.D. took over as Diocesan Bishop, many changes have taken place in the Diocese. Some of these are not merely physical in nature but more of attitudinal, behavioral and spiritual in character. The more significant aspects are the following:

The impetus to continue and pursue the DIPP with the reaffirmation of the Vision-Mission of the Diocese as stipulated in the 1997 DIPP.

The sustained desire for growth among the clergy towards a harmonious relationship.

The renewed interest towards an effective and efficient implementation of its plans and programs.

The renewed vigor of lay leaders for the reorganization of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, Diocesan Commissions, Apostolates and Ministries.

The implementation of the different programs of the 1997 DIPP among others: Standardization scheme of Priests’ and Parish Personnel’s remuneration, Centralization of Diocesan Schools, Financial Stability of Parishes, and greater emphasis on Catholic Education and Formation.

C. THE HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF ALAMINOS

FOUNDATION

January 12, 1985 was the day when Pope John Paul II created Alaminos, once called the “Wild West of Pangasinan,” into a diocese. On April 22, L'Osservatore Romano announced the appointment of then Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, the Most Reverend Jesus A. Cabrera, D.D., PhD, as the First Residential Bishop of the newly created diocese. On June 28, 1985, the new bishop was installed. When the diocese was established, nineteen parishes from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan became part of the diocese of Alaminos.

The western part of Pangasinan, being the location of the diocese had been eveangelized by the Recollect Fathers as early as 1609. Their footsteps can be traced by that time in Bolinao, from where they proceeded to the town of Agno, Mabini, Alaminos, Bani, Dasol, then northward to Anda, and later on to Burgos and Infanta – in the chronological order of their foundation. Bolinao, Alaminos, Agno and Mabini were founded in 1610, Salasa in 1720, Labrador in 1765 and Bani, Sual, and Mangatarem in 1875.

ECCLESIASTICAL TERRITORY

The territory of the diocese of Alaminos was part of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan until January 12, 1985. On that date the new diocese was created by Pope John Paul II. The history of the diocese, therefore, is also part of the diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Alaminos is strategically located in the western part of the province of Pangasinan. From any point of direction, it is the center of the congressional district.

More or less 65 kilometers from the prime city of Dagupan and also 130 kilometers from San Fernando, La Union, the Regional Center of Ilocos Region. It is bounded on the east by the Lingayen Gulf and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, on the north and west by the China Sea, and on the south by the borders of Zambales and Tarlac Provinces. The whole diocese is a beautiful land with 249,670 hec, is endowed of rich natural resources with of hills, mountainsand valleys surrounded by bodies of water. Thus, majority of the people live through fishing and farming. famous Hundred Islands, a tourist attraction, is found in the vicinity of Alaminos town.

The diocese has about 420,000 inhabitants from about 84,000 households of which 83 per cent are Catholic.  And ministering to this new diocese are 14 diocesan priests, 5 Columban Missionary priests, 2 Capuchin Missionaries and 58 women religious from 13 congregations.  There are 19 parishes in all in the 14 municipalities that belong to the diocese.  The largest of these is the Parish of Alaminos with 54,600 parishioners, followed by Bugallon with 44,000, Mangatarem with 42,000 and Bolinao with 41,000.

The major ethnic group is that of the Ilocanos who comprise half of the area's total population, followed by Pangasinenses with 40 per cent, Tagalog, Zamals and Bolinaos with the remaining 10 per cent.  There are 15 tribal groups of Igorots in the mountains of the diocese, driven south from the northern parts of the country by militarization, eviction by loggers, and by other government projects, and they have finally settled in the mountains of western Pangasinan.

Socio-economic conditions in the diocese are extremely poor.  Out f the 14 municipalities that comprise the diocese, only Alaminos is qualified as a first class municipality.  The others are third, fourth and fifth class municipalities.  The average income per family is way below the level of decent existence released by the National Economic Authority (NEDA) for a family of six.

A majority of those engaged in work are farmers, fishermen, and agricultural workers – about 70 per cent.  The rest are craftsmen, sales people, technical workers and government employees.  About 90 per cent of homes are single-room dwellings, and only 7 per cent are made of strong and durable materials.

There are a total of 108 schools, about half of them elementary, the rest secondary, vocational, technical and tertiary schools.  Seven high schools, 2 elementary schools and 10 pre-schools are run by Catholic congregations.  There are about 90,000 children enrolled in schools, but there are still a lot more who are not able to go to school due to economic difficulties of their parents which force them to participate in their family farming activities.

Delivery of health service is inadequate and the provision of medicines insufficient, resulting in poor overall health care.  A main source of income is fishing, but production in this industry is below the required level of consumption to meet the protein requirements of the population.  Ironically, even the children of some fisher folk are listed as malnourished.

Fishermen and farmers are oftentimes victims of middlemen.  Most of them are tied to the pursue strings of middlemen who provide them needed capital, as well as other material needs, when the main earner cannot go out to work.  But the cost is deducted from harvest or catch, and usurious rates eat up about 60 to 70 per cent of their incomes.  Not a few die without even seeing a doctor.  And their inability to obtain a proper education has resulted in ignorance even of their own rights.

While Catholics comprise 83 per cent of the diocesan population, a majority of these are "sacramentalized but not evangelized."  Many are not properly catechized because of the lack of people who can teach.  Only those who are able to attend school are given the basic catechism.  For those who are not fortunate enough to go to school, the only time they are catechized is when they apply for marriage.  And this situation has not been conducive to instructing them on the faith.

ASSEMBLIES AND PASTORAL PLANS

From time to time, there have been changes and developments in the various structures and establishments all around the diocese. Moreover, the bishop saw the more essential task to be done – to build the people and form them into a community of Christ’s disciples. However, for the diocese to address and assess the pastoral situation and formulate recommendations for the implementation of the laws and decrees, Diocesan Pastoral Assemblies had to be done.

The Pastoral processes are not mere activities but they are expressions of Unity and Communion in the diocese. These also provide the pastoral direction which guides the diocese in realizing its vision and mission. The following Pastoral Processes are consciously followed and adopted in some of the more advanced BEC'S, in the parishes and the diocese as a whole. The Vision: of the diocese is to become a community of Christ's disciples.

As early as 1986, Bishop Cabrera convened the clergy and some lay people to define what kind of diocese they would like to have. Their dream was articulated in the first document of the Diocesan Vision: Eternal Salvation in Christ through Total Human Development.Later, when the first Diocesan Pastoral Assembly was called, the first document was reviewed and thus born the existing vision: To become a Community of Christ's Disciples.

The vision of the diocese is an articulation of the aspirations, hopes and dreams of the people: the Bishop, the clergy, religious and the lay people, and has provided the pastoral direction for the whole diocese. The first Diocesan Assembly was celebrated in October 1995 as a fitting way to thank God in commemoration of the 10th year anniversary of the diocese. The assembly gave birth to three pastoral priorities. These are the following: The importance of Ecclesial Communion which must exist among the so-called Agents of Renewal: the clergy, the religious and the lay people; the establishment of Structures that would allow wider Participation; and the identification of (BEC) - Basic Ecclesial Communities as the Pastoral Thrust of the Diocese.

The diocese held its Second Diocesan Pastoral Assembly on Nov. 19 to 23, 2000 focusing on Lay Ministry and Participation. The basic concern was how the lay people could effectively and efficiently participate in the life and mission of the Church and how the different lay apostolate and ministries could be integrated into the Diocesan Pastoral Thrusts of Building BEC's. The basic programs, structures, skills and values needed to enable the lay people to participate in the evangelizing task of the diocese in fulfillment of their vocation were identified.

The third Pastoral Assembly had Communion of Communities as its theme. To realize this goal the assembly focused on the following pastoral priorities: the participation of all in the life and mission of the Church; to develop a deeper commitment and greater sense of responsibility among the faithful; and integral evangelization; and, how to make the communities become more self-reliant and self-sustaining.

The formation and strengthening of the BECs is another pastoral process that led to the realization of the Diocesan Vision. There are at present more than 800 BECs organized and existing in the different barangays of the 20 parishes in various levels of development and capabilities. The diocese finds the translation of its character as a Church of the Poor and marginalized. Rich and poor alike find their identity and unity with one another and with whole Church through the BEC's.

BISHOPS

Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Jesus A. Cabrera, DD as Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on May 9, 1980. He was ordained bishop on July 1, 1980. On April 22, 1985 he was appointed first Bishop of Alaminos. His installation took place on June 28, 1985. He retired on July 1, 2007.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Marlo M. Peralta, DD as Coadjutor Bishop of Alaminos on Jan. 14, 2006. He was ordained bishop on March 31, 2006. His installation took place on April 28, 2006. He became Bishop of Alaminos by succession: July 1, 2007. 



SEMINARY: St. Joseph College Seminary

On January 12, 1985, the western part of the civil province of Pangasinan was created and erected as the Diocese of Alaminos. Months later, on June 28, 1985, the Most Rev. Jesus A. Cabrera, DD, was installed as the first resident Bishop.  With the bishop, there were only then 17 priests and a few lay leaders to shepherd and to cater to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

To respond properly to the longings of the people and their thirst for the Word of God, they have realized the scarcity of priests for the diocese.  Thus, the situation asks for more priests as living instruments of the presence of God's kingdom in our midst.  With that is the growing awareness in the church that we need holy, well prepared priests who can truly serve the people of God as the faithful seek holiness and give themselves to the apostolic task of announcing the Gospel, making the Church the sacrament of salvation in the world. 

Trusting in the Lord's promise, we have constantly begged the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to his bountiful vineyard (Mt 9,38).  In His graciousness, the Lord has been answering our prayers, being faithful to his promise to give shepherds after his own heart (Jer. 3, 15).  He has been calling young men from the different Christian communities and have sent them: to the seminary, as we witness an increasing number of vocations to the ordained ministry, in our Diocese.

The gradual fulfillment of God's faithfulness is the foundation and impulse of our dream to build up the Saint Joseph College Seminary.  Thus, to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the installation of the Bishop, on June 28. 1998 there had the Blessing and Laying of the Cornerstone. 

The Saint Joseph College Seminary is a tribute to God's love. It is a response to his tenacious love, which continues by sending workers to the harvest. Sincere gratitude calls for an active response.  We must respond to God by attempting to form as well as possible these young men whom he is calling into his service for the good of all humanity. 

Now, after almost four years, the construction of the seminary building is almost entirely done.  Accompanied with fervent prayer, generous people and institution, both local and international, have contributed to what it is now. God's mysterious love has touched the hearts of magnanimous people to financially support the construction phase of the seminary.

The formation of the future priests is considered by the Church as one of the most demanding and important tasks for the evangelization of humanity.  Thus, the seminary is rightly called the heart of the diocese. The seminary is meant to contribute towards creating and preserving the conditions in which the good seed, sown by God, can take root and bring forth abundant fruit.  Such a formation prepares a priest for his pastoral ministry so that he can stand in the midst of God's people as one who serves and as one who confidently guides them on the spiritual pilgrimage that eventually leads them to the fullness of the kingdom, their heavenly home.  

The lay faithful should not be left behind.  The seminary is also made available to them for their formation and other activities for the growth of their commitment to the way of Christ, our Lord and Master.

IV. THE HIGH SCHOOL SEMINARY AND THE PARISHES

A. HISTORY OF THE OUR LADY OF PURIFICATION PARISH
Binmaley, Pangasinan

The town of Binmaley is situated in the delta area of the Agno River, between  the Capital of Pangasinan, Lingayen, and the commercial center, Dagupan City. The situation of Binmaley is also her destiny to be a fishing and agricultural town with some small industries as woodcraft, poultry and pottery. The memory of two dreadful inundations in1935 and 1972 are still vivid in the memory of older people. The church only was not reached by the terrible floods. Many people took their last refuge in it to avoid being drowned.

By now it is better protected by a big dike running down from the Limahong Channel to the town of Bayambang. Since some barangays are bounded by the Lingayen Gulf, and the river arms and estuaries are rich in fish, shrimps and prawns, a prosperous fishing industry developed. Low lying lands with access to the river water were converted into fishponds, where milk-fish (bangus), shrimps and prawns are cultured. Purely agricultural areas have a harder stand to provide a living since there is no irrigation, and the farms are small.

The Parish before the Revolution 1898

The first Missionaries arriving in Pangasinan were Augustinian monks. They were followed soon by Dominican Friars. They were charged with the pastoral care of all that is today Pangasinan under the archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia stretched from Batanes Islands down to the towns of Labrador, Sual, Salasa, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Mayantoc, Sta. Ignacia. Paniqui, Gerona, Pura, Ramos, Moncada, Anao, Villasis, Sta. Maria, San Quintin, and Natividad. In 1928 the diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was created comprising the area of the present province of Pangasinan. Only recently January 16, 1984, two new dioceses were separated from the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, i.e. the diocese of Alaminos in the West and the diocese of Urdaneta in the East.

The Parish of Binmaley

The Catholic Directory of the Philippines 1988 gives as founding year of the Parish Nuestra Senora de la Purificacion in 1627. Our oldest Baptismal Book reaches down to 1675. The claim that the town of Binmaley was founded in 1590 cannot be substantiated by any document. The Dominican Friars pastorized the parish until the revolution in 1898. The last Dominican parish priest of Binmaley was Fr. Ulpiano Sanz.

There is an incident worth mentioning. When the Episcopal see of the North was still at Lallo, Cagayan, Juan de la Fuente y Yepez was very influential at the Spanish Court. He proposed the transfer of the Episcopal see from Lallo Cagayan to Nueva Segovia (Vigan). His proposal was accepted and he was appointed the first bishop of Nueva Segovia.

The only way to travel was the sea. When he was on his way to take possession of the See and at the height oh Bolinao he fell sick. Instead of continuing his journey he requested to be brought to Binmaley. He did not recover but died there November 27, 1775 after receiving the last sacraments. His death is properly recorded in the Book of the Deceased. A granite slab in the center aisle of the church keeps his memory alive in Binmaley.

There is one Dominican Friar whose outstanding work withstood the wear and tear of more than 100 years, the Diccionario Pangasinan-Espanol. Father Pedro Villanova, parish priest of Binmaley, Provincial and Vicar Forane, reworked and re-edited this dictionary originally written by Fr. Lorenzo Fernandez Cosgaya. This dictionary was printed in Manila by the printing press of the ‘Colegio de Santo Tomas.’ It is of great value for studying the Pangasinan Language. It was printed in 1863.

The last Dominican friar appointed as parish priest of Binmaley was Fr. Ulpiano Sanz. He cared for the parish from June 29, 1890 to June 21, 1898. It was from the Friars that the Binmaleynians inherited a deep love for our Lady, which expresses itself in the frequent pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag and a fervent devotion to the Queen of the Holy Rosary.

History of the Parish from 1898-1932

During the revolution 1898 no Friar or Priest was harmed in Binmaley. A few prominent families joined the Aglipay church but returned later on to the Catholic faith. A very small remainder of people who became members of the Independent Church is still living in the sitio Buengal of Brgy. Balagan.

Some properties in Binmaley near Church were lost to the government, e.g., the North Central School, adjacent to the old Rectory, now the Minor Seminary. Some families testified that the school was a government school.

After the Dominican Friars had left the parish, Secular priests took over. The very first Filipino priest who succeeded the Dominicans was Fr. Mawricio Maria Bello y Peralta. From July 1, 1898 on he calls himself “preysbetero.” From July 21, 1898 he signs as “kapellano.” From September 1 his title is “cura parroco de este pueblo.” His last entry December 6, 1898.

He was succeeded by Fr. Lorenzo Guarin. The name of Guarin is still common in Binmaley. Mr. Pedro G. Castro, the late principal of BCHS frequently remarked that Fr. Lorenzo Guarin was one of his relatives. On November 29, 1898 he signs as Cura Parroco for the first time. His last entry in the Baptismal Book is January 24, 1899.

Fr. Segundo Orbi y Oandasan must have been born in 1855. According to his testament which he signed on September 28, 1932 at Vigan he was 76 years old at that time. He wished to be buried “en el Mausoleo del Clero” in the Catholic Cementery of Vigan.

He donated some 20 books or so to the “Colegio Seminario de Vigan” while his bigger library was destroyed by termites in Binmaley. He was No. 9 of the “Los Defensores dela Libertad” and a member of the hermandad de Suffragio para Clerigos and paid into the “Monte Pio.”  Fr. Segundo was a priest of many landholdings. In Binmaley alone he owned not less than 35 pieces of land. One of these lots was situated in the poblacion of Binmaley, corner Luna St. and Plaza. He stipulates in his statement that this lot should either be used for a convento or a Catholic School.

Since the Parish Center, which serves the adult Christian education, and the kindergarten were built on this lot, the condition, he laid, is faithfully realized. He donated all 36 pieces of land in Binmaley to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Lingayen. Besides these 36 parcels of land in Binmaley he owned numerous properties in the towns of Magsingal and Sto. Domingo.

For some time Fr. Segundo must have been an assistant of Fr. Mawricio Maria Bello y Peralta. On January 26, 1899 he signs the Baptismal Book as “Parroco Interino.” There was a visitation from Vigan on March 11, 1905 by Dionisio Obispo de Nueva Segovia, signed “ante mi,” Antonio M. Padilla. From that time on Fr. Urbi signed as Cura Parroco de Binmaley.

It is suprising that the entire Baptismal Book # 14 is signed by Fr. Segundo Urbi. This book contains all baptisms of 1882, 1883, and 1884 until November 1885. Fr. Agustin Gallego must have used a poor paper, so that it was easily torn and the writing was almost illegible. Fr. Segundo was authorized to transfer the entries into the Book # 14 which had a better paper. Dionisio Dougherty, Obispo of Nueva Segovia, signed the book on the occasion of the diocesan visitation on March 11, 1905, attested by Fr. Antonio Maria Padilla, the Vicar General.

For many years now the pastoral care of the Binmaley parish was lying in his hands. We find his last entry into the Baptismal Book # 26 under June 15, 1924. He must have returned to Ilocos Sur. He died October 20, 1932 and was buried in mausoleum for priests in the cementery of Vigan. Fr. Segundo Urbi who was for 20 years parish priest (if we count the year of being an “interino”) was followed by Fr. Manuel Corales.

The Binmaley Parish under the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Msgr. Cesar Maria Guerrero, the first bishop of the newly created diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan asked the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) to administer his Minor Seminary which he intended to open in the large parish rectory of BInmaley. The offer was accepted 1929.

It is frequently asked why such a big convento for one or two priests only. During the Spanish time, there was no place for relaxation or recreation. Baguio was not yet developed. The Dominican professors of University of Sto. Tomas had a possibility to spend their vacation in Binmaley COnvento, where the sea is nearby and the surroundings are quiet and undisturbed.

A short time after the new Minor Seminary had been accepted by the SVD, Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero wished to entrust the entire parish of Nuestra Senora de la Purificacion of Binmaley to the SVD, too. The contract which entrusted the parish to the SVD was signed June 6, 1932. The contract gives the following reasons for the transfer,

Since the SVD does not accept the pastoral care of fully established parishes, since it is against her very purpose, she accepts this parish only with the intention that the pastoral care for this parish serves for the Seminarians as a model of a good parish administration.

The contract was signed by Fr. Seperior General William Gier, the Fathers Collins, Theodore Buttenbruch and Hergesheirmer representing the SVD and by Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero, Fathers Isaias Edralin, Licerio Barnachea and (name illegible). The parish must not have been all too happy about the intention of the bishop to establish the Minor Seminary in the rectory or convento.

Fr. Manuel Corrales had to relinquish al rooms but one. He was so to say, relegated into a corner that had immediate connection with the church through a door leading to the organ loft of the big church. When his physical strength failed him to go down into the church, he blessed the funerals from above.

Before Fr. Juan Salzmann could learn the language and get involved into proper pastoral work he had to build a new convento. How did it look? Just the same way as it looked until 2007. The present convento is the convento Fr. Juan built in 1932. He did a good job. The carrying structures are all first class hard lumber and still strong. The flooring, doors and partitions were made of Narra, which suffered from the sheilling during the war and had partly to be replaced. It is a proof of its good quality that convento withstood attacks of floods, earthquakes, termites and typhoons.

Archbishop Limon ranked it among the best conventos around. Upstairs there were there rooms. Fr. Beller added a small room over the entrance which, however, is so hot that nobody wants to stay there. The convento is for the present transactions and requirements much too small. While the offices of the convento have to serve a population of close to 50,000 people or more while the population of that time was not even 20,000 people.

Who was Fr. Juan Salzmann? He hailed from Valle Maria, district Entre Rios in Argentina. He was born in 1898. He was among the first Argentinian Fathers who staffed the Minor Seminary, e.g., Frs. Ederle Krieger, Garay, Gassmann and others.

Fr. Juan as he was called, left a lasting mark on the pastoral care of the SVD in Binmaley by starting regular catechetical classes in Public Schools. He trained a small dedicated group of Catechists and solicited the help of the Seminary Fathers and the Seminarians in teaching our faith in school. He achieved another lasting effect in convincing the people to call the priest to their sick.

At the end of the war in 1945 when he saw the beautiful church in ruins, the tower and convento heavily damaged, he got disheartened and thought he could never cope with reconstruction. He told his assistant Fr. Francis Kutscher, “This is too much for me. You must take over.”

After he resigned he served still as director in several schools. Finally he asked for a transfer back to Argentina, where he spent his last years. He died on March 27, 1981 at the age of 83.

Last April 2003, the Binmaley Parish hosted one of the growing activities of the Archdiocese, which was the Archdiocesan Youth Day (AYD). It was during the administration of Bishop Renato Mayugba and Fr. Greg Calix.

The success of the administration was followed by the next administration under Fr. Mario Morales and Fr. Allen Romero.  It was under this administration that the Binmaley Parish undergone renovation, from repainting, installation of new altar, restoration of the Retablos, and to installation of the chandeliers.

Fr. Vic Embuido and Fr. Diosdado Posadas continued the renovation of the convento. It was all through the help of the parishioners and some friends from different places that the parish and the convento were renovated.

Now, the Binmaley parish is under the team ministry headed by Fr. Vic Embuedo and Fr. Diosdado Posadas and Fr. Rojan Ramires as members.

B. History of Mary Help of Christians Seminary

On May 24, 1929 a grand day of commencement when history marked an insignia upon the peaceful and quiet town of Binmaley, Pangasinan. The very venerable institution, the Seminario Diocesano de Maria Auxiliadora, was officially launched by Bishop Msgr. Maria Guerrero, who took the first and primary moves to establish the seminary, which was long conceived by the Catholic hierarchy out of a pressing need for developing future church leaders.

The seminary was named after the Queen of Heaven, Maria Auxiliadora, to whom Bishop Guerrero was a faithful devotee and whose feast-day was coincided by its launching day; the name was changed into Maria Auxilium Christianorum Seminarium after some years; and became Mary Help of Christians Minor Seminary, which is the present one.

Without a formal structure to house them, up to June 8, 1929, the first batch of seminarians from Lingayen Diocese were temporarily accommodated at the Vigan Seminary on the request of Msgr. Guerrero to Bishop Sancho of Nueva Segovia. Meantime, in his determination to finally put up the Binmaley seminary, Bishop Guerrero signed a contract with the General Superior of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD or Societas Verbum Dei), Father William Gier, on August 23, 1929.

And finally, on May 24, 1930, the Seminary was solemnly inaugurated by Msgr. William Piani, the Apostolic Delegate on the Feast of Our Lady. A month later, the Lingayen Diocese minor seminarians were moved from Vigan to Binmaley, together with the administrative staff composed of Father Henry Ederle, the Rector; Father Arthur Dingmann, the Prefect; and Father Joseph Bette, the Procurator and acting parish priest of Binmaley during that time.

The succeeding two decades were characterized by gradual growth in terms of upgrading facilities and education system, although enrollees remained constant during the period. In August 1935, the whole town of Binmaley was placed underwater by floods caused by strong typhoons that were known to have blown even ocean-going steamers into dry land in the harbors of Manila. Accounts of great flood indicated that “the people were fishing on the street in front of the town hall.” The seminary, however, emerged practically unscathed by the catastrophe. It was the only building in the area that was intact and became a safe place of refuge for the typhoon and flood victims.

For three years after its inception, the seminary’s population increased with the addition if the fourth and fifth year classes. The number of enrollees, however, remained fixed to an average of 45, even after the introduction of a two-year philosophy course from 1938 to 1950. In fact, the biggest recorded seminary population of 66 registered in 1932-1933 while the smallest number at 39 was recorded in 1940-1941. Until the time when the teaching of philosophy was initiated, the fifth year graduates were sent to Manila or Vigan for their further studies that included Theology.

A few years later, at the outbreak of World War II in December 1941, all seminarians were sent home. In June 1942, the classes were resumed and all batches of seminarians during the period were given automatic one-year promotions, except those who had been originally in the first and second year Philosophy classes. The seminarians were spared in the heavy bombardment of the town in 1945 upon the re-taking of the islands by the American liberators as they had been sent home months ahead.

During the school year 1945-1946 and the first semester of the following year, 44 seminarians occupied the old convent of Calasiao. The pastor and curate stayed, meantime in the church sacristy. During that time, the five seminary fathers preoccupied themselves with giving religious instruction at Calasiao High School.

After the short sojourn in Calasiao, by the end of the second semester of the school year 1946-1947, the whole Seminary transferred back to Binmaley. The academic setup of five years of high school and two years of Philosophy was retained for three years more, enjoying in all a life span of eleven years.

With this basic ”structure“ strongly secured and stabilized for the more part of the past two decades under the administration of the Five Rectors: Fr. Enrique Ederle, Fr. Henry Buerchen, Fr. Pedro Kranewitter, Fr. George Hardwardt, Fr. Anthony Colet, the seminary in fifties, sixties and seventies focused much of its attention and resources on expansion to accommodate the growing enrollment.

Fr. Joseph Klekamp initiated it all, improving and building upon the previous edifices and other facilities that were up through the intercession of the Bishop. In 1951, a more spacious chapel replaced the old one situated in what is now the sacristy above the staircase. Crowding the old convents’ azotea and study hall at the further end, this new chapel was located at the second floor of the building. The latter was enlarged in 1953 and connected to the school building.

Though 100 seminarians could be comfortly contained in the new facility, more spaces were needed for the seminarians’ sleeping quarter and study halls. A three-storey edifice was constructed in 1956 behind the new chapel. Soon after, an additional four-storey structure was attached to it to form together one single complex. This annexed house the lavatories, bathrooms, comfort rooms and four guest rooms. In 1964, the last of the building complex was put up, featuring dormitories, dining halls, a kitchen and personal quarters. Other subsequent building and facility additions included three basketball courts-the south court in 1955, the middle court in 1959, and the north court in 1965.

Work on the grotto of Our Lady on the northeast corner of the compound began in September 1955. Presently, the dormitory of the old building is being into a big library. The old structure near the carpentry shop used for toilet and shower rooms was brought down to give way to a lawn tennis court.

Even with the transfer of the Philosophy course to the major department in 1950, the seminary’s enrolment remained unaffected. The same trend was observed even after the phasing out of the fifth year college in 1969 and the worldwide crisis suffered by the vocation in the early seventies. On the contrary, the population trend remained upward, soaring from a low sixty in the first two school years in the fifties to as high as 225 in the school year 1966-1967, maintaining a yearly average count of 138.

In 1959, the seminary was granted government recognition by the Bureau of Private Schools. The students finishing the special classical secondary course were entitled leading to the Bachelor of Arts Degree. Since 1977, the Seminary has adopted a new curriculum formulated by the Ministry of Education and Culture for public and private schools. Except for Latin, Spanish and Religion, the seminarians took up a similar number of subjects with those of their counterparts elsewhere.

The Binmaley Seminary’s offering for its student has the unmistakable hallmarks of the SVD standards of education. The staff’s international character also made indelible imprints on the development of the seminarians. For the past 21 years of the SVD administration, the list of Rectors included Fr. William Van Kuijicj, Fr. Alphonse Mildner, Msgr. Simeon Valerio, Fr. Liberato Fernandez, Fr. Vicente Braganza, Fr. William Nuehoeffer, Fr. Charles Gries, and Fr. Victor Holobrady.

The three Filipinos were MHCS alumni themselves like practically all the priests in the diocese, having considerably progressed through years. It was only a matter of time for the diocesan clergy to be ready to take over the seminary’s administration. 

In 1976, four clergies from the diocese took over: Fr. Jesus Cabrera, as Rector; Fr. Jose Cariño, as Principal; Fr. Demetrio Bugayong, as Prefect; and Father Arcadio Muñoz, as Music Director. Two SVD priests who had been the seminary’s pillars, Fr. Victor Holobrady and Fr. John Healy were asked by Msgr. Federico Limon, the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, to stay and to continue serving as Procurator and Spiritual Director. 

Rev. Fr. Demetrio L. Bugayong (1979-1984), Rev. Fr. Jose F. Laforteza (1984-1991), Rev. Fr. Francis C. Posadas (1992-1994), Rev. Fr. Alberto T. Arenos (1994-1998), Rev. Fr. ReynaldoV. Romero (1998-2000), Rev. Fr. Carlito Yden (2001-2004), Rev. Fr. Allan Morris T. Abuan (2004-2007) and Rev. Fr. Jeremias B. Cera (2007-present) followed the rosters of MHCS’ father rectors.


C. HISTORY OF THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD PARISH
Lingayen, Pangasinan

Beginning

Lingayen was one of the first towns in Pangasinan where Catholicism was implanted by the Augustinian missionaries in 1614.

The founders used the term “Lingayen” at the suggestion of the natives themselves because of a big tamarind tree growing in the town plaza at that time. The tree was exceptionally big, tall and with spreading branches that the surrounding trees were dwarfed in comparison. Passersby developed the habit of looking back and back again at this huge tree as long as it remained in sight. 

When they arrived home, and were asked what route they took in returning, they would simply say “through Lingayen” – meaning, “Looking back”. Two years later, the town was given its first curate, Fr. Juan Martinez with Fr. Juan de Jacinto, Fr. Pedro Vasquez and Fr. Antonio de San Vicente as his assistants. Since the Augustinians had other religious work in Ilocos, they left Lingayen and the church to the Dominicans in 1739-40. From 1900 to June, 1933 Filipino priests took turns in taking charge of the Three Kings Parish.

On May 19, 1928, Lingayen church was elevated to the dignity of a Cathedral through the Apostolic Constitution, Continua Omnium Ecclesiarum, of Pope Pius XI with the name Diocese of Lingayen. Actually, the Diocese of Lingayen was carved out of Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Nueva Segovia, Tarlac and Zambales first belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila while the rest belonged to the Diocese of Nueva Segovia. Lingayen came from Diocese of Nueva Segovia. As a Diocese, Lingayen was chosen to be the Episcopal Seat with Most Reverend Cesar ma. Guerrero consecrated as the first bishop, later succeeded by the Most Reverend Mariano A. Madriaga on May 24, 1938.

Late in 1936 an inter-parochial Eucharistic Congress was held within the Diocese in preparation for the XXXIII International Eucharistic Congress held in Manila in February, 1937. Perhaps drawing inspiration from the success of these inter-parochial gatherings, the idea of holding future Christ the King celebrations in the different parishes was conceived. Thus the Christ the King feast is now held in different parishes in Pangasinan from year to year.

Starting in 1933, the Columban priests from Ireland arrived in Lingayen one after the other. The first to arrive was Rev. Fr. Samuel Sheehan. Work in the parish was well coordinated by the tactfulness and experiences of Father Sheehan. At the request of Bishop Madriaga, the Columban Sisters came to Lingayen on August 21, 1939 for the catechetical apostolate in the public schools.

The diocese of Lingayen was reconstituted into an archdiocese on February 16, 1963, encompassing only the whole civil province of Pangasinan. The towns of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija were returned to their respective civil province to form the independent dioceses, each suffragan of the new Metropolitan See of Lingayen-Dagupan. Also, the towns of Zambales were returned to their own provinces when it became also a diocese. It was also during this time that the seat of the newly elevated archdiocese was transferred from Lingayen to Dagupan. The diocese was therefore named Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and Lingayen was known as The Three Kings Co-Cathedral. The Most Reverend Mariano A. Madriaga was promoted as the first archbishop of Metropolitan See.

When the Columban Fathers left Lingayen, Filipino priests took over. Lingayen parishioners cannot forget the services of these Filipino priests assigned in our parish especially the priest-sons of Lingayen. During the episcopacy of Archbishop Limon, the big Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was divided. On February 12, 1985, the western part of the province of Pangasinan was constituted into a new diocese – the Diocese of Alaminos, while the eastern part became the Diocese of Urdaneta, both suffragans of Lingayen-Dagupan. Upon the retirement of Archbishop Limon, the Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz succeeded him and was installed on August 29, 1991. The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan comprises the central part of Pangasinan with the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish as one of the parishes. Each diocese is divided into vicariates. Lingayen belongs to Vicariate II of the Archdiocese.

Name of the Parish

The original name of the Parish in Lingayen was “Los Tres Reyes” or Three Kings Parish. Later on, under the care of Rev. Fr. John Palinar, Moderator, Rev. Fr. Jose Estrada, Rev. Fr. Manuel Bravo and Rev. Fr. Victor Embuido, the parish got the name “Epiphany of Our Lord Parish”. Under this Team Ministry, the parish will assume a new title – the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish. 

This plan was supported for the reason that, there should be only one cathedral since the present seat of the Archbishop is in Dagupan, not Lingayen. Besides, the name “Three Kings” is not found in the Bible, it only referred to them as the “Three Wise Men”. The Epiphany of Our Lord or the manifestation of the child Jesus to the Gentiles fell on January 6, originally. But now it shall be celebrated on the first Sunday of January which is also the town’s fiesta.

Ecclesiastical Territory

The Epiphany of Our Lord Parish belongs to the Ecclesiastical Territory of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

Church Building

The Lingayen church is said to have been built in 1710. Its imposing bell tower is 45 varas in height, with interior and convent following an architectural plan that made people regard it as one of the best edifices in the province, perhaps in the whole northern Luzon at that time. The church dome was the work of the famous Fr. Miguel Aparicio (1826-1834).

Wars and Rebellions

When things were going on nicely in the parish, World War II broke out on December 8, 1941 affecting temporarily the activities in the church. Even during the Japanese occupation in our country. Columban Priests and Sisters continued to arrive in Lingayen for their mission.

In the latter part of 1942, Reverend Father Dermot Feeny was the parish priest. On January 9, 1945, the American forces landed in Lingayen beach, dropping bombs in Poblacion. The bishop’s residence was greatly damaged and the church was partially destroyed, too, and was the cause of the fall of the centuries-old bells. The damage done to the bishop’s palace caused the transfer of the residence of Bishop Madriaga from Lingayen to Dagupan through the Papal Decree of Pope Pius XII.

Disasters

There were some disasters that ravaged the Parish aside from the 1972 great flood. These were the recent super typhoons like Gading, Cosme, Ondoy, and Peping. These super typhoons especially the typhoon Cosme damaged the roof of the parish and old convent of the priests. Later on, the old convent was removed. During those times, however, the generosity of the people of Lingayen and even outside of the town overflowed bountifully. It was again a time of caring and loving.

Renovations

During the liberation period, the Columban Fathers with Father Feeny and Father Gallagher as the moving spirits started the reconstruction of the Bishop’s Palace, which later became the Saint Columban’s College. The inauguration of the renovated cathedral was in 1963. The parishioners were very, very happy when they saw the magnificent work done on the one time hopeless ruins.

Again on the occasion of the Christ the King Celebration in the parish in 1965, more improvement was done. Upon the retirement of Archbishop Madriaga on February 7, 1973, the Most Reverend Federico Limon took over. In the summer of 1978, the Golden Jubilee of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese was successfully celebrated due to the able management of Parish Priest of Lingayen at that time, Rev. Fr. John Dennehy.

The church was repainted inside and outside. Visitors from and near had a memorable time attending the unforgettable event. The Columban Fathers stayed in Lingayen for 48 years. During their stay, they performed a marvellous mission in the parish. They had worked zealously for the welfare of the parishioners, both spiritually and morally. Since their arrival in 1933 to 1981, the progress done by the Columban Fathers was immeasurable.

During the term of the first Team Ministry of our parish composing of Rev. Fr. John Palinar, Moderator, Rev. Fr. Jose Estrada, Rev. Fr. Manuel Bravo and Rev. Fr. Victor Embuido, the change of the centuries-old church bells with the new ones was done by the team through donations from civic-spirited citizens here and abroad. Fr. Palinar describes his parishioners as traditional or conservative who are very active in the parish’s various concerns. Many senior citizens here are devout Catholics, Fr. Palinar says. They are open, however, to changes. They are not ultra conservative.

People here are cool, mild, not hot-tempered nor impulsive. They support liturgical and social reforms. Incidentally, Lingayen is well known for having established the Lingayen Catholic Credit Cooperative, Inc. which is popular not only in Pangasinan but also in other provinces in Region I.

Started by a group of parishioners led by the Knights of Columbus under the spiritual guidance of Fr. Dermot Feeney, on July 12, 1954, the Cooperative has expanded its objectives to include cooperating with the local government in the socio-economic programs for the upliftment of the masses. The parish of the Epiphany of Our Lord is therefore on the way towards making Christ more present, more felt, more accessible, more manifest.

The second Team Ministry with Rev. Fr. Alberto T. Arenos as the moderator, Rev. Fr. Camilo Natividad and Rev. Fr. Jovino Batecan as members, undertook various church projects which included the repainting of the church, repair of the roofing’s, installation of new sound system, repair of the Shalom Hall and sacristy, putting up of a museum that houses the old church bells, renovation of the parochial office and the construction of a new building for the offices of the Family Life Apostolate, Cathecists, Youth and Church Store. Most important of them all is the organization of Basic Ecclesial Communities.

The third Team Ministry comprising of Rev.  Fr. Alberto T. Arenos, still the Moderator, Rev. Fr. Camilo Natividad and Rev. Fr. Rolly Salosagcol as members, all the unfinished projects of the previous team ministry has been completed with the following maintained:

·      Maintenance of Ecclesial Communities already organized.
·      Restoration of the AHROMA – Association of the Heads of Religious Organization Movements and Apostolate.
·      Active participation of all religious organization in all church activities.
·      Organization of Pastoral Councils in all barangays.
·      Involvement of Inter-sectoral agencies in all church activities.
·      Beautification of the church and its premises.

Present Programs

The present Team Ministry comprising of Rev. Fr. Francis Posadas, the moderator, Rev. Fr. Camilo Natividad, Rev. Fr. Rodolfo Somintac and Rev. Fr. Nicasio Villamil, Jr. as members still continues the programs of the past Team Ministry. Moreover, the on-going project of this Team Ministry is the remodeling of the “Retablo” of the parish.

Through the great efforts of this present Team Ministry, the Epiphany of Our Lord parish is on its way towards a full fulfillment of the theme: PARTNERSHIP FOR CHRIST’S KINGDOM VALUES.

Devotions of the People

The faithful of the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish are devout Catholics. Albeit each one has its own devotions to the different saints placed adjacent to the Church, every Wednesday afternoon, the faithful see to it that they pray the Holy Rosary and the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help with floral offerings.

D. HISTORY OF THE CHAPEL OF THE RESURRECTION
Brgy. Baay, Lingayen, Pangasinan

The Chapel of the Resurrection in Brgy. Baay, Lingayen was built and inspired by the old chapel – the Nuestra Senora del Rosario Chapel at SitioSagur in the early 1960’s in honor of the SitioSagur’s Patron Saint – Nuestra Senora del Rosario and San Gregorio Papa. Energized by the goal of the elders of the Sitio and together with a few people of equivalent vision namely, the late Atty. Saturnino Orate, Arch. Ben Soriano and the Sitio’s grand old man the late Silvestre Ulanday started to have talks in what used to be just a rehabilitation plan for the old chapel.

In 1981, that same group of elders reached out to fellow Baayenos from the barangay’s six sitios to form the Aliguas Na MuyongayBaay (ANMB) – a civic organization through which contribution of talents, resources and energies for a timely purpose were course through. One of the objectives of this organization was the promotion of spiritual enrichment in the community among the faithful of Brgy. Baay. As a socio-civix organization the ANMB under the leadershipof its first president, the late Atty. Saturnino Orate, started with community improvement projects and members build up the new Chapel. The plan to build a chapel was located at an obscure place at Sitio Pandayan. While socio-civic projects were being undertaken, the associations main objective of constructing a chapel-community center for the barangay never went out of sight and its realization saw its dawn in the year 1984. 

During the period time of ANMB’s third president – Rolando R. Cruz, when a generous son of Baay, the late Engr. BraulioAbalos donated the Abalos family property of 1, 363.35 square meters located at SitioPandayan where the present chapel is located. This generosity shown by the late Engr. Abalos brought enthusiasm and inspiration to the people of Baay to continue working for the accomplishment of this significant goal.

Architectural design of the chapel was conceived and was given pro bono by an ace architect of Baay, Arch. Ben B. Soriano, who eventually became the association’s fourth president. Initial funding for the chapels foundation erection was donated by a Baayeno whose name is well known in the Construction industry – Eulogio Ulanday of the Ulanday Builder’s Inc. through Arch. Soriano’s endeavour the chapel construction project was adopted by the United Architects of the Philippines Maharlika Chapter for which he is a bona fide member and thus support (material and technical) in the course of the construction were made available. But the most benevolent way of constructing the chapel was done by the faithful natives of Barangay Baay.

The materials of building the chapel were designed through traditional Filipino custom of “bayanihan” through volunteerism. The faithful people of Brgy. Gave their time, strenghen and means just to help in buiding up their Chapel. Almost of them worked everyday for free in the chapel’s construction. 

The Spiritual Reawakening and the Chapel’s Construction

In the early 1990, the schedules Eucharistic celebrations were made with the Lingayen Parish for a regular mass in Barangay Baay every last Saturday of the month that commenced on February 24, 1990. Hence, Rev. Fr. JovinoBatecan, who was then the Chairman for the Archdiocesan Social Action Center, generously implanted his knowledge and initiated opportunities in livelihood program for the people living nearer to the church.

After three years the erection of the chapel was completed and it was inaugurated and consecrated by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan on the Easter of 1993 on the occasion of the 3rd Unified Barangay Baay Day.

The Chapel was dedicated to name the Chapel of the Resurrection in honor of the Resurrected Christ, whose feast is celebrated on Easter Sunday. With the completion and inauguration of the chapel, religious activities in the church was heightened, with the help of the team ministry of the Three Kings Co-Cathedral, regular Sunday Masses were celebrate, and regular activities were provided like the celebration of the Word and the Eucharist on Monday and Sunday evenings, the once a month Holy Hour, the daily Rosary, the Twin Hears Consecration and the BEC formation. Among the first batch of priests who celebrated mass in the newly constructed chapel were, Rev. Fr. John Palinar, Rev. Fr. Jose Estrada, Rev. Fr. Victor Z. Embuido and Rev. Fr. Manuel Bravo.

The Chapel’s First Chaplain and the Present Time

In 2003, the oratory was assigned with its first chaplain after Rev. Fr. Matias assigned to a new parish. The oratory’s first chaplain, Msgr. Luis Antonio B. Ungson came abroad on May 4, 2003, since then many positive changes happened particularly in the spiritual and ideological side of the faithful of Baay.

Msgr. Ungson fixed first Friday and First Saturday Masses in addition to the regular Sunday and Wednesday Masses were added. He opened the convent to lay people with the formation of the regular “Almusalan Ed Kumbento”. This lay formation is an informal meeting with the chaplain and the lectors, commentators, EEMs and other church volunteers every after the Saturday Mass. Likewise, the informal meetings brought closer ties for the Church Workers and brought in fresh ideas for chapel improvements.

Church organizations were formed to bring together Baay people and draw them near to the church. The youth were reorganized and were tapped to have their share in the vocation, the Catholic Youth Movement (CYM), was brought in to provide the Basic Catechism for the youth. The Apostleship of Prayer – Baay Unit was also organized to tap elderly women to lead in prayers the Baay community in addition to the existing Rosary Group.

Amidst the contributions brought by Msgr. Luis B. Ungson, the most significant is the hosting of the Christ the King Festivities last November 26, 2006. This is the first time in the history of the Solemnity of Christ the King that a Public Oratory like the Chapel of the Resurrection is chosen to host such grand Catholic celebration. And until the present time, Msgr. Ungson is still working on for the spiritual needs and guidance of the faithful people at Br. Baay, Lingayen Pangasinan.

E. THE HISTORY OF THE ST. ISIDORE PARISH
Labrador, Pangasinan

The Parish of Labrador which is named after St. Isidore the farmer was erected in 1755 and the first priest was Fr. Antonious Rulz, O.P. The church and convent of wood and river stone was built by Fr. Domingo de San Joaquin in 1771 and completed in 1786. The town hall was built at the same time of the same materials. The population of the town at that time was 1,004. During the early days of the Spanish Conquistadores the municipalities of Sual and Labrador were but a single Spanish Pueblo, the seat of the government having been at what is now barangay Uyong.

In the year 1756 a political rivalry between the east and west of the town caused an agitation for their separation into two Municipalities of Labrador and Sual. This was finally achieved in 1809 but the separation into 2 parishes did not occur until 1837. In 1865 major repairs were done to the Church of Labrador. Its dimensions (interior) are: Length 57.40 meters, Breadths 16.15 meters. The new cemetery on the west of the town was built by Fr. Rufino Irazabal just before the revolution and the chapel in the cemetery had to be left without a roof because of the interruption.

Fr. Manuel Escrich built a barrio chapel dedicated to San Pedro but it was destroyed by members of another order who thought that the territory belonged to Zambales; however a civil authority in Manila settled the matter in favor of the Dominicans. A school was begun by Fr. Villanova about 1850 and enlarged in 1894 by Fr. Irazabal. In 1842 Fr. Cassanova constructed a bridge of stone and bricks over the brook of Uyong. This was destroyed by flood leaving only the pillars which were used as the foundation of the late bridge. Fr. Suarez built a bridge in Bongalon.


In April 1949 the parish was placed under the administration of the Columban Fathers and has been staffed by them until the present time. After World War II when the Columban Fathers took over the administration of the parish in April 1949, the Church was in every bad condition, due to war damage.

On October 30, 1950, the dissindents (Huks) raided the municipality and looted and burned the Municipal Building along with several other private houses and massacred many civilians including a Columban priest Fr. Thomas Flynn. This caused the total evacuation of the place leaving Labrador a ghost town during the night time. However, this was not for long, for peace and order was finally restored when a detachment of the Philippine Ground Forces was garrisoned in Labrador.

In May 1952, Fr. Joseph Gallagher took over the administration of the parish and started work on repairing the Church. He began by repairing the altars, setting them in their original positions, replacing the wood carvings that has been damaged and repainting each altar. Then the façade was plastered and painted. Although much remained to be done, work was temporarily suspended on the church because it was felt that the more immediate need was a Catholic High School for the spiritual formation and instruction of his young parishioners.

In June, 1954, the first year class was admitted, and since then the attendance has grown each year, requiring additional rooms and gradually forcing him to leave the refectory entirely to the school and to build another refectory nearby for himself and assistant. In 1960 the administration of the school was placed in hands of the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban. Many new buildings have been constructed by the Sisters, and various improvements were made in the program. The enrollment has now passed the 800 mark, and its graduates occupy important positions both at home and abroad.

Since then, the Columban missionaries served the parish for very long years until Fr. Jim Sheehy, an Irish Columban missionary, finally turned it over to the care of the diocesan priest. On 2011, Fr. Benigno Vinluan succeeded Fr. Jim Sheehy just on time for the celebration of the Diocesan Christ the King but then it was short because of the reshuffle that happened last June 2012. At present Fr. Mariolito Ferrer, a native of Bugallon, succeeded Fr. Vinluan.

F. HISTORY OF THE ST. PETER MARTYR PARISH
SUAL, PANGASINAN

The town of Sual was founded by Don Manuel Agustin, a Spaniard Civil erection was by Gov. Raphael de Maria Aguilar by decree of May 20 1935 making it independent of Labrador by petition of the inhabitants. Ecclesiastical erection as an independent parish, through the efforts of Fr. Gabriel Perez, took place in 1837 under the vicarship of Fr. Perez, who took possession in July of that year. It was at this timw, in the 1850’s an important port exporting rice to the Portugese colony of Macao. It had customs, port and warehouse facilities of the government Anda port Captain. There were 2000 families living near the port and many poor, miserable barrios scattered far apart which were hard to administer. One parish tried to form a nucleus in Laoac Grande where there is fertile soil but the project failed because of the revolution.

The first church of wood and sawali as built by Fr. Perez and finished in 1848 by Fr. Villanueva, but before this, there existed a small chapel. The present stone church started by Fr. Casas in 1833 by work was suspended by the Bishop. In 1891 the work was continued by Fr. Eugenio Minguez who used stones from a warehouse in Portuguese Point which has been given over to the Dominicans by the heirs of Reynals, the original owners. The church was blessed on June 8, 1893. In 1897 De. Minguez added a chore.

All but the walls were destroyed by the bombing of 1945. A convent built in 1842 by Fr. Gutierrez was destroyed in 1898. Fr. Minguez also built the road going to Alaminos which was remarkable feat of engineering considering the money and machinery available at that time, (1894).

The first governadorcillo was Don Domingo Eugenio and the first Captain del Puerto was Don Francisco Fernandez. The first parish priest was Fr. Gabriel Perez. The first Municipal President was Don Luis F. Fernandez. The town is historical and that it was from this town were Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo embarked for Hongkong to comply with the requirement of the Pack of Biak na Bato and the place where exhibition Maneuver of the famous Adm. Deweys squadron was made before attacking Gen. Montojo’s Fleet at Manila Bay on August 13, 1899.

G. THE HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH CATHEDRAL PARISH
Alaminos, Pangasinan

Beginning

The foundation of Pueblo San Jose de Soyáng (first name of Alaminos ) in 1610 with its church and convent is owed to the evangelical efforts of Recollect Fathers Fray Cristobal de Cristo and Fray Andres del Espiritu Santo, founding fathers of Masinloc and Bolinao.

The place was named Suyang, but the pioneers found out that this place was not suitable for settlement. They have hardly built their homes, their chapel, and their casa tribunal when they decided to pull their states and strike further south. To accommodate the development of the town, it was transferred in 1734 to a few kilometres near the seashore and renamed “Casborran” (the present Barangay Baley-a-daan). It was here when a few hardy pioneers struck south from Bolinao along the gulf coast to settle in an idyllic place they had chosen. The ring of hills that cup the bay (now called Lucap) commands a spectacular panorama from the sea.

History records the names of those pioneers as Don Gaspar Montoya, Don Nicholas San Jose, Don Domingo de Guzman, and Don Nicolas Purification. It was only two years since they first arrived, they arrived along the image of the patron “El Patriarca San Jose,” and it was populated by Zambal and Pangasinense people with different language and culture but came to peaceful terms to form the town.

In 1763, due to internal strife between the ruling clans of Zambals and Pangasinenses, Casborran was burned to the ground with its church and convent. The town was transferred near the Alaminos River called “Sarapsap” but was again burned in 1814. Subsequently, the town was transferred few kilometers from “Sarapsap” on top of a knoll overlooking the vast prairie of Alaminos. The present church of Alaminos was built in 1839 through the leadership of recollect friar Manuel Busquete.

Name of the Parish

Legend has it that once at twilight time at the burial site, when an old half-blind grave digger was excavating the ground preparing for a burial tomb for an internment set the following day, a bearded old man tinkering with his tools appeared before the grave digger uttering not a single word, the vision had only a smile on his lips. To the grave digger this was not the first time it appeared. He had seen that vision before but dismissing it as a product of his defective eye-sight or a mere fragment of his imagination. He told nobody about it. But the second time he saw the vision, he told everybody about it. Elders of San Jose, Bued, and Casboran came to see the aforementioned apparition.  For hours, they waited but the image never appeared. Towards midnight however, they saw pavement leading to the knoll a shadow of a man tinkering with his carpenter tolls. Then after a while, the image disappeared leaving only the sound of tools.

The more religiously inclined of the group who saw the apparition identified the shadow as that of St. Joseph and the sound of his carpenter tools. As the wish of St. Joseph to have a church built on the spot. On the very spot where the image of San Jose, the Carpenter appeared, a church was built. The Church stands on this chosen spot today, a pivot which the town described arc. Thus, the present name of the parish.

Ecclesiastical Territory

Alaminos used to be a part of Bolinao which was one of the nine towns in the northernmost part of Zambales. A certain Suyang led a group of Zambals in search for a greener pasture. The group journeyed north from the mountains of Zambales, their native land. Eventually, they came upon a shoreline and decided to settle there. Fishing became their main source of livelihood. They named their settlement after their leader — Suyang.

Presently, the parish’s ecclesiastical territory has thirty-nine Barangays: Alos, Amandiego, Amangbangan, Balangobong, Balayang, Bisocol, Bolaney, Baleyadaan, Bued, Cabatuan, Cayucay, Dulacac, Landoc, Linmansangan, Lucap, Maawi, Macatiw, Magsaysay, Mona, Palamis, Pandan, Pangapisan, Poblacion, Pocalpocal, Polo, Quibuar, Sabangan, San Antonio, San Jose, San Roque, San Vicente, Santa Maria, Tanaytay, Tangcarang, Tawintawin, Telbang.

Church Building

When the Zambal forefathers had set their eyes on the coastal plain of few kilometers down the bay, the level clayey terrain was bracketed by two creeks that flowed to the sea, they decided to settle there. It was about five meters above sea level, never flooded, although fresh water always remained a problem. They baptized or named their new settlement with a new name, Casborran.

It was not a scenic as Suyang up in the hills; but it also commanded a fair view of hundred Islands, Alo, Cabarruyan (now Anda). The level plain could easily be laid out with plazas and streets. They built a substantial church with limestone and corals from the shore. The ruins of Baley-a daan remain as relics of that labor of love. There, they set up their patron, San Jose, and the sacred vessels that they took along.

 By the end of 1736, the transfer had been accomplished. In eight years (by 1744) the barrio has grown big enough to be inspected by a delegate from the Governor General in Manila, Don Santiago Arzadon y Reballedo. They immediately applied for erection of township. This was granted three years later (1747) when Casboran was officially erected as Pueblo Civil independent of Bolinao. It was in this year that a resident missionary was requested from the Superior of the Recollect Augustinians. In three years (1754) they were finally visited by the Provincial Superior who had also to inspect the new township of Balincaguin (now Mabini). In a couple of years, Fr. Santiago dela Encarnacion assigned a roving missionary, Fr. Geronimo Cristo to visit these new towns.

In 1758, trouble brewed not only from the outside. There was tension between the Suyang pioneers and the new arrivals from Pangasinan. A native of San Carlos, Pangasinan signaled a general revolt and drove the Spaniards out of the province. He swooped on the sleeping town of Casboram. The parish priest, Fr. Geronimo Cristo and Teniente Basal, Don Nicolas Purification had barely time to run for their lives as people escaped in all directions. The church, convent, casa tribunal and the houses were burned down.

Casboran was now beaten, crushed, and razed to the ground. The town was completely disorganized and families were divided. The priest never returned and Casboran once more devolved to the status of a barrio. The fall of Casboran resulted into conflicting parties. A conference with the pioneers, the Zambal founders of the original Suyang was imperative. Their gaze now turned to the South, there a flat treeless but grassy plateau commanded a superb-view of the country side. It was bounded on three sides by rivers, and is conveniently at the crossroads of the new burgeoning towns of northern Zambales. More people gradually moved to this plateau, most of them Pangasinenses

The men started to build the church in 1766 and a new convent for the new parish priest, Toribio Raymundo, who would be their resident parish priest for the whole generation of some 37 years from 1778-1815. In 1778, with the advent of Fr. Toribio, the parish was formally established; the dream of the pioneers was finally established a town and a parish.

A new hope of unity and harmony was rekindled; their great expectations were picturesquely suggested by the “cascading falls” not from the town expressed in Pangasinan as “salap-sap.”  One of the chronicles noted that the Spaniards used to stumble on this word and preferred to pronounce it as “sarap-sap.” SARAPSAP thus caught on and remained as the new name of the fourth and final choice of locale for the present town of Alaminos. In 1769, when “sarapsap” began to rise slowly and take from, Don Diego Ballesteros was elected Teniente Basal; with him power and prestige slowly passed to the new aristocracy of the Pangasinenses. In 1774, he was elected “Captain Basal” which is one notch higher. New Capitanes took office as the town grew.

From 1814 to 1889, the people of Sarapsap would be tested by fire; in 1814 and in 1834. In 1814, 1866 and 1879, famine brought about by drought stalked the countryside; in 1864 cholera spread and rage across the poblacion and barrios. Cadavers were rushed to the church; some homes were abandoned; and all members of some family died. Two more times (in 1889 and 1902) the terrible disease returned. In 1888 and 1889, render pest wiped cattles, carabaos and horses.

The conflagration in 1834 razed all public buildings in Sarapsap. A new recollect friar, Fr. Manuel Busquete invited Maestro Cenon, a maestro de obras (architect-engineer) who built the Church of Aguilar, to Sarapsap and the cornerstone was laid in 1840. Under Fr. Busquete’s able command, men, women, and even children were mobilized to work. He served for 16 years (1837-1853) but he did not live to see his obra maestra finished. Under another Recollect Fr. Jose Tornos, the solid thick walls were ready for roofing. Wooden rafters and nipa were provisionally laid for the roof. In 1857, the new church housed a tabernacle, the patron St. Joseph. According to the chronicle, some of the “principalias” who supported the construction of the church were Don Leonardo Pansoy, Don Sebastian Abalos, Don Felix de Castro, Don Pablo de Francia, Don Domingo Montemayor, Don Juan Cayabyab, and it was not possible to list them all.

Father Tornos served as parish priest of Sarapsap. When he fell sick, he left for Manila to recuperate, a substitute, Fr. Mariano Cuartero, ministered the parish for three years (1864-1867). Fr. Tornos returned in 1867 for another ten years in the town. During his second term in 1872, Sarapsap was honored by a visit of the seventy-seventh Governor General of the Philippines, Gov. Gen. Juan Alaminos y Vivara to perpetuate that event, the name of the town was once more changed –for the fourth time to ALAMINOS.

After the death of Fr. Tomas, an acting parish priest, Fr. Juan Ortiz, governed Alaminos for two years. In 1879, Fr. Victoriano Vereciano, a Recollect was sent to Alaminos and stayed for 14 years (1879-1893). He made the church his life project and with solicited funds, he bought the best available hardwoods; Agaro from the forest of Zaragoza and Tindalo from the forest of Alos. He changed the roof to galvanized iron; constructed the choir loft at the back of the church; covered the whole length of the floor with wood parquet; ceiling was painted and iron grills graced the rail for communion and huge bell were hung in the tower.

The parishioners helped during the entire construction by preparing meals for the construction force. Fr. Vereciano also volunteered to finish the tribunal or municipal building began by Capitan Felix de Castro but he died in May 17, 1893. Fr. Andres Romero succeeded Fr. Vereciano. He had enlarged the cemetery and constructed the chapel. When Philippine Revolution broke out, he was captured and executed. The Katipunan had earlier been organized in Northern Pangasinan today was then Northern Zambales. Alaminos belonged to the Province of Zambales since the beginning. The capital, Iba, was many miles away.

Business and immigrants had been discouraged by the inconvenience of travelling so far just to obtain official papers like, registrations and permits. The former Gobernadorcillo Don Francisco Reinoso spearheaded the movement to transfer the seat of government to Sta. Cruz, which was closer – to Alaminos and the other towns of Zambales. An appeal to the new American government quickly brought the question to a satisfactory close. Alaminos and the rest of Northern Zambales became the Western frontier of Pangasinan in 1903.

As the town people evolved from a carefree fisher folks to landed gentry, the parish directed its concern to children’s education. In 1901, a school for – secondary education, the Institutio de San Jose was opened by the Municipal government, the first of its kind in Pangasinan. It was affiliated to the Lyceum of Manila. The director was Fr. Toribio Macazo of Villasis, Pangasinan. Among the alumni of this school are Don Gonzalo Montemayor, and Don Felipe Soriano of Alos. Later, a school for women was founded. It must be cited that this time, the Augustinian Recollects had left the parish administration, and the local clergy has taken over. From 1926 onwards, Fr. Tomas Chanco improved the church towers; donated three bells; erected the Statue of the Sacred Heart in 1930; fenced the church front yard with concrete and steel malting; and tiled the church floor.

After Fr. Chanco retired, Fr. Jaime Israel became Pastor briefly. He built the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes which was sculptured by the late Filipino artist and clergyman from Pangasinan, Archbishop Mariano Madriaga. In the decades of the fifties and sixties, the following became Parish priests of Alaminos: Fr. Julian Santiago; Fr. Mariano Domingo, Fr. Eleuterio Itliong, who established the Royal carpenter Academy; Fr. Ciriaco Bellote, who changed all the church pews and brought a new tabernacle; Fr. Bernardo Imuan, who organized the St. Joseph Parish Council; Fr. Pedro Sison who renovated the church ceiling; beautified the façade; put up the Mt. Carmel chapel and crypt; installed the large stations of the Cross done by Mr. Carlos Garcia.

Continuous improvements were initiated by Msgr. Segundo Gotoc and Msgr. Antonio Aldana. But all there were in preparation for the making of the church of St. Joseph into a Cathedral. In June 28, 1985, Alaminos became a Diocese and its first Bishop, Bishop Jesus A. Cabrera was – installed amidst great jubilation and solemnity. Since then, Alaminians have seen the rise of the Alaminos Pastoral Center, the newly renovated altar Made of Marble, then new sacristy, the marble flooring of the church, and its repainting in 1995.

Assisting the perspective Bishop Cabrera were Fathers Romeo Tandoc, Jeremy Ofo’ob, Arulraj Arputham and Lain Mayo. With the aim of building Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC’s) among the barangays, the team realized that the objective could only be achieved only if the residents are truly evangelized.

Wars, Rebellions and Disasters

In 1758, trouble brewed not only from the outside. There was tension between the Suyang pioneers and the new arrivals from Pangasinan. A native of San Carlos, Pangasinan signaled a general revolt and drove the Spaniards out of the province. He swooped on the sleeping town of Casboran. The parish priest, Fr. Geronimo Cristo and Teniente Basal, Don Nicolas Purification had barely time to run for their lives as people escaped in all directions. The church, convent, casa tribunal and the houses were burned down.

Casboran was then beaten, crushed, and razed to the ground. The town was completely disorganized and families were divided. The priest never returned and Casboran was once more devolved to the status of a barrio. The fall of Casboran resulted into conflicting parties. A conference with the pioneers, the Zambal founders of the original Suyang was imperative. Their gaze now turned to the South, there a flat treeless but grassy plateau commanded a superb-view of the country side. It was bounded on three sides by rivers, and is conveniently at the crossroads of the new burgeoning towns of northern Zambales. More people gradually moved to this plateau, most of them Pangasinenses

From 1814 to 1889, the people of Sarapsap were tested by fire; in 1814 and in 1834. In 1814, 1866 and 1879, famine brought about by drought stalked the countryside; in 1864 cholera spread and rage across the poblacion and barrios. Cadavers were rushed to the church; some homes were abandoned; and all members of some family died. Two more times (in 1889 and 1902) the terrible disease returned. In 1888 and 1889, render pest wiped cattles, carabaos and horses.

Renovations

The present church and parochial house are made of brick manufactured in the same town. The first oven for brick-making making was built under the supervision of Father Manuel Bosquete, the first Recollect parish priest of this town and the edifices are the tallest and most spacious in the province, which draws naturally any visitor's attention. The church still attracts attention up to this day however, in the 1990 earthquake, the church’s edifice weakened especially the belfry. The bricks outer covering had to be braced with iron and eventually cemented. At the present, the bricks are no longer visible.

In the same way, Alaminos was one of those badly hit in May 2009 by Typhoon Emong which damaged a lot of houses in the city, including the roof of the main church. Due to this, several organizations had requested for donations and aid to help in restoring the town back to its former self. The said typhoon did not only rip off the roof and the ceiling causing the retablo damaged. When the roof and the ceiling had been restored, the retablo was also fixed. The present church evidently shows these renovations.

Present Programs

The present program of the parish is laid on their Pastoral Plan inaugurated last June of 2012. Here are the present organizations and movements that help out in that said pastoral plan: Commissions On Clergy, Liturgy & Worship, Formation/Education,  Social Services, Youth,  Family & Life,  Ecology, Cudi, Migrants, Missions (Pms), World Apostolate Of Fatima, Mother Butler's Guild, Apostleship Of Prayer, Catholic Women's League, Neo Catechumenate, Curcillo Movement, Bayanihan Ni Kristo, Focolare, Couples For Christ, Prex, El Shaddai, Spirit Of Love, Holy Trinity Prayer Group, Holy Face, Divine Mercy, Alliance Of Two Hearts, Legion Of Mary, Knights Of Columbus, Holy Name Society.

As for the events celebrated, refer to Appendix B. Here are the important events of the parish: In 1985, the Parish of Alaminos was elevated to the status of Diocese and the first Bishop was Most Rev. Jesus A. Cabrera, DD.

In 2007, the second Bishop in the person of Most Rev. Marlo M. Peralta, DD, assumed as the second bishop of Alaminos up to the present.

In October 1, 2009, the Diocese of Alaminos launched the six-month celebration of the Quadricentennial anniversary of the Saint Joseph Cathedral Parish. It was attended by religious and civil officials and the faithful of the city of Alaminos. The Holy Mass was presided over by Bishop Marlo Peralta, with Msgr. Rey Jose Ragudos, VG., Fr. Ed Inacay, Fr. Mariolito Ferrer, Fr. Euly Cacho, Fr. Macky, Fr. Alfred, Fr. Dennis, Fr. Tony, etc. After the mass, there was the flying of 400 balloons, the unveiling and lighting of the Quadricentennial Logo and a fireworks display courtesy of the City government of Alaminos.

In January 10-12, 2010, a three day celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Diocese of Alaminos. The Papal Nuncio visited the Diocese and lead the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist.

In March 19, 2010, a solemn and grand celebration of the 400th year of the introduction of Christianity to the city of Alaminos by the pioneering Augustinian Recollects, starting from the old Soyáng in the year 1610.

H. THE HISTORY OF ST. JAMES THE GREAT PARISH
Bolinao, Pangasinan

Uncertified records say that it was an Italian missionary named Blessed Odoricos who, on his way to China, said the first mass in Bolinao Bay when he took refuge during a storm in 1324. The claim further mentions that he even baptized several locals making him the first evangelizer in the Philippines.

Nevertheless, only two hundred years later the first contact between the native people of Bolinao and the Spaniards was given in the following account: “Juan de Salcedo, the last of the Spanish Conquistadores sailed from Manila on May 20, 1572, and three days later reached Bolinao at a place located on the island of Santiago or Purro just across the channel from the present location. There Salcedo came upon a Chinese Sampan which had captured a native chieftain and some of his men with the intention of taking them along China. Salcedo liberated the natives who were so thankful for the generous action of the Castilians that they voluntarily pledged vassalage to the King of Spain.

Furthermore, local unwritten history which had been handed down from generation to generation and from mouth to mouth, narrates that the town of Bolinao started as a small settlement or in what is now the site of Binabalian, a barrio in Santiago Island. With a little over one hundred families, Captain Pedro Lombi founded the town of Bolinao in 1575.

Sometime in the year 1585, Friar Esteban Marin, a Dominican Father, was assigned in Bolinao. He was the first Spanish missionary to set foot in Bolinao. In the following years, he baptized many people and organized them into a town. He worked in Bolinao until the year when he was going to be appointed prior of the town of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

By that time, the old town of Bolinao was located on the coast of the province of Pangasinan, facing Purra Island from which it is separated by a narrow canal. Bounded only by the sea and the northern branches of the Cordillera Mountains of Zambales, the small costal town was about 22 leagues distant from the administration of Iba, while only 10 leagues separated it from Lingayen, the capital of Pangasinan. Therefore, it was assigned to the Dominican Order which was in charge of administration of this last province. In effect Rev. Fr. Lorenzo de San Miguel was accepted in the chapter in 1596 and two years later, he and his appointed vicar Fr. Tomas Castellar were assigned in the community.

From this day on up to the beginning of the new century no references of other Dominican activities in this area had been mentioned – possibly due to the fact that they left the place in as much as in the successive chapters. During this period, the Poblacion of Bolinao grew to a respectable population of 5699 inhabitants and 3344 tribute payers. In the year of 1600 however, Dominican Fathers came back with appointment of Fr. Francisco Martinez as Superior of the Convent of Bolinao.

In 1602, Fr. Estacio Ortiz took over. Fathers like Antonio Figueroa were the very first sowers of the seeds of the Gospel in this town. They ended their missionary work in 1607.

After the Dominican Fathers left Bolinao, the illustrious Governor and Captain General Rodrigo de Rivera and the Dean of the Metropolitan Church requested the Recoletos de San Augustin to take over the mission already begun by the Dominicans. Immediately thereafter Fr. Jeronimo de Cristo and Fr. Andres del Espiritu Santo rallied to the call and upon arrival in this island town of Bolinao began to undertake the task of spreading the Gospel and religious doctrines. They taught the people by precepts and gave an example of Christian life and endured all kinds of privations and great hardships which such strength of will that the pagans were easily convinced to the Christian religion. In due time, these hardworking missionaries began to reap the fruits of their toils and privations when over 1800 infidels accepted the sweet yoke of the Lord and were regenerated by the water of baptism.

In the course of time, around 1609, due to piratical molestations, the town was transferred to the mainland. The present site is near Libsong where clear spring kept on gushing. Just a stone’s throw about 30 meters from there, the Roman Catholic Church was erected.

The church tower of Bolinao was the tallest in Pangasinan, if not in entire Northern Luzon. Its height measured seventy-five feet. But an earthquake in 1788 toppled about half of the tower. In addition to that, the church convent was accidentally burned in 1819.

Uncertified records say that it was an Italian missionary named Blessed Odorico who, on his way to china, said the first mass in Bolinao Bay when he took refuge during a storm in 1324. The claim further mentions that he even baptized several locals making him the first evangelizer in the Philippines.

Nevertheless, only two hundred years later the first contact between the native people of Bolinao and the Spaniards was given in the following account: “Juan de Salcedo, the last of the Spanish Conquistadores sailed from Manila on May 20, 1572, and three days later reached Bolinao at a place located on the island of Santiago or Purro just across the channel from the present location. There Salcedo came upon a Chinese Sampan which had captured a native chieftain and some of his men with the intention of taking them along China. Salcedo liberated the natives who were so thankful for the generous action of the Castilians that they voluntarily pledged vassalage to the King of Spain.”

Furthermore, local unwritten history which had been handed down from generation to generation and from mouth to mouth, narrates that the town of Bolinao started as a small settlement or in what is now the site of Binabalian, a barrio in Santiago Island. With a little over one hundred families, Captain Pedro Lombi founded the town of Bolinao in 1575.

Sometime in the year 1585, Friar Esteban Marin, a Dominican Father, was assigned in Bolinao. He was the first Spanish missionary to set foot in Bolinao. In the following years, he baptized many people and organized them into a town. He worked in Bolinao until the year 1587 when he was going to be appointed prior of the town of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

By that time, the old town of Bolinao was located on the coast of the province of Pangasinan, facing Purra Island from which it is separated by a narrow canal. Bounded only by the sea and the northern branches of the Cordillera Mountains of Zambales, the small coastal town was about 22 leagues distant from the administration of Iba, while only 10 leagues separated it from Lingayen, the capital of Pangasinan. Therefore, it was assigned to the Dominican Order which was in charge of administration of this last province. In effect Rev. Fr. Lorenzo de San Miguel was accepted in the chapter in 1596 and two years later, he and his appointed vicar Fr. Tomas Castellar were assigned in the community.

From this day on up to the beginning of the new century no references of other Dominican activities in this area had been mentioned – possibly due to the fact that they left the place in as much as in the successive chapters. During this period, the Poblacion of Bolinao grew to a respectable population of 5699 inhabitants and 3344 tribute payers.

In the year of 1600 however, Dominican Fathers came back with appointment of Fr. Francisco Martinez as Superior of the Convent of Bolinao. In 1602, Fr. Estacio Ortiz took over. Fathers like Antonio Figueroa were the very first sowers of the seeds of the Gospel in this town. They ended their missionary work in 1607.

After the Dominican Fathers left Bolinao, the illustrious Governor and Captain General Rodrigo de Rivera and the Dean of the Metropolitan Church requested the Recoletos de San Augustin to take over the mission already begun by the Dominicans. Immediately thereafter Fr. Jeronimo de Cristo and Fr. Andre Del Espiritu Santo rallied to the call and upon arrival in this island town of Bolinao began to undertake the task of spreading the Gospel and religious doctrines. They taught the people by precepts and gave an example of life and endured all kinds of privations and great hardships which such strength of will that the pagans were easily convinced to the Christian religion. In due time, these hardworking missionaries began to reap the fruits toils and privations when over 1800 infidels accepted the sweet yoke of the Lord and were regenerated by the water of baptism.

In the course of time, around 1609, due to piratical molestations, the town was transferred to the mainland. The present site is near Libsong where clear spring kept on gushing. Just a stone’s throw about 30 meters from there, the Roman Catholic Church was erected.

The church tower of Bolinao was the tallest in Pangasinan, if not in entire Northern Luzon. Its height measured seventy-five feet. But an earthquake in 1788 toppled about half of the tower. In addition to that, the church convent was accidentally burned, in 1819. In 1974, finally the first priest was ordained in the parish of Bolinao.

All the years before as part of the Diocese of Lingayen, then in 1985, Bolinao finally became a parish of the newly installed Diocese of Alaminos.

2008 then launched the celebration of 400 years anniversary as a parish. Only one year later, on 7th of May, 2009 the church was heavily devastated by typhoon Emong and in a matter of fact is still undergoing repair and major renovations to restore the grandness of its historical edifice.

Sometime in 1585 Fr. Esteban Marin, an Augustinian Friar, was the very first missionary ever to set foot in Bolinao, an island town, which he formed out of the People he baptized. He worked there till 1587, when he was appointed Prior of the town of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Bolinao was then assigned to the Dominican Fathers who took charge of it till 1599. In 1600, however, the Augustinian Fathers came back with Fr. Francisco Martinez as their superior. In 1602 Fr. Estacio Ortiz took over, and later on, Fr. Antonio Figueroa. The Augustinian Fathers were the very first sowers of the seeds of the Gospel in this town. They ended their missionary work in 1607.

With their departure, the Most Illustrious Governor and Capt. General Rodrigo de Rivera and the Dean of the Metropolitan Church requested the Recoletos de San Juan Agustin Fathers to take over the work begun by the Augustinian Fathers. Immediately, thereafter, Father Jeronimo de Cristo and Fr. Andre Del Espiritu Santo rallied to the call and upon arrival at this island, town of Bolinao, they began to undertake the great work of spreading the Gospel, teaching the people by precepts and the best example of their life. In due time, these missionaries began to reap the fruits of their toils and sacrifices when over 1600 infidels were baptized.

Around 1609, clue to piratical molestation, the town was transferred to the mainland, where it presently exists. Records show that the Recoletos de San Agustin Fathers administered Bolinao parish from 1609-1679. From 1679 to 1712, the Dominican Fathers took over again the administration of the parish. In 1749, the Recoletos de San Agustin Fathers came back to Bolinao, and took charge of the parish up to about 1784. From then on, different priests, administered Bolinao parish up to the present.

In April 18, 1974, finally the first priest who was born and grew in this place was ordained in the parish of Bolinao. His name is Rev. Fr. GeureroCarnioClavero.
All the years before as part of the Diocese of Lingayen, then in 1985, Bolinao finally became part of the newly installed Diocese of Alaminos.

In 2008 celebration of 400 years anniversary as a parish was launched. Only one year later, on 7th of May 2009 the church was heavily devastated by typhoon Emong and it is still undergoing repair and major renovations to restore the grandness of its historical edifice. At this present time at the year of the Lord the administrator of St James the Great Parish is Fr. Bayani and the co-pastor is Divine Martin. The parish has a program of feeding program for the street children in every barangay of Bolinao. In pastoral activities they are focusing in BEC’s by going to barangay in evangelizing the people. In line with this activity every year the barangay hosting small Christ the King. This coming October the parish will publish the first New Testament Bible in Bolinao dialect particularly the four Gospels. 

The lay people of Bolinao have strong devotion to Senior Santiago especially during his feast day. There are also people came from different town to attend his feast day because they believe that Senior Santiago is performing miracles in their life. In doing this devotion it is a big help for them in nourishing their faith in God. 

I. THE HISTORY OF ST. FABIAN POPE AND MARTYR PARISH [13]
San Fabian, Pangasinan

Beginning

1716-1898

A coastal town, San Fabián is located in northern Pangasinán.  Its población lies on a flat and sandy terrain near the mouth of the Añgalacán River, locally known as Cayañga.  The town of Santo Tomás (La Unión) bound it on the north; Sison on the northeast; Pozorrubio on the east; San Jacinto and Mañgaldán on the south and the Lingayén Gulf on the west.

The original settlement of what is now the town of San Fabián was in barangay Anguio situated some three kilometers from the town's población, on the road leading to San Jacinto.  (The word "anguio" means "a tree of most bitter fruit").  

In its November 16, 1899 issue, the periodical Libertas related that numerous children attended the schools of the población.  Moreover, the parish priest who solicitously watched over the instruction of the youth supported some students in the barrio schools. 

As can be read in the statistics submitted annually by the missionaries to their superiors, the Catholic population of San Fabián grew steadily through the years.  This is excepting the years following 1868 when a big part of its territory having been separated to form the new town of Alava, now, Sison, San Fabián lost almost half of its populace.  In 1751, the town had a population of 1,331; in 1758: 2,163; in 1800: 2,044; in 1848: 10,390; in 1875: 6,088; and in 1897: 10,180.  There were 99 Baptisms in 1804 and 480 in 1888.

1899-2003 

With the end of the Spanish era came the departure of the missionaries from the country, including the last Spanish parish priest of San Fabián, Fr. Juan Terrés (1890-1898); Filipino priests took their place.  The American regime then began. 

As far as ecclesiastical history is concerned, this period is characterized by the spread of Aglipayanism inspired by the nationalist movement.   Gregorio Aglipay, a Filipino priest from Ilocos Norte who led the schism attracted many followers, including those from some Pangasinán towns.

The parish priests of San Fabián during this time were: Fr. Domingo de Vera, purportedly a former chaplain of the Katipunan, the first Filipino pastor of the parish who stayed from 1899 to 1920; Fr. Agripino Bañez (1920-1926); Fr. Alejandro Ignacio (1926-1927) and Fr. Benigno Jiménez (1927-1935) who later built his own independent church but then retracted and returned to the Catholic fold. 

It was while Fr. Posadas was pastor when the Legion of Mary was organized in the parish.  After Fr. Posadas, came Fr. Domingo Montano (1952-1955) who afterwards joined the Capuchin Order.  His assistant was Fr. José Velasco.  The Adoracion Nocturna Filipina in San Fabián traces its origin to Fr. Montano's time.  Next to him was Fr. Francisco Gago (1955-1968).  During his time the church tower was renovated.  It was also at this time that the Cursillo Movement became in vogue in the Archdiocese.  Many San Fabián parishioners will remember having taken part in this movement.  For some months Fr. Eugenio de Vera assisted him until the coming of Fr. Rufino López.  In the parish, the Catholic Women's League, the Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society were established at this period.

The Second Vatican Council opened in 1962, marking the dawn of a new age for the Church.  It instituted needed reforms to keep the Church abreast with the developments of the modern world.  It caused the emergence of many and varied apostolates and movements to meet the demands of the times.  It awakened the laity to the consciousness of their identity and thus became more and more involved in the life and activity of the Church.  This is true with the parishioners in San Fabián.

Fr. Rufino López, (1968-1970) eventually became the pastor.  It was during his incumbency in 1969 that the Catholic School of the parish, the Archdiocesan School of San Fabián, was established.  Msgr. Oscar Aquino, who together with the parishioners worked for the school's government recognition, was the first Director and Mr. Floro Torres the first principal. From 1977 to 1981, Msgr. Pedro Sison was designated pastor. 

Near the end of the millennium, the San Fabian Couples for Christ and the Mother Butler's Guild came into being. Also during his tenure the Charismatic Renewal Movement in the parish flourished for a time but gradually weakened with the eventual organization in the different barangays of the Basic Ecclesial Communities whose formation is the thrust of the Archdiocese's present evangelization program.

During Msgr. Magno’s tenure, several priests came to help out in the parish during weekends.  It was only Msgr. Segundo Gotoc though who had a formal appointment as a guest priest of the parish.

Fr. Oliver Mendoza succeeded Msgr. Magno in 2003 upon the latter’s transfer to Dagupan. Fr. Abraham Esquig, a native son of San Fabian, retired in 2006, has been helping out in the parish until today. There were also several deacons assigned in the Parish to help in the pastoral work and to undergo diaconate program prior to their ordination to the priesthood. They were: Rev. Jim Cerezo (2004), Rev. Reydentor Mejia (2005), Rev. Julius Cuison (2006), Rev. Eric Galivo (2007), Rev. Estephen Mark Espinoza (2009) and Rev. Roland Anthony Gavina (2010). In 2009, Fr. Felipe Matias was assigned in the parish to help in the pastoral and spiritual needs of the people. Last March 2012, he was transferred at the retirement house of the clergy. And in May 2012, Fr. Mario Morales, the former rector of Mary Help of Christians College Seminary, was transferred in the parish of St. Fabian.

In August 14, 2012, Msgr. Oliver Mendoza was invested as Papal chaplain together with Msgr. Manuel Bravo.

Church Building
         
In a letter dated January 9, 1716, the Provincial of the Dominican Fathers petitioned the royal government for the foundation of San Fabián "for the better administration of the natives, comfort of travelers and to stave off the assaults of the pagan Igorots who dwell in its vicinity."  There is another reason, however.  Due to its excellent climate, the Dominicans would like to make it a place of an infirmary and house of convalescence where they could rest or regain their strength when they are sick.  

On March 21, 1717, the petition was granted.  The permit was issued by acting Governor General José Torralba, pending the arrival of the proprietary Governor, Fernando Bustamante who came in August of that year.  To make the permit effective, the settlement in Anguio moved to the present site.  The town was named after its patron, Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr.  And Anguio remained just a barangay.

San Fabián appears for the first time in the Acts of the Dominican Provincial Chapter held in Manila in 1718.  It is therefore very probable that San Fabián became a vicariate (or parish) on this year.  The Chapter appointed Fr. Andrés Caballero (1718-1720) as its first vicar (parish priest).  The succeeding Chapter of 1720 assigned as vicar Fr. Manuel del Río (1720-1721, 1729-1732) who afterwards became Provincial of the Dominican Order and later as bishop-elect of Nueva Segovia.

Soon after the town's foundation, the first church was built.  The construction of the present church was completed shortly after the British invasion (1762-1765).  Fr. Valentín Marín, O.P. says: "The church, all of brick, including the main altar was built by Fray Francisco Ferrer, a Dominican lay brother, who was an excellent carpenter, after the British invasion.  The convent and belfry were also of brick."  Fr. Raymundo Suárez, O.P. adds that this Brother is reputed to have also directed the construction of the imposing bell tower of the church in Lingayén.

Fr. Manuel Mora, Secretary of the Provincial during the latter's visitation in 1804, reports that in front of the convent there was a brick building where Bishop Bernardo Ustáriz could stay.  The Bishop donated funds for the construction of this building, which also served as the casa de comunidad. Part of the convent was converted into classrooms.  It was also during Fr. Lopéz's tenure that partial renovation of the front part of the convent, initiated by Fr. Gago, was made.  His assistant was Fr. Peter Aquino whose appointment extended to the next pastor.

Msgr. Antonio Palma was appointed parish priest in 1970.  Among his projects was the improvement of the church altar.  He did not stay long.  Fr. Benigno Serafica, assisted by Fr. José Tapia, replaced him in 1972.  After a two-year stint in the parish Fr. Serafica was succeeded by Msgr. Oscar Aquino who was pastor from 1974 to 1977.  His assistants were Msgr. Emilio Abalos and Fr. Pedro Quirós, both natives of the town.  As an offshoot of the Cursillo Movement, other similar movements, like the Bayanihan Movement, came into existence in the Archdiocese during this time.

Msgr. Pedro Sison carried on the work of improvements on the church on time for the Christ the King celebrations, which took place in San Fabián in 1977.  During his term, the Mt. Carmel Chapel and bone repository was constructed.  After Msgr. Sison, came a native of the town, Fr. Abraham Esquig  (1981-1987).  He will be remembered for having introduced the Shalom Movement in the parish.  One of the church projects during his time was the installation of the canopy on the church façade.  

In 1987, Msgr. Rafael Magno took over as parish priest and served the parish for the next sixteen years.  In the course of this period restorations and improvements in the church and convent continued.  The construction of the parish center dates back to his time.  It was during his term that the town became the venue of the Christ the King Vicariate celebration in 1996. 

Fr. Mendoza prepared the people and made further improvements on the church, including the restoration of the bell tower, for the Vicariate III Christ the King celebrations in the town in November 2003.

The belfry was destroyed by bombs during the end of WWII. It now stands however, as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the parishioners of San Fabian, as well as their deep faith and trust in the providence and mercy of God. The reconstruction of the belfry was finished in March 2004.

Since Fr. Oliver Mendoza took over as pastor, there were many projects that he has accomplished. The latest of which is the reconstruction of the “retablo.” The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr Parish is moving forward with the hope and strong faith and trust in God’s mercy. For in the end, they are but instruments of God, only doing God’s work, living God’s life.

Wars and Rebellions

During the Hispano-American war in 1898 the shelling did not spare the San Fabián church and the convent causing 2,200 pesos in damage, quite an amount at that time!

In the latter part of the American regime, the Diocese saw the flourishing of the organizations of Catholic Action.  At this time, these were the parish priests of San Fabián:   Msgr. Licerio Barnachea (1935-1937) who did not reside in the parish which was managed by his assistant; Fr. José Valerio (1937-1939), Msgr. Barnachea’s assistant who eventually succeeded him and during whose time the Apostleship of Prayer was organized in San Fabián  and Fr. Juan Bello (1939-1940). 

In 1940, Fr. Miguel Busque was appointed pastor.  In December of the following year World War II erupted and the Japanese occupation began, interrupting religious services.  The naval bombardments during the American-Japanese war for liberation in the early days of January 1945 significantly damaged the church and practically destroyed the convent; the bell tower crumbled in ruins.  For a time, Fr. Resurreción Parica assisted Fr. Busque.

Disasters

In 1856, the church and the convent were burned.  Giving the reason, Fr. Suárez writes:  "For this the sacristan was held responsible because, having gone up to the tower to ring the bell for the curfew at 10 o'clock in the evening, he carelessly threw the cigarette-end on the nipa roofing which, as a result, caught fire at once."  

As a consequence of the fire, it could clearly be appreciated that the walls of the church were built all at once rather than by stages as was often the case in the building of churches during the colonial times.  One could also see that its construction was directed and supervised by a single man who must have been well acquainted with architectural rules.  

The strong earthquake of March 16, 1892 wrought considerable damage on the church and convent but this was eventually fixed.  The mortar and stone tribunal (municipal building) constructed in 1822 was also badly shaken and almost ruined by the tremors.

Renovations

Fr. Juan Gutiérrez (1859-1862) supervised the rebuilding of the church between 1857 and 1860.  In so doing, the sanctuary was lengthened.  The outcome was that the cruciform falls almost at the middle making it a narrow and disproportionately long church.  The reconstructed church measures 59.85 meters long and 11.40 meters wide; at the cruciform it is 20 meters.

Around l863, under the guidance of Fr. Ramón Fernández (1863-1866) the convent was repaired.  Proficient in medicine, he had been for many years the parish priest in Mañgaldán where he accomplished so many projects.  In rebuilding the convent, he spent much money and exerted great efforts and even so was unable to produce a solid and lasting structure.  He gained an enviable reputation as a physician and parish priest, but failed in San Fabián both as an architect and as economist.

In 1830, Fr. Domingo de la Peña built the cemetery fenced with solid brick walls, located south of the town.  Having administered the parish from 1802 to 1835, he was the longest serving parish priest of San Fabián.

Since the church and convent are old and need not only maintenance but also constant repair and improvements, these concerns continuously occupied the coming pastors, just as they did their predecessors.  And because World War II caused such destruction on these buildings, the following pastors had much more to do in these concerns.

In the arduous task of rebuilding and improving the church, the parishioners under the leadership of their pastors were always ready with their generous assistance.  They provided the funds and even offered their expertise.  Since 1955, Engr. Santiago Alhambra, one of the parish lay leaders, does much of the planning and the supervision work. During the term of Fr. Francisco Posadas (1944-1952) who took over Fr. Busque, the church and portion of the convent were repaired out of the people's contributions and the War Damage Rehabilitation Funds.  For the first time, San Fabián was host for the Diocesan celebrations of the Feast of Christ the King in 1951.  Fr. Emeterio Domagas assisted Fr. Posadas. 

These are the lists of renovations and constructions in the parish under Fr. Oliver’s Initiative namely: Restoration of the Belfry, Construction of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Divine Mercy, Installation of the Church Public Address System, Concreting of the Church Pathway (Left Wing), Concreting of the Church Pathway (Right Wing), Construction of the Baptistery, Construction of the Covered Pathway connecting the church and the Parish Center, Mt. Carmel Chapel and the Parish Office, Construction of the Garden of the Resurrection, Repair of the Choir Loft, Repair of the Parish Center, Repair of the Church Pews, Repair of the Rectory, Repair of the Rectory Roof, Reconstruction of “Retablo”

 Present Programs

In March 5-7, 2004, the Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) adult formation program was brought to the parish by Rev. Fr. Francisco Ungria Jr., a native son of San Fabian but works in the Archdiocese of Manila. The PREX as a formation program provides a basic adult catechesis on the key areas of Catholic life.

There are BECs established in the various Barangays of the Parish. These small communities of families hold regular weekly prayer meetings. Some have come up with community projects such as the repair of the Barangay chapels, making of Water Impounding system, and some Livelihood Programs to benefit the BEC family members.

The BEC Parish Coordinators are: MR. ANTONIO SUPREMIDO, MR. JOEY ESTANDARTE, MR. MARCOS GENERAO. You can contact and coordinate with them regarding the formation of BECs in your Barangay.

The Knights of Columbus of the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, Council 5739 has been helping and lending their support to the twenty-five families of Binday, San Fabian, Pangasinan in building their houses in the newly constructed Holy Family Village.  The floodwaters of Typhoon Pepeng in 2009 have destroyed and washed away their houses and lands. They have also been planting trees for the Theology Seminary in Brgy. Palapad, San Fabian, Pangasinan. Knights of Columbus Council 5739 of the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr is led by Grand Knight James Gutay.

Devotions of People

Three days during the weekdays, and two days of these are on the first week of the month, that the church is full of parishioners for the celebration of the Holy Mass. These are the Masses on Wednesdays, and the First Friday and First Saturday of the month. The novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help is celebrated every Wednesday before the afternoon Mass; the devotion to the Sacred Heart every first Friday of the month; the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary every first Saturdays of the month. These popular devotions seem to arouse a greater sense of love and devotion to Jesus and His mother.

The Parish is also advocating the devotion to the Divine Mercy. After how many years of arduous effort and work of Fr. Oliver in collaboration with the lay faithful, the devotion to the Divine Mercy continuous to flourish in the parish.

Every Holy Wednesday, Fr. Oliver started the Stations on the Cross on the mountainous part of San Fabian. It starts from Lekep Tomeeng up to Inmalog. And there is a dramatization of every station done by the youth.

J. THE HISTORY OF ST. HYACINTH PARISH
San Jacinto, Pangasinan

Beginning

The town San Jacinto had its name from “San Jacinto de Kawili.” This was the fourth town in Pangasinan evangelized by the Dominicans. According to Padre Aduarte, Dominican friar, in his writing in the parish publication entitled Probinsiya del Santissimo Rosario, in the year 1598 the parish had already its church. This fact can be attested by the Actas of the Capitulo Provincial in the year 1604. The parish was under the visitation and care of the missionaries of Mangaldan.

In the year 1643, Padre Francisco Ballesteros, S.T.L. was appointed Presidente of San Jacinto. He was given the title Vicario of the Capitulo in the year 1645. Several years after, the parish was under the care of the missionaries of Mangaldan and Manaoag. In the year 1669, the parish had already its own Vicario.

According to Padre Juarez, San Jacinto was one of the best towns in Pangasinan. The people were good. The parish church’s and the town’s location was perfect. They even had a good source of water and it tastes good. The town was known as a perfect place because of its people and natural resources. This town was also famous for its being grateful to God for having Dominican priests and, also, its loyalty to Spain.

As stated in the first paragraph, in 1598, the parish had its church. However, in the year 1653, there was the church built in cement which was believed as the church destroyed by a big fire after the year 1719. In the year 1723, there were those who say that in the year 1721 the building of a new church was started to replace the burned church. The church was built in the year 1731. The church was big and beautiful. It was built on a very strong foundation. An earthquake torn the facade of the church in the year 1848. In the year 1892, another earthquake totally destroyed the church. It was under the administration of Padre Revilla that a camarin church with a ladrillo wall was constructed.

The wall made of ladrillo of the cemetery was created during the time of Padre Julian Lopez in 1878. There were two cemeteries. The first was at the side of the church which was not being used. The second was located half kilometer away from the church.

The parish convent was slightly damaged by the 1892 earthquake. It was renovated by Padre Revilla. In the earlier times, this parish had two schools and two houses for the teachers.

It was in this parish that the Confradia de Sto. Rosario was also established. This organization had the devotion to the Holy Rosary.

Name of the Parish

The name of the Parish is St. Hyacinth. It was named after a Dominican priest who saved the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Blessed Sacrament when the church was about to be consumed by fire.

Ecclesiastical Territory

The parish has 17 barangays. Its neighboring towns are Manaoag, San Fabian, Mangaldan and Pozzurobio.

Church Building

The present church building is a new structure. It was built in the early 19th Century. The front of the new church was destroyed by 1991 killer earthquake. It was reconstructed several days after such painful event.

The parish has its Catholic School which is being renovated and improved from time to time. At present, the school director is Fr. Democritu Umagtam.

There is a new parish rectory which was built by Fr. Leo Macaraeg and improved by Fr. Genaro “Jijune” Herramia. The parish church was renovated and improved by both priests including the surroundings of the church.

The old convent which was rebuilt under Fr. Herramia is where the present parish, Fr. Laforteza Jr., lives. The parish personnel stay at the new convent.

Renovations

The present parish priest, Fr. Jose Laforteza Jr., reconstructed the ceiling of the altar and its sidewalls.

Devotions of the People

The people of San Jacinto are people of popular devotions. They have the following devotions: Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Black Nazarene and Pilgrimages.

K. THE HISTORY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL
Urdaneta, Pangasinan

Beginning

The town of Urdaneta is comparatively the youngest of all surrounding towns of Manaoag, Sta. Barbara and Villasis. About the end of the 17thentury, people from Manaoag, Sta. Barbara and Villasis established their residence in what is now the Poblacion of Urdaneta. By that time, people from Ilocos Sur and La Union were arriving in this place. Many of these people coming from Ilocos provinces brought their families with them. A man from Santa, Ilocos Sur by the name of Tomas Mangzano arrived. By then, there was enough number to establish a separate town. The authority of Manaoag came and formally founded the town of Urdaneta placing Tomas Mangzano as the head of the Barangay

Tomas Mangzano, who was a recognized leader, was credited with the honor of being the founder of the town. This town was founded on January 8, 1858. Portion of barrios from surrounding towns of Asingan, Villasis, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, Mangaldan, Manaoag and Binalonan comprised its territorial boundaries. It was accepted by the Dominicans as a parish in 1863. The name of Urdaneta was chosen as the name of the town and now a City in honor of the priest Andres de Urdaneta.

The Diocese of Urdaneta was created and erected on January 12, 1985, and its first Bishop, the Most Rev. Pedro G. Magugat, MSC, DD took possession and was installed as its Bishop on June 29, 1985. On May 5, 1990, the Diocese became vacant with the untimely death of Bishop Magugat. The second bishop, the Most Rev. Jesus C. Galang, DD took possession of the Diocese and was installed as its Bishop on February 1992 until his untimely demise on September 16, 2004. The incumbent bishop, the Most Rev. Jacinto A. Jose, DD took possession of the Diocese and was installed as its Bishop on December 31, 2005.

Church Building

The first church was a “camarin”— a small structure comparable to the huts as usually found in the hinterlands nowadays. A Dominican friar from Manaoag came after to celebrate mass and baptized infants. It was Fr. Nicolas Manrique Alonzo who transferred the old “camarin”, which used to serve as the house of worship to the site where the first church of the town was later built.

The construction of the old church was started by Fr. Rafael Cano on March 4, 1884.  When the church was finished, it was 77.10 meters long and 23.3 meters wide and had three naves. It was however, destroyed by the American bombings in January 1945 during the Second World War. The ruins of this same church became the place where the newly established community high school was.

Wars and Rebellions

When the Filipino-Spanish revolution came, there was a split among Filipino priests. Those who were sympathetic with Spain remained with the Catholic Church. Others joined the Philippine Independent Church founded by Gregorio Aglipay.

When the battle between the advancing U.S. Liberation troops and the retreating Japanese came up, the church was shelltorn.

Renovations

Efforts of massive rehabilitation on the town and the church promptly transpired as the Americans granted political independence to the Philippines. Mass was celebrated inside the convent while a small provisionary church was put up. Then, in the fifties, Msgr. Emilio Cinense laid the foundation for the present church. Fr. Tomas Santos further improved the church while Fr. Antonio Palma rebuilt the belfry and some portions of the church. In the later seventies, Fr. Elpidio Sison and Fr. Rufino Lopez spearheaded the parishioners, they were able to change the floor tiles, purchased new benches and improved the sacristy. Msgr. Amado Lopez’ term was also characterized by further improvement of the church’s facilities.  He improved and beautified the small altar where the Blessed Sacrament was mounted, and the baptistry.

Fr. Geronimo Marcelino made the church’s physical enhancements like the new Eucharistic Chapel, and repairing the church and tower.

Under the term of Fr. Primo Garcia, who took over in April, 1995 the parish saw more renovations such as the widening of both wings, utilizing marble for the church flooring, the sprucing up of the side altar and the building of the Eucharistic Chapel. The church had also been repainted; a new parking lot added and more significantly, a new Parish Pastoral Center had risen.

Today, Immaculate Conception Parish is the Seat of the Diocese with the Most Rev. Jacinto A. Jose, DD as the Ordinary.

L. THE HISTORY OF ST. ANTHONY ABBOT PARISH
Villasis, Pangasinan

Beginning

Sweet as honeybee, the town of Villasis on the eastern part of Pangasinan was then known as “Panduyucan”, from the term uyucan or hordes of bees. Then a barrio of Malasiqui in the seventeenth century, Panduyucan provided honey which attracted the Spaniards and inhabitants of other provinces. Since Panduyucan was then luring migrants from Ilocos to settle and populate the area in leaps and bounds, it called the attention of the first Filipino Archbishop and Governor-General, Don Miguel Ezpeleta, Bishop of Cebu, to convert the barrio into a town.

Ecclesiastical Territory

Villasis started to become a district politico-civil and ecclesiastical entity, when, on the initiative of Fr. Fernando de Sta. Maria, backed by the principalia of Malasiqui, the Most Re. Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta, Bishop of Cebu and acting Governor-General of the Philippines, granted on October 18, 1759, the required license for founding a new town. Being thinly populated and to attract some fugitives from justice who were wandering in the nearby forest, he ordered the Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan to publish a decree of amnesty in favor of any delinquent, who, fleeing from justice, would have taken to the hills.

They were granted the grace of being able to settle in the area; were promised fair treatment in the King’s name, and, in addition to this, a general pardon for whatever offenses they were guilty of. The decree empowered them at the same time, to elect the ministers of justice needed for the good and orderly government of a future town.

Four days later, on October 22, Fr. Sta. Maria, having presented to the Provincial of the Dominican Order his plans, petitioned for a priest to take care of the spiritual needs of the people who were to live in the new town. Thus, in accordance of the provision of the decree, the Gobernadorcillo and other town officials elected on May 13, 1760. And on August 28 of the same year, Fr. Jose Azcarate was appointed pastor of the town.

The boundaries of Villasis are described by Fr. Valentine Marin in his Ensayo with the following words: It borders on the east with town of Asingan at a distance of 14 kilometres; on the north with barrios Bactad of Urdaneta; on the northwest with the town of Urdaneta at 9 kilometres; on the west with Malasiqui, its mother-town, at 24 kilometres; on the southwest, through a pointed stretch of land, with Bayambang; on the south with the municipality of Alcala and with Rosales (Nueva Ecija) on the east southwest.

Church Building

In spite of being quite an old town, Villasis did not yet have in 1869, permanent buildings, since all of them – church, convent, town hall and schools – were constructed of wood, bamboo and anahao. However, during the years 1867 1868, Fr. Mariano Anton had already laid the foundations of the church. His work was continued by his successors, especially Fr. Jose Ma. Ruiz (1874 -1885) who improve the barn-like church (iglesia-camarin) by setting the new walls, notably lengthened on brick basement, and abundantly providing it with sacred vessels and vestments. His successor, Fr. Bonifacio Probanza (1886 – 1890) lined the whole structure, already finished, with galvanized iron sheets.

The active Fr. Ruiz finished the spacious convent of mixed materials, covering it with a galvanized iron roofing, and in addition, fenced the cemetery with a two-meter high brick wall. Fr. Paulino Aguilar finished its chapel whose foundations had been laid by Fr. Ruiz.

Wars and Rebellions

Before the Palaris uprising (1762-1764), Pandoyocan numbered 500 tributes (about 2000 souls). But at the end of the revolt, there only remained about 160. This decrease was in part due to the suffering brought about by the fighting, and also to the fact that many of its inhabitants migrated to other places when the years for exemption of the tribute were over. In 1769, Pandoyocan was entrusted to the pastor of Asingan. Due to scarcity of ministers, upon the advice of Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan, Pandoyocan was eventually suppressed altogether as parish or visita.

On June 22, 1804, through a proclamation, the restoration of Pandoyocan was officially announced. The process of restoration did not, however, go on smoothly as the said proclamation was only acted upon on May 2, 1807 when Governor General Mariano F. Folgueras acceded to the desires of the inhabitants of the former Pandoyocan. This, he did only on the condition that the restored town would bear the family name of one of his predecessors in the governance of the Philippines. Rafael Ma. De Aguilar y Villasis. Unluckily, this time, the plan met with the opposition of the Dominican Provincial who contented that the right place to effect the restoration was not successfully carried out until 1814. 

This newly restored town, which was most probably located in Macayo, was officially accepted by the Provincial Chapter of the Dominicans in 1841 under the patronage of San Antonio Abad (Saint Anthony Abbot). Pandoyocan thus become a mere barrio or “visita” of the new town of Villasis.

Renovations

In a letter dated at Ocana, Toledo, Spain in 1911, Fr. Paulino Aguilar, the last Dominican parish priest of Villasis, summarizes the number and condition of its ecclesiastical structures.

The convent as it was in 1898, is a mixed structure of mortar and stone, wood and tabique pampango (i.e. a texture of bamboo reeds supported by thin and narrow strips of wood, and plastered all over with a coat of fine white lime). The church is a fabrico-wooded walls resting on a basement of mortar and stone. It is united to the convent by a very beautiful passageway, built also of durable materials.

The convent and the church are covered with galvanized iron roofing. The convent had a good kitchen of solid materials, roofed also with corrugated iron sheets, and linked to the convent by a gallery, which rests on brick pillars. This gallery is flanked by wooden railings on both sides and rooted with iron sheets.

Of the fence encircling the churchyard, were the first and second Sunday processions used to be held; only the foundations were finished and its layout traced. All this is still in good condition.

The bell-tower is all wooden supported by well-wrought posts (harigues) of bacayao, and all its timber is of first class, as it befits a construction so exposed to the inclemency of the weather.

The cemetery, situated to the right of the road, which, starting in Villasis, leads to Asingan, is fenced with a wall of strong materials.

School

It is said that in the year 1850, there were the two schools in Villasis. Later, Fr. Joaquin Palacios (1867 – 1871) is said to have put up two school buildings for the boys and girls but unluckily both went up in flames in the year 1871. Two other school buildings, constructed under the supervision of Fr. Ruiz, suffered a similar fate. Reliable historians tell us that this Fr. Ruiz provided all barrios, even the remotest ones, with schools. No wonder therefore, that at the end of long term (1874 – 1995), Villasis numbered 20 schools for both sexes within its jurisdiction, all with their respective teachers, men as well as women.

Present Programs

In November 1954, the parish of St. Anthony, Abbot awakened from a lull in their spiritual endeavors. The hosting of the Cristo Rey Diocesan celebration proved to be a convenient occasion for a sincere and dedicated religious renewal. The church, which was hardly damaged during the Spanish-Filipino war, had now suffered nature’s slow but sure attacks. The church needed repairs (façade, windows, and ceiling) and the people responded with their available resources. Fr. Bernardo Imuan was then the parish priest.

A Catholic school nearby is managed by the parish and Fr. Dimas Jacinto declares that several improvements are being undertaken in the school as well as in the parish. Altogether he says that the parishioners are traditional although some are beginning to be open to reforms. Peace-loving, supportive and simple, the parishioners understand the vagaries of parish life. If they observe the changes which they deem to be beneficial to the larger majority, they respond with unquestioned cooperation. Also, they are sensitive to the needs of other parishes on other areas; they even generously support the lahar victims of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales by offering their produce weekly – vegetables, rice and corn. The parish also runs a canteen during weekends, proceeds from which are channeled to the parish’s indigents.

Education and evangelization remains the parish’s thrust. The young adults in the parish participate – they form choirs and sing during Masses; they hold concerts for evangelization; they catechize and at times, they help during elections with their campaign for the people to go out and vote. “In due time, they shall become active,” Fr. Jacinto says. In fact, with the help of the parish school, he intends to tap more teenagers to work in other socio-civic concerns of the parish, and of the Diocese, whenever possible. “They are generally kind, sharp and less critical,” he adds.

Devotions of the people

         
The church needs more face-lifting. It has seen better times and Fr. Jacinto is slowly looking forward towards making it more attractive, with better facilities and a distinguishing character. Those who have seen the church in the past recall how weddings, baptisms and other religious events were held with so much pride and joy. May be the parishioners today shall be more concerned and be more generous in giving their share?

M. HISTORY OF HOLY CROSS PARISH
Alcala, Pangasinan

The town of Alcala was originally one of the bigger sitios of the town of Batambang. It was separated civilly from the mother town by a Royal Decree No. 682 of the Spanish Government dated September 20, 1875. It was first called “Dangla” (a vernacular name of a medicinal shrub which was then abundance in the locality.). Later it was changed into Alcala in honor of the then incumbent Spanish Governor of Pangasinan who was a native of Alcala, Spain.

Alcala was erected as an independent parish by another Royal Decree of the Spanish Government dated January 4, 1881 and was given the name Holy Cross Parish, the Patron of the town. The Dominican accepted it as the House of the Order with Fr. Eduardo Samaniego, O.P. as the first Parish Priest. He started first the Construction of the convent and was continued by Fr. Mariano Revilla and Fr. Cipriano Casamijana finished it.

The same Parish Priest placed the foundation of a Parish Church and his successors completed it. However, it was destroyed during the height of the Revolution. After the revolution, the first Filipino priest to serve Alcala was Fr. Ponciano Manuel followed by Agustin del Rosario and then Fr. Juan Bello who then built a new Church. After Fr. Bello, Fr. Evaristo Soriano and Fri Gerardo Barjaca served Alcala in short separate terms. Fr. Eusebio Bermudez took over after them and he improved the Church. He served the Parish from 1932 to 1936. Fr. Emilio Abalos succeeded him and served the Parish for 16 years, from 1936-1952.

Fr. Jose V. Ferrer replaced Fr. Abalos. He had a taste for change and improvement. He demolished the old Church and replaced it with a semi-concrete structure with Archbishop Mariano Madriaga and Bishop Jesus Sison, he founded the Holy Rood academy in 1959. The Church was again changed during the first Christ the King Celebration in 1960. In 1961, Fr. Amado Lopez succeeded him. He continued the improvements of the Church and the school. Unfortunately, a strong earthquake occurred in 1967 rendering the Church unfit for use. It was during the stewardship of Fr. Eusebio Vigilia and Fr. Johnny Tagalicud (1972-1977) that a new concrete Church and additional classrooms were constructed. Fr. Elias Tanopo took over the Parish (1977-1981). The significant events during his term were the First Centennial anniversary Celebration of thr parish and the visit of the Sto. Nino de Cebu (January 4, 1981).

From then on, the following Parish Priests served Alcala: Fr. Dimas Jacinto, Most Rev. Marlo Peralta, Fr. Medez Laguerta, Fr. Cirilo Mayugba, Fr. Polly G. Castillo Jr., Fr. Jimmy Catungal and at present Fr. Numeriano Gabot.

M. HISTORY OF STS. PETER AND PAUL PARISH
Calasiao, Pangasinan

Beginning

The Church was built towards the end of 17th Century by the Dominican friars. In 1763, it was burned down by the alcalde mayor and other Spaniards because of a rebellion that took place. In 1773, Bishop Miguel Garcia of Nueva Segovia chose the town of Calasiao as the site for Diocesan Synod. In 1804, a new and bigger church than the first one was built but was eventually leveled to the ground in between the years 1841 and 1842. It was later rebuilt by Fr. Ramon Dalmau, but before it was completed it was burned once more in the year 1852. In the years 1854 to 1856 it was rebuilt headed by Fr Ramon Suarez.

After Fr Bonifacio Probanza, the last Domincan Vicar, left Calasiao, the parish was reputed to be the richest church in ornaments in the entire Pangasinan. During the American era, secular priests had taken over as administrators of the parish. The church was renovated when it hosted the Christ the King in 1936. In 1945, the Cathedral and the Archbishop’s palace from Lingayen temporarily transferred to Calasiao and stayed for three years because of the war.

Name of the Parish

Towards the end of 17th Century, the Church in Calasiao – from the word Ka-Lasi-an, place of lightnings (Lasi) – was built under the Dominican Provincial Chapter placed the Parish of Calasiao, under the patronage of St. Paul.

In the year 1721, it became the parish of Sts. Peter & Paul because a newer and bigger church was erected by Fr. Jua Maldonado de San Pedro Martin, the first parish priest.

Church Building

The Church’s structure is 83m long, 25m wide, 27.3m high; convent: 75m long,25m wide; bell tower: 30m high. Second church built in Pangasinan by the Dominicans after the Church in Binalatongan (now San Carlos City).

The convent was the site of 18th Century Synod of Calasiao. Pogon or the Kitchen was placed separately so the Church won’t get damaged in case of fire outbreak. One of the Spanish era Churches that are well preserved and has the original retablo ever since it was first built.

One of the 34 Spanish era Churches included in the National Cultural Treasure Directory – these are unique objects found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic, and/or scientific value which is significant and important to the Philippines.

Wars and Rebellions

Calasiao joined Malong Rebellion from 1660 to 1661 that caused it to be burned down by the government in the year 1736.

Disasters

Earthquake and fire struck the Church in 1736 and was again burned down during the Palaris Revolt in the year1852.

It was also heavily damaged by an earthquake on the 16th of March, 1892.

Renovations

It was built with bricks in the year 1753 under Fr Dalman and was again rebuilt from 1854-1858 by Fr. Ramon Suarez. Because of its preservations and renovations, among 30 Soanish era Churches, it is registered as National Cultural Treasures and whose preservation is designated of utmost importance by National Historical Commission.

Present Program

Catholic Youth Movement, established by Mgsr. Ungson, holds regular seminars in the parish to awaken the youth’s role and relationship with the community as well as in the choir, catechetical work and social apostolate.

There is the work on promotion of awareness among the local people as well as tourists to be able to appreciate the value of the Church because it is not as visited as of the Baroque style churches in the Ilocos region.

There is also the gathering of support from locals of Calasiao in preserving this cultural and historical treasure.There is the renovation for plans to promote it as a tourist attraction and a plan to put up a gallery within.

Devotions of People

Senor Divino Tesoro, the most Divine Image of our Lord Jesus Crucified, is venerated by townspeople of Calasiao as well as other people in other places.

Many devotees bear witness to the graces and answered prayers to the image which others consider miraculous that devotees become widespread all throughout many.

V. LEARNING, REALIZATIONS AND NEW INSIGHTS

The “Pagbabalik Tanaw” to our own local churches in Pangasinan is the center of Our Lady of Manaoag Formation Community’s (OLMFC) 2012 educational tour.

Looking back at the history of the churches in the province, we were brought back to our origin. The culture and faith, the religious beliefs and practices in our own native lands were redefined by the early historical events that took place. Every Filipino with roots in Pangasinan and every Pangasinense, will be proud of these grateful historical events that shaped their identity as persons.

The revisiting of the Pangasinan churches highlights the different trails that enriched the Pangasinenses’ culture and faith. The input we have come up features the historical significance of Pangasinan churches, which also highlight the province’s evolution in faith, its struggle, spiritual growth and commitment to history.

We were able to gather reasons of the how and when the first evangelization of the local churches took place in Pangasinan and how the different religious beliefs and practices of the native towns developed.

Knowing the local church history in our own native lands taught us to be more appreciative of our past whose influence has a great contribution to our present culture as Pangasinenses. Moreover, we have seen the importance of tracing the roots of the present situation of the people by looking what had happened in the past, so that by knowing their origin, we will better understand their present beliefs, their religious practices, their way of thinking, status in life, etc. Knowing individuals with roots in Pangasinan is itself a discovery leading towards a better understanding of our own identity whose roots are their roots. Truly, the remnants of the past clearly speak its significance to us in the present. 

Worth knowing as well in the history of the Pangasinan churches are its architectural appeal and geographical significance. Most churches that we visited are structurally and geographically magnificent and beautiful. Many improvements were carried out too. The undergrounds and the excellent geographical location of the San Fabian Parish founded to be an infirmary due to the wind from the upland and the afternoon breeze from the nearby Lingayen Gulf; the symbolic façade and the historical church of St James in Bolinao that changed our notion on the Limasawa account; the well-renovated and colorful bricks in-and-out of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Calasiao, etc., are only a few among the many beautiful and symbolic churches of Pangasinan. Our travel to our own local churches inculcated among us not only an appreciation of the past bus as well as its indestructible bastion of faith within its domain. 

VI. SOURCES:

BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS:

Braganza, Jose Vicente., ALAMINOS BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 1778-1978. Alaminos City, Pangasinan. 1978.

De la Torre, Visitacion R. Faith Enshrined: Churches of Pangasinan. Makati City: Tower
Book House, 1997.

Documents of First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly of Alaminos, 1995.

Documents of First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly Alaminos, 2000.

Documents of First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly Alaminos, 2010.

2011 Catholic Directory.

Santos, Edilberto V., WESTERN PANGASINAN: EARLIEST BEGINNINGS 1572-1898 as told by Primary Sources, Volume I, Diocese of Alaminos, Citizen’s Printing Press, Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Souvenir Program ofEphipany of Our Lord Parish during Christ the King 2010.

Souvenir Program of St. Isidore Parish during the Christ the King 2012.

Montemayor, Felix M., ANAK APO NA ALAMINOS ALL ACHEIVERS ALL. 1983.

Quintos, Felipe. SIPI AWARAY GELEY ED FILIPINAS (REVOLUCION FILIPINA) saray agawgawad Pangasinan tan Zambales nen taon iran 1897 angad 1900. Bakal na Pilipino tan Kastila, tan bakal na Pilipino tan Estados Unidos. Gumawid Press, Lingayen, Pangasinan. 1926.

The Pastoral and Administrative Documents of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly (APA) of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

Various Recollect Publications in Spanish and English, Archivo Recoleto, Mira Nila Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

INTERNET SITES:











www.epphanyofourlordparish.blogspot.com/p/history.html

http://capitalpangasinan.blogspot.com/2008/02/all-churches.html

http://parokyasanjose.blogspot.com/p/projects.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Alaminos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaminos,_Pangasinan



[1] Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, Cathechism of the Catholic Church Definitive Edition (Makati, World and Life Publication, 1994), 425.
[2] Rosario Mendoza Cortes, Pangasinan 1572-1800, Quezon City: New DayPublishers, 1991, p. 48.
[3] Cf. Ibid., p. 5.
[4] www.pangasinan.gov.ph, September 16, 2011.
[5] Onofre D. Corpuz, The Bureaucracy in the Philippines (Manila: University of the Philippines, 1957), 3.
[6] R. Cortes, p. 39.
[7] Ibid., p 37. 
[8] Ibid.
[9] R. Cortes, p. 39.
[10] www.pangasinan.gov.ph, September 16, 2011.
[11] Cf. www.pangasinan.gov.ph, September 16, 2011.
[12] Ibid.
[13] http://sanfabianparish.blogspot.com. Accessed last September 9, 2012. All the information here were based on this website, the website of the Parish of St. Fabian Pope and Martyr. The website was made by Msgr. Oliver Mendoza himself.



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