Santa Catalina Parish Church/ Simbahan ng Santa Catalina/ The Church of Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Santa Catalina:

The Church of Santa Catalina

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Santa Catalina

 

San Vicente Parish Church/ Simbahan ng San Vicente/ The Church of San Vicente (San Vicente, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of San Vicente:

The Church of San Vicente

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of San Vicente

San Ildefonso Parish Church/ Simbahan ng San Ildefonso/ The Church of San Ildefonso (San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of San Ildefonso:

The Church of San Ildefonso

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of San Ildefonso

Santo Domingo Parish Church/ Simbahan ng Santo Domingo/ The Church of Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur:

The Church of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur (December 2013)

The Church of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur (Photo by hecky12 skyscrapercity.com)

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur (December 2013)

The Church of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur (Photo by hecky12 skyscrapercity.com)

 

Saint Paul Metropolitan Cathedral/ Katedral ng Vigan/ The Cathedral of Vigan

The Cathedral of Vigan:

The Cathedral of Vigan

The Belltower of the Saint Paul’s Cathedral

 

About the Cathedral:

The St. Paul’s Cathedral is also known as the metropolitan Cathedral. It is considered a major religious landmark not only of northern Luzon but the country as well. Visitors must include a visit to the cathedral when in Vigan as it has been a center of Roman Catholic devotion for centuries.

The church as it stands now was completed in 1800. The original structure was built in 1574 upon the command of the Spanish founder of Vigan, Juan de Salcedo. It was a mere chapel then, made of wood and thatch. In 1641, the chapel was replaced by a church.

When the seat of the Nueva Segovia Diocese was transferred to Villa Fernandina de Vigan from Cagayan’s Lal-lo in 1758, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral and became the center of Catholic faith in the north. Another structure was ordered by then Governor Jose de Basco to be built to replace the existing church in 1786. With the Augustinians, the cornerstone of the new church was laid in the beginning of 1790.

Overall, the cathedral follows a Baroque architectural design that has been modified by Ilocanos to strengthen the structure against earthquakes. This is now known as earthquake Baroque. Testament to the style’s effectivity is the fact that the structure’s original interior walls have remained complete.

Other influences can be observed from the architecture of St. Paul Cathedral, that of neo-Gothic, pseudo-Romanesque and Chinese craftsmanship.

Facing the cathedral, visitors are greeted by the statue of St. Paul above the main opening. There are also carvings of Fu dogs or lion dogs by the outermost doors. In the alcove are scenes of Saint Paul’s conversion.

Though some people may find that the façade is not as impressive as other churches, the cathedral’s interior is something to be admired. The presence of a silver-paneled main altar, three naves, 12 minor altars and brass communion handrails forged in China gives the inside of the church a feeling of grandeur. The area for the choir is located at the loft, making use of the big church’s acoustics.

Surrounding St. Paul Cathedral are the other historic buildings of the city. There are the Episcopal Palace or the bishop’s residence, the diocesan seminary and the Vigan Municipal Hall. It is also beside two plazas, one named after Vigan’s founder, Plaza Salcedo, and another named after a revolutionary hero, Plaza Burgos. It shows how central the cathedral’s role is not only in the religious life of the people, but the social, economic, educational and political aspects as well.

Other Pictures of the Cathedral:

The Cathedral of Vigan

Welcome Sign to the Cathedral

Historical Marker of the Cathedral

The Belltower of the Saint Paul’s Cathedral

 

 

Saint Agustin Parish Church/ Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Caridad/ Simbahan ng Bantay/ The Church of Bantay (Bantay, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Bantay:

The Church of Bantay

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Bantay

The Bell Tower of Bantay

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Parish Church / Sanctuary of Santo Cristo Milagroso/ Simbahan ng Sinait / The Church of Sinait (Sinait, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Sinait:

Church of Sinait

 

Church of Sinait

El Santo Cristo Milagroso:

El Santo Cristo Milagroso

About the Church and the El Santo Cristo Milagroso:

The Sinait Church is the Sanctuary of the Miraculous Statue of the Black Nazarene (El Santo Cristo Milagroso), fondly called by its residents as “Apo Lakay,” and a treasure of Ilocandia. History traces the life-sized statue to Nagasaki, Japan. It was sent floating in the sea by missionaries operating in secret in Japan (for fear of persecution during the Tokugawa Regime). It was found by local fishermen in the shores of Barangay Dadalaquiten, on the boundary between Sinait and nearby Badoc, in the year 1620. Fishermen from Badoc tried moving the box, but were unable to do so. Only fishermen from Sinait were able to move the box, which contains the Statue of the Black Nazarene. The fishermen from Badoc, however, were able to move the Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary (La Virgen Milagrosa) that came with it–which was, in turn, unable to be moved by the fishermen of Sinait. They took the statues to their respective towns, hence becoming their patron saints. In 1656, with a spreading devotion to the Santo Cristo Milagroso due to its miraculous powers, the Black Crucifix was taken to the capital town of Vigan, since an epidemic was raging there and through the devotion of the faithful, many got cured. Because of this, it is considered as an intercessor of all kinds of affliction and sickness. In 1660 because of the growing veneration to the image, the faithful begun the construction of a permanent edifice to house it. It took the people of Sinait eight years to construct the church with funds provides by the Spanish Audiencia. Today the landing site of Apo Lakay still exists in Barangay Dadalaquiten, and is a place of pilgrimage for devotees.

Other Pictures of the Church:

Church of Sinait

Santo Entierro

El Santo Cristo Milagroso

St. Mark the Evangelist Parish Church / Simbahan ng Cabugao / The Church of Cabugao (Cabugao, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Cabugao:

The Church of Cabugao

About the Church:

St. Mark the Evangelist Church was built from 1695-1696 by Father Andres Canalejo. Many reinforcements were done to the church’s structure after a lot of destructions. It has a baroque facade divided into two levels with a semicircular arched main entrance held by paired doric columns and blind segmented windows on the first level.

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Cabugao

The Church of Cabugao

The Church Convent

The Church Bell Tower

Saint William the Hermit Church/ Simbahan ng Magsingal/ The Church of Magsingal (Magsingal, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Magsingal:

The Church of Magsingal

Other Pictures of the Church of Magsingal:

The Church of Magsingal