WHAT a way to spend the Holy Week! But that is what was done. The usual way was the comparatively silent, solemn, even dirge-like observance of ecclesiastical rituals reflected in the violet and black colors in church. But not this year. Right in conservative Bauang, La Union. Even the traditional “pasyon” was not there to be heard in the Quinavite neighborhood along the highway in the direction to the component City of San Fernando.
No more were the groupings of elderly ladies expertly chanting Ilocano verses relating of the sufferings that Christ endured from His agony in Gethsemane to his crucifixion and death on Mt. Calvary to redeem mankind from sin and its due punishment.
Dr. Julita Ancheta and especially her strict mother Juana “Anang” Ochoco Ancheta were no moreto enforce observance of Ilocano religious traditions as formerly done. Grandchildren and grand-grandchildren had replaced them.
Silence? Yes, no problem with that, but it was not to meditate on the passion and death of the Savior Christ but to fix attention to the cellphones and their contents as if there was sense in many, if not most, of them.
Fortunately in the Ancheta household where I happened to be during the midweek, middle-aged Judy and Ajean thought of a way to bridge two generations victimized by cultural divergence not of their own making. They thought of honoring old religious practices in a manner appreciated by the upcoming brand of people.
They prepared eatables and drink for a day’s trip to make visitations to the different churches and chapels from Bauang to the northernmost part of La Union Province. Judy husband, pastor-likes “Gerry” Ancheta, a faithful member of the Blessed Association of Retired Persons Foundation gladly agreed to the idea and offered to personally drive his van for the purpose.
I came to learn later that this was to resume what they had started the previous day, Tuesday. From Bauang, they went church visiting starting to the well-known church of Our Lady of Manaoag, Pangasinan, first passing Rosario, Artacho, and Puzorrubio. From the Manaoag Shrine westward to San Jacinto back to San Fabian, Damortis, then Agoo, Aringay, Caba and back to Bauang. So, on that second day of church visiting, with me from Baguio and my sister-in-law Ajean with her children from Tagaytay City and Metro Manila, we resumed the pilgrimage.
First stop was at the Carmelite Convent Chapel at the famed Pindangan Ruins towards the sea, now emphatically denominated as West Philippine Sea. Some of the boats peacefully resting ashore could tell fish stories about Panatag Shoal and other islets in the disputed in southern sea. We decided to skip first the chapel of the Society of the Divine Word preferring to see it in the late afternoon on our way back home to be sure that Fr. “Amboy” Alunday, SVD, would be there from outskirt masses.
At the church of Pagdalagan Norte, we were the first to greet the Blessed Sacrament, still in its regular place at main altar. From there, we went to the San Fernando City diocesan church east of the plaza.
I wondered why it is not called a basilica as we know the church in Bangued, Abra, to be, considering of course, that San Fernando City is bigger than Bangued.
After chanced picture taking at the top promontory near the City Capitol and enjoying views of the partly clouded sea, we turned towards the Municipality of San Juan. My first time to enter the church and document historical features thereof by Ajean’s and Judy’s gadgets prided to be much smarter than the underwoods and Olympians of up to Martial Law days.
In those days, for the information of the present generation, all ten fingers of both hands had to be expertly utilized in written documentation, not just the thumb and the forefinger.
In other words, more physical before, more photographic now, much-time saved, but over-editing could be employed. One who understands this previous process comes to a greater appreciation for the accuracy consistently employed in the writing and re-copying of the Holy Bible in course of centuries of its existence and publications.
We hurried to Bacnotan church, one under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel. An obvious attraction was the weighty bronze bell prominently placed some distance from the front door.
The bell tower is now occupied by mere sounds of bells. Metal bells stopped with the ending of the galleon trade between the Philippines and Mexico. No more need for bells to sound the alarm against marauding vintas of “moros” from the south.
They were soon driven away by ships that could ring with sure death, surer than what Magellan had brought to Limasawa Island.
From Bacnotan, we passed by Balaoan the northernmost point of our itinerary. I did not feel like seeing details of the church compound because I did not like to recall unverified rumors of unbelievable treasures that allegedly caused destruction of some parts inside as well as outside.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan and the Catherine of Alexandria Parish was the main and final target of our day’s religious pilgrimage. Being so, a more detailed historical account about the Shrine hereby follows:
As early as 1587, Namacpacan, was a settlement or “Visita” of Puraw. It was declared a town and a parish with St. Catherine of Alexandria as its patroness on November 25, 1690. The original site of the town was in Darigayos but was transferred to its present location in 1741. Years later, Muslims destroyed the chapel made of bamboo and wood with thatched roof. It was replaced in due time with a new church and a convent made of stone and brick materials.
In 1871, a storm forced a ship to seek shelter at Darigayos beach. The ship carried an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Ilocos Sur. Story has it that Our Lady chose to remain where it had been sheltered and in time became known as Our Lady of Namacpacan. Portions of the church damaged by an earthquake underwent repairs.
On October 18, 1806, Philippine Commission Act No. 1543 changed the name Namacpacan to Luna. The statue retained the name “Our Lady of Namacpacan.”
On November 24, 1959, Our Lady was canonically crowned as the “Immaculate Conception of Our Lady of Namacpacan” by His Excellency, Archbishop Salvatore Siino, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, by virtue of a bull issued by Pope John XIII. The Shrine of Our Lady was officially declared by the church.
From 1997 to 2001, the choir loft, pulpit and sacristy, now a baptistery, were restored.
On November 24, 2001, the church was renovated, blessed and re-dedicated by His Excellency, Archbishop Antonio Franco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, then years later, the coronation of Our Lady of Namacpacan was re-enacted.
With the sun fast reaching its zenith and the small kids getting uneasy, we bade goodbye to Our Lady of Namacpacan, and took another route. We headed for Darigayos to savor the sounds of the West Philippine Sea and view to full satisfaction the blue expanse from the white seashore of the Ilocos Coast starting from Luna southward towards Bacnotan.
After being wowed by the natural and the man-made tourist attractions along the way and taking a hearty lunch at a shed at Navalta Compound, we headed to far off Poro Point then back to Bauang where I fortunately soon attended Easter Sunday Holy Mass. But that, with other unforgettable observations before and after it, will be for another richer travelogue, intendedly.