OUR family's Visita Iglesia this year had to be advanced a bit, a few days before Ash Wednesday, in preparation of my own chaotic schedule during the Holy Week in Pampanga. This time around, it was such a breather to finally come back to Cagayan province after 11 years, my last visit was in 2008 for the wedding of one my closest friends in college Paz.
While the heat gets to be close to unbearable during the summer months, it is ideal to visit during the early months of the year when the north wind cools the valley. For this particular article I will focus on the seven churches we visited as part of a Visita Iglesia itinerary which can be done any time of the year, beyond Holy Week. Most of the churches mentioned here are heritage structures, featuring baroque architecture, some of which were founded in the early 17th century by the Dominican friars or the Order of Preachers.
The first church we visited was the Iguig Church, also known as St. James the Apostle Parish, in Iguig town, a brick church that originally dates back to the 1700s. The more popular pilgrimage tourism attraction right beside the church is the Calvary Hills which features life-size concrete tableaux depicting the Stations of the Cross. Sadly, some of the statues are missing arms or have been vandalized through the years. Still, the whole church and Calvary Hills complex offers a beautiful vista to chase the sunset. A few meters from the church is an obelisk marker of the light which used to guide sailors passing through the area in the olden times and a centuries-old well that was the only source of potable water for the town many, many years back.
Second on our list was the St. Clare of Assisi Monastery, also in Iguig town, which is home to the Order of St. Clare. It is an open air church atop a hill, and features an area where the faithful can request for prayers, ask for masses, light candles, and offer cash donations or even eggs for fair weather. It was a solemn visit since we had the whole church to ourselves on the morning we visited.
The third church we visited was a well-maintained beautiful brick church in Alcala town under the patronage of St. Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who is depicted with an anchor and a staff. St. Philomena is also an intercessor for seemingly impossible causes, since to her, “nothing is refused.” This was a particularly insightful visit because we were welcomed by the very intelligent administrator of the Lyceum of Alcala and the assistant rector of the parish, Fr. Dennis Ordillos who toured us around the church.
The retablo of the church is interesting since it depicts visual narratives from the life of Jesus, and I found out that this was designed by Fr. Alex Bautista, an architect and priest, who is also one of the founders of the Belenismo in Tarlac. Fr. Dennis advised us to visit the ruins of the Nassiping Church in Gattaran which was our next stop.
Our fourth stop was a jewel we were blessed to discover. It was not in our original itinerary and we would have missed it were it not for Fr. Dennis’s suggestion. It is a very historic church, second oldest in North Luzon, though now in ruins, originally under the patronage of St. Catherine but was changed to St. Michael the Archangel.
The ruins are still picturesque, with growing flora and fauna, and there is a makeshift roof over the chapel where masses are still held for the faithful. According to a marker at the ruins, the most eminent missionary in Nassiping was San Francisco Fernandez de Capillas, a Dominican Spanish missionary who was assigned in Cagayan prior to China where he was martyred. It was an awesome feeling to walk around the ruins where saints previously trod.
The fifth church we visited was also the farthest for this trip, at the boundary of Cagayan and Apayao provinces, but well worth the entire journey. The Malaueg Church, also known as San Raymundo de Penaforte Parish, is nestled at the picturesque mountain town of Rizal, Cagayan and is the only National Cultural Treasurer in the province. It houses ruins of a fortress and the former convent and offers breathtaking view of the river which most likely provided the flat river stones used to build it. We arrived at midday to find the charming church deserted and spent some time exploring the area.
The sixth church on our list is the Basilica Minore housing the miraculous image of the Our Lady of Piat. This is probably one of the most famous Marian pilgrimage sites in the country and a visit to Cagayan will not be complete without dropping by here. Although it was a Sunday, the church was not too crowded, but my friends warned me that the streets leading to the church tend to get filled with cars during the peak season.
Completing our Visita Iglesia is the Tuguegarao Cathedral under the patronage of Saints Peter and Paul, where we were able to catch the last Sunday mass at 6pm. This is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and has been beautifully restored a few years ago while the present day church was rebuilt in 1945. It has a five-level bell tower, life-size statues of different saints, and massive parking area right at the heart of the city.
On my next visit to Cagayan I hope to feature more heritage churches like the Lal-lo Church which used to be the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia prior to its transfer to Vigan, which I heard is currently undergoing restoration works, and Aparri Church among others. This year's Visita Iglesia is a veritable feast for my eyes, heart, and spirit and made me appreciate both by Filipino and Roman Catholic heritage.
Special thanks goes to my friends in Cagayan Valley, Paz Ave Mendoza and family, RD Nestor Ave and family, Angely Lubo Mercado and family, Kristine Basquez and family, and Jessie and Michelle Ong and family, who made opened their hearts and homes to us.