Cagayan’s Magnificent
Historic Churches
An Astounding Trip Back in Time
Tuguegarao, Cagayan Series 5
Metropolitan Cathedral of Tuguegarao.
Visiting several of Cagayan’s magnificent ancient
churches was on our itinerary and the very first
church that we visited upon arriving in Tuguegrao
was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Tuguegarao.
The churchyard was
already dark when we arrived
but we still managed
to take photos of the frontage,
…and of the park
that had the
Sacred Heart of Jesus monument.
The cathedral's brick facade was
highlighted with white columns,
and a five story tall bell tower.
The front door was already closed so
we used the rear entrance, where we
had to pass by a lovely patio with the
statue of the Virgen Mary as a centerpiece.
Also known as St. Peter and Paul Cathedral,
it was apparently built from 1761 to 1767
by the supervision of the Spanish Dominicans
who came to evangelize Cagayan Valley.
It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao
and considered as the biggest Spanish-built
church in the entire Cagayan Valley
Region.
The church was in a little disarray as it
was undergoing intensive renovation,
…but still, even without the light on, the
cavernous church still looked beautiful.
St. Dominic Church, Lallo Cagayan
On our way back from Sta. Ana to Tuguergrao
we were able to visit the ancient churches the
first of which was the Lallo Church.
Also known as St.
Dominic Church, we really
wanted to visit this very historic church as this
is actually the old Archdiocese
of Nueva Segovia,
…one of the five original
Archdioceses established
by the Spaniards, together with our very own
Archdiocese of Nueva Caceres, here in Naga City.
The archdiocese was erected in 1595 in the city
of Nueva Segovia now
the modern-day Lallo,
The church was well preserved
and retained its grand old glory,
…and gives one an awe-inspiring feeling
of coming face to face with the past.
St. Phelomene Church. Alcala, Cagayan
We also got to visit the Alcala town’s
beautiful St.
Phelomene Church.
The church was not on my list but it was
located by the highway and it was a sight
to behold so we decided to stop to see it.
It is an all red brick church with a
charming courtyard that would make
one feel that he is in a European piazza.
The massive church door had intricate
grape vine design trimmed with gold.
The church interior was undergoing renovation and
I hope that they avoid overdoing the restoration
to preserve the church’s original grandeur, the way
it was built by their predecessors in the past.
St. James the Apostle Church, Iguig, Cagayan
We came to Iguig Church
to see
the very popular
Calvary Hills,
… that had a larger than life statues depicting
the stations of the cross of Christ’s crucifixion.
This was a must list visit for us as it
was only a week before the holy week.
This Igiug Church, also known as the
St. James the Apostle Church was
a wonderful revelation for my family,
…as it offered much more
… that had a larger than life statues depicting
the stations of the cross of Christ’s crucifixion.
This was a must list visit for us as it
was only a week before the holy week.
This Igiug Church, also known as the
St. James the Apostle Church was
a wonderful revelation for my family,
…as it offered much more
aside for the Calvary Hills.
Iguig Church is a treasure throve of historical artifacts,
Iguig Church is a treasure throve of historical artifacts,
And it was still undergoing renovation during our visit.
Fortunately, the present parish had preserved
most of the church’s ancient architectural details,
,,,and had a beautiful green- colored altar,
It also had a small shrine that had a
regular looking solitary cross at the altar,
…but it had a glass encased cavity that contains
a relic of a cross where Jesus was crucified,
This original relic alone is a compelling
reason toe visit Iguig Church.
The church also had an ancient obelisk at the
courtyard that was still intact and seemed to
have been left untouched since it was built in 1700.
There was also a remnant f an ancient brick
Spanish staircase that used to lead to the
riverbanks of the mighty Cagayan River
The river has since receded and the staircase
is now located far away from the river bank .
Also nearby is an ancient well that said to supply
water for the town of Iguig, in the 17th century
water for the town of Iguig, in the 17th century
The structure was well preserved
Although the well had since dried up.
We were overwhelmed by the ancient artifacts,
that Iguig appeared like as an outdoor museum.
It reminded us of Athens, Greece where you
see magnificent relics of the past everywhere,
Iguig may not be as grand and as old as
the Parthenon, as they date back before Christ,
the Parthenon, as they date back before Christ,
but the historical impact in our country is just as great.
Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat
We visited the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat
on a different day as it was off way.
The church is newer compared to most of
the churches that we visited in the province.
It was only built in the 1990’s, where
the Lady of Piat would be transferred,
…that was originally enthroned in 1604 in Lallo Church,
the site of the historic Nueva Segovia in Cagayan.
Visiting this miraculous image located
in the town of Piat is a must for every
Marian devotee visiting the province.
Just like the Lady of Penafrancia where
I came from in Naga City that is considered
as Bicol Region’s patroness, Our Lady of Piat
is Cagayan Valley Region’s patroness.
Visiting Cagayan’s long list of wonderful ancient churches
is valuable lesson in history and definitely enhanced
my young children’s appreciation of our colonial past.
Watch out for my other
Five Star Amenities, Awful Guest Services.
Tuguegarao, Cagayan Series 4
Cagayan’s Magnificent Historic Churches
Tuguegarao, Cagayan Series 4
Cagayan’s Magnificent Historic Churches
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