The Central Church of the Diocese of Dumaguete, St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral Parish, is currently in the thick of preparations for its 400th year founding anniversary as a parish come March 15, 2020.
To recall, the Dumaguete Cathedral Parish was founded as a parish on March 15, 1620.
For all of us, celebrating our 400 years has profound significance in the past, at present and for the future. It is a celebration of fruitful evangelization of the people of Dumaguete City. It is a victory of faith.
The celebration is a great occasion for us to thank the founders who dedicated their lives, and made sacrifices in preserving the heritage of faith. It also stands as a reminder to examine ourselves how far we have been worthy of our faith, and how far we have contributed to sustain it.
For the years ahead, the celebration serves as an inspiration in confronting and shaping the future of our Cathedral parish and the Diocese of Dumaguete.
According to Rev. Fr. Roman Sagun, historian of the Diocese of Dumaguete, the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria became a cathedral when Dumaguete was erected as a diocese in 1955.
The late Fr. Benjamin Hiponia, a Filipino secular priest, was parish priest at the time.
Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Dumaguete on April 5, 1955 with the Apostolic Constitution Sanctissima ea verba and appointed the Most Rev. Epifanio Surban, D.D. as its first bishop. He was succeeded by Bishop Angel Lagdameo in 1989, then followed by Bishop John Du in 2001.
From 2013 up to present, Most Rev. Julito Cortes, D.D. serves as the third bishop of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
Before Dumaguete became a parish in 1620, it was under the supervision of the Tanjay parish for about 40 years.
Father Sagun said the Dumaguete Cathedral Parish was then administered by the Augustinian Recollects and under the spiritual care of the parish of Tanjay.
Tanjay was the first parish of the Diocese of Dumaguete founded on June 11, 1580, followed by Dumaguete (1620), and Dauin (1796).
The island of Siquijor and the southeastern part of Negros (from Sibulan to Bayawan) were under the parochial administration of the Dumaguete parish, which was first managed by the secular clergy with Fr. Juan de Roa y Herrera as its first parish priest (1620 to 1623).
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Commemorative book
One of the highlights of the founding anniversary of the Dumaguete Cathedral is the launching and unveiling of a commemorative coffee book table titled Portico, a Monument of Faith on March 15, 2020.
The book will feature not only the rich story of the Cathedral of the Diocese but more importantly, it will tell the story of the structural restoration it went through in recent years, making it a good source of information in the field of heritage conservation.
Among the special features of the book is a collection of never-before-seen pictures assembled from different archives, libraries, and families by the researchers.
It will also contain selected and well-documented articles on various topics, such as those concerning the history of the Dumaguete parish, the early Augustinian Recollect missionaries in the Diocese, the Augustinian legacy, and the Filipino secular clergy.
It was Fr. Mariano Bernad, parish priest for 16 years (1866-1867, 1879-92, and 1894-97) who completed the portico of the church, changed the roof into G.I. sheets, and tiled the flooring.
The devotion to St. Joseph and perpetual adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were two famous devotions introduced by Father Bernad.
The completion of the portico of the church gives rise to the idea of naming the commemorative book as Portico.
A portico is the entrance to a building consisting of a covered and often columned area. A column is a pillar, a vertical structure of stone, wood or metal, used as a support for a building.
The portico we now have not only serves as the entrance of the Cathedral church, but also as a center of evangelization, a monument of faith, a gateway to heaven.
May the Virgin Mary who watches with maternal care over our parish obtain from her Son the grace we need to make the celebration memorable and meaningful.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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