Baguio Cathedral – Baguio City « Baguio Cathedral Honest Review

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March 26th, 2010 at 5:25 am -

*Did you know that the bells of the Baguio Cathedral had names? In 1924, when the twin towers of the Cathedral were built, four bells from Belgium were donated by Judge J. W. Haussermann and A. Walter Beam. The bells were consecrated in an impressive ceremony officiated by the late Rev. Fr. Florimund Carlu in 1932. They were named after St. Johannes/St. John, Patricius Patronus Civitatus Baguio/ St. Patrick, patron of Baguio City, and St. Walterius/Waltavius. The remaining bell was believed to have been brought elsewhere.

The Baguio Cathedral was established through the efforts of three members of a mission of the Congregacio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) who came up to Baguio on November 16, 1907: Rev. Fr. Oktaaf Vandelwalle, Fr. Serafin Devesse, and Fr. Henry Verbeck. They were welcomed into La Trinidad by a certain Mr. Petrelli, and their mission was to build a Catholic church on the house of a respected retired treasurer along Session Road. The first baptism recorded was held on the living room of this house which turned out to be a temporary chapel dedicated to St. Patrick. The said baptism was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Oktaaf Vandelwalle on a child named Wiliam Lewis on November 25, 1907.

Fr. Serafin Devesse stood as the first rector of the mission. In 1908, he remodeled the retired treasurer’s house into a chapel, a convent, and a school for boys. By 1911, more and more students came to this school for boys, which eventually grew to become Saint Louis University.

Baguio Cathedral would not have been completed perfectly without the invaluable help and support of Rev. Fr. Leo Valdemans, CICM who was at the same time an architect and engineer and who drafted the design of the Baguio Cathedral. Fr. Adolph Cansse, also a recognized civil engineer, implemented Fr. Valdeman’s plans with the help of 25 Igorot carpenters funded through the donation of $12.00 by Fr. Paul Watson.

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Baguio is also the patron saint of Ireland. His feast day is on March 17, which is also called Saint Paddy’s Day in those parts. Saint Patrick is also venerated by the Anglicans, the Orthodox Church, and the Lutherans. He was not formally canonized by a Pope, but he is declared a saint by various Christian churches. This was because in the early years of Christianity, canonizations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Soon after the death of people conceived to be holy, the local churches affirm that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints.

*Did you know that Wright Park, a Baguio landmark famous for its ponies for hire, was named after Governor General Luke Edward Wright of Tennessee who was inaugurated on February 1, 1904 to replace William Howard Taft? Following Taft’s departure, Wright prioritized the need for industrial railroads and transportation in the country. His avowed policy of “equal opportunities to all” was welcomed by everyone as this encouraged more concessions to business and foreign capital. It was evident that he inclined more towards industrial development than to the political training of the Filipinos or to public instruction. Succeeding Wright as Secretary of Commerce and the Police was William Cameron Forbes of Massachusetts, then a young man of thirty four. Forbes was an experienced businessman, having participated in the financial reorganization of electric roads and similar business in the United States. Forbes would later contribute immensely to the development of Baguio, contributing even his personal and family wealth to projects such as the Kennon Road and the establishment of the Baguio Country Club. Postscript: Congress by Act of Feb. 6, 1905, or the “Cooper Act,” changed the designation of the chief executive of the Philippines from Civil Governor to that of Governor-General.

source: adambaguio2009.wordpress.com

History

The site where the cathedral currently stands was a hill referred to as “Kampo” by the Ibaloi people. In 1907, a Catholic mission was established by Belgian missionaries from the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae, who named the site Mount Mary.

Construction on the cathedral itself was begun in 1920, under the leadership of the then-parish priest, Fr. Florimono Carlu. The building was completed by 1936, and consecrated that year, dedicated to Our Lady of Atonement.

During World War II, the cathedral served as an evacuation center. It withstood the carpet-bombing of Baguio City in 1945. The remains of thousands of bombing victims during the war are interred within the grounds of the cathedral.

The cathedral has a distinct pink facade with a rose window and twin square bell towers with pyramidal roofs.Within its large courtyard is a view deck that overlooks Session Road and the downtown commercial district of Baguio City. The cathedral is accessible to pedestrians from Session Road through a 100-step stone staircase, or through the adjacent campus of Saint Louis University.

Renovations beginning in 2006 have included the industrial-type canopy surrounding the entirety of the fragile historic structure, the covered stairway from Session Road that now obstructs the view of the Church from Session Road, a new Plaza in front of the Church complete with parachute on special days to block souvenir photographs, new shrine for candle offerings, repaved paid-parking areas, and relocated main gate.

The Baguio Cathedral is also distinct for probably being the only Cathedral in the world that owns and operates its own shopping center, called Porta Vaga, partially built from donations from church-goers, coyed into thinking they were building a supporting wall for the hillside that collapsed during the earthquake of 16 July 1990.

Source:

Wikipedea.org

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)