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One of the
primary reasons tourists come to Ilocos Sur is to marvel at
the grand old churches that the province boasts of. These
eight churches are of particular interest.
STA. LUCIA
CHURCH
Sta. Lucia,
Ilocos Sur
The church is
the only one in the province with a transept and experts
describe the dome overhead as Renaissance in style. Consoles
projecting downward from the cornice make the church façade
attractive. A four-storey tower with a mini-dome at the top
stands to the right side of the church façade.
The main
attraction of the church is the statue of St. Lucy, believed
to date back to the 19th century. She has been
credited as the source of many miracles especially for the
persons suffering from eye ailments. Attached to the
vestment of St. Lucy are plates cast in the image of an eye.
As a parish, Sta. Lucia, named after its patron saint, was
established in 1586. The feast day of St. Lucy is
celebrated on December 13.
NUESTRA
SEÑORA DE LA ASUNCION CHURCH
Sta. Maria,
Ilocos Sur
The Church of
the Assumption, designated as a National Historical Landmark
on Sept. 26, 1982 and included in the World Heritage List on
December 11 1993, is built on top of a hill giving visitors
a panoramic view of the town, the green fields and the blue
sea in the horizon. One can reach the Baroque church via an
82-steps stairway. Two huge columns flank the church
façade. What makes the church attractive is its reddish
exterior due to the exposed brickwork. An octagonal bell tower
(pictured on the front cover) is located nearby.
The patron saint
of the parish, which was established in 1765, is Señora de la
Asuncion and her feast day is celebrated on August 15, the
feast of the Assumption. Enshrined in the church is the
Virgin’s statue made of wood in ornate sculptural style, with
ivory face and hands. She stands on pedestal of clouds
surrounded by angel’s heads.
THE SHRINE OF
NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CARIDAD
Bantay,
Ilocos Sur
The church is
home to the venerated our Lady of Charity, patroness
of Nueva Segovia. The Statue of Our Lady adorns a niche at the
top section just below the ornate cornice of the church
façade. Below it is another niche occupied by a statue of St.
Augustine of Hippo and flanked by narrow stained glass
windows. Based on historical records, the statue was
canonically crowned by the Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D.
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on January 12, 1956.The
shrine attracts devotees from within and outside Ilocos Sur.
The parish of
Bantay, Ilocos Sur was established in 1591. The parish’s
patron saint is St. Augustine of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace
whose feast day is on May 05. The feast day of Nuestra Senora
de la Caridad is celebrated on the second Sunday of January in
commemoration of the canonical coronation of the image.
ST. PAUL
METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL
Vigan City
As found in the
church’s marker, the original church was a chapel of wood and
thatch erected in 1574 on orders of Juan de Salcedo, the
conquistador and Founder of Villa Fernandina (now Vigan).
Historian Benito Legarda writes that the “construction of the
cathedral to replace the dilapidated church of San Pablo was
authorized by the celebrated Governor Jose de Basco y Vargas
in 1786, and the cornerstone was laid on January 31, 1790.”
The church itself became a cathedral when the seat of the
Diocese of Nueva Segovia was transferred from Lal-lo,
Cagayan, to Vigan in 1758. An imposing structure in the heart
of Vigan, the church’s main door flanked by two pairs of
columns which rise to the second tier of the façade. A niche
above the main door houses a statue of St. Paul. A
three-story bell tower with a square base and a mini-dome at
the top lies nearby.
Today the church
stands as the center of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.The
feast day of the parish’s patron saint, St. Paul, is
celebrated on January 25.
SIMBAAN A
BASSIT
Vigan City
At the end of
Vigan’s Quezon Avenue stands the Simbaan a Bassit, actually a
cemetery chapel. Rectangular columns support the church
façade. Historian Alberto Lacsamana writes that the
“uniqueness of the chapel lies in its being the only one in
the region having an espadaña hung with bells.” A statue of
the crucified Christ is found behind the main altar. The
chapel’s marker bears that the cemetery was blessed by Rev.
Vicente Barreiro on Nov. 9, 1852 but the chapels interior now
looks modern with all the repairs done through the years.
SAN VICENTE
CHURCH
San Vicente,
Ilocos Sur
Miracles are
attributed to the parish’s patron saint, St. Vincent Ferrer,
attracting pilgrims from far and near. The church façade has
two layers of columns divided by ornate architraves. The
convoluted cornices in the church’s top section add beauty to
the structure. Octagonal columns top with mini-domes rise from
the base on both sides of the church façade. The ornate
wooden pulpit is still preserved. The parish was established
in 1795 and the feast day of St. Vincent Ferrer is celebrated
on April 5.
THE CHURCH OF
ST. WILLIAM THE HERMIT
Magsingal,
Ilocos Sur
The church,
classified by experts as Baroque, is famous for its antique
wooden altar (retablo) which is still being used. An old choir
loft and the pulpit have been preserved but no longer
functional.
The beautifully
carved three-layered retablo is divided into eight niches,
each occupied by saint. Two pairs of three-tiered slender
columns flank the church’s façade. A statue of the parish’s
patron saint, St. William the Hermit, in the church façade
greets visitors and devotees. Magsingal became an independent
parish in 1676 and the feast day of St. William the Hermit is
celebrated on February 10.
THE SHRINE OF
SANTO CRISTO MILAGROSO
Sinait,
Ilocos Sur
The church
itself is simple with the façade flanked by two square
columns. The main attraction of the church is the statue of
the crucified Christ. The feast of Santo Cristo Milagroso or
“Apo Lacay” as local folks call Him, stands out among other
religious celebrations in Ilocandia. Every year thousands of
devotees from within the region and outside flock to the
shrine of Apo Lacay in Sinait several days before His feast
on the 3rd of May. According to the old tales,
boxes containing the images of Apo Lacay and La Virgen
Milagrosa de Badoc drifted ashore in Logo, a sitio of
Dadalaquiten along the boundary of Sinait, Ilocos Sur and
Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Although the versions of the origin
of the statues vary in some details, they all agree of one
thing; Apo Lacay and La Virgen Milagrosa chose where they
wanted their images to be. The people of Sinait wanted to
bring home La Virgen Milagrosa while Badoc wanted the
Crucified Christ. The respective parish priests of Sinait
and Badoc ordered men to carry their respective statues
home. To their dismay, the statues could not be moved
despite the number of men trying to carry them. After
failing, the priests tried exchanging the icons instead a lo!
The first miracle of the images happened! The images were
lifted without difficulty; the Virgin to Badoc, the Crucified
Christ to Sinait.
Today the Sto.
Cristo Milagroso attracts devotees just like the Black
Nazarene of Quiapo ant the faithful pay homage to Apo Lacay
inside the Church. These are annual pilgrimages to the shrine
and there is an impenetrable crowd in the church on the first
Friday of every month.
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