| Archdiocese of San Fernando Archidioecesis Sancti Ferdinandi |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Territory | Pampanga |
| Metropolitan | City of San Fernando, Pampanga |
| Population - Catholics |
approx. 5,000,000 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando |
| Patron saint | San Fernando Rey de Espana Nuestra Senora de la Virgen de los Remedios |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Benedict XVI |
| Bishop | Paciano B. Aniceto, D.D. Archbishop of San Fernando |
| Auxiliary Bishop |
Auxiliary Bishop Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgillio David, D.D. |
| Website | |
| rcasf.com | |
The Archdiocese of San Fernando is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of the Philippines. Its jurisdiction encompasses the province of Pampanga and includes the Suffragan Sees of lba (Zambales), Udac (Tarlac) and Balanga (Bataan).
The seat of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Fernando is the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando and it is the mother Church of the Archdiocese of San Fernando.
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The diocese of San Fernando, Pampanga was created on December 11, 1948, through the Apostolic Constitution Probe Noscitur; it comprised the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, a part of Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. It was initially a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. The first bishop was the Most Rev. Cesar Ma. Guerrero, DD, a native of Ermita, Manila, as first bishop; he received his appointment from the Vatican on May 29, 1949 and was installed on September 8 of the same year. The parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, in the provincial capital town of San Fernando, was selected as the seat of the new diocese; the parish church was thus elevated into a cathedral and was renamed Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
Taken during a major ordination rite in Floridablanca, dated 17 Dec. 1955 Bishop Guerrero established the Mater Boni Consilii (now Mother of Good Counsel) Seminary in 1950 (it was originally in Guagua, then Apalit, before being relocated to its present site in San Fernando): the Cruzada de Caridad y Penitencia (or devotion to the Virgen delos Remedios ) in 1952, which continues to this day; and Carmelite Monastery in Angeles in 1956, where he retired following his resignation on March 14, 1957 due to poor health. He died March 27, 1961 and was buried beside the monastery chapel, according to his wishes.
Eventually the diocese was dismembered when provincial boundaries became more pronounced. Zambales was established as a prelature on October 18, 1955, Nueva Ecija as a diocese on February 16, 1963, Tarlac as a diocese on May 10, 1963, and Bataan as a diocese on March 17, 1975.
The Most Rev. Emilio A. Cinense, DD, a native of Guimba, Nueva Ecija, became the second bishop of San Fernando on March 15, 1957. It was during this term that the Diocese of San Fernando was elevated into a Metropolitan See and Archdiocese; the canonical erection was held on June 15, 1975. The new archdiocese comprised the whole province of Pampanga with three suffragan dioceses, namely, the Diocese of Tarlac, the Diocese of Iba (Zambales) and the Diocese of Balanga (Bataan).
After the death of Archbishop Cinense, the Most Rev. Oscar C. Cruz, DD, the native of Balanga, Bataan and at the time rector of San Carlos Seminary, was appointed second Archbishop of San Fernando on May 22, 1978; he resigned on October 24, 19988. On January 31, 1989, the Most Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto of Sta. Ana, Pampanga former rector of the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary and Bishop of Iba, was appointed third (and first Pampanga-born) Archbishop of San Fernando; he was formally installed on March 14, 1989.
On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee anniversary of its creation as a diocese on December 11, 1998, the Archdiocese of San Fernando’s Cathedral of the Assumption was consecrated and rededicated as The Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, during ceremonies presided over by the papal nuncio, the Most Rev. Antonio Franco, DD.
Pampanga was not only the pioneer and premiere territory of the Augustinian Order in Luzon but also the last bastion of their evangelical ministry. They administered Pampanga throughout the 300-year. Spanish colonial period (with a few interruptions) and way beyond it, from 1572 all the way to 1960 when they seeded their last parish to local diocesan clergy (although the last Augustinian priest working in the Kapampangan Region died only as recently as 1993). Here’s a brief description of the twenty mission stations (now parishes) founded by the Augustinians in Pampanga. (Editor’s Note: Many these communities had existed long before the Spaniards came; “founding” here is used to mean establishing a mission).
LUBAO (1572) Maestre de Campo Martin de helped P. Fray Gallagos found Lubao in 1572. In 1580 a school of Latin and Humanities was established for the inhabitants and missionaries from Spain and Mexico. The first Augustinian Printing Press in the country was located in this town. Fray Antonio Herrera built the church, the largest in Pampanga.
BETIS (1572) Also founded in 1572 by Fray Fernando Pinto, although the Libro list P. Fray Mateo Peralta as its first parroco P. Fray Jose de la Cruz built the stone church. Early friars describe the faithful of Betis as the most pious and industrious people in the whole province, not to mention that Betis is said to have produced the most number of priest not only in Pampanga but in the entire country.
MACABEBE (1575) P. Sebastian Molina was Macabebe’s first pastor. Equally prominent friars. PP. Montoya, Tallada, Coronel, Medina, and the illustrious Foronda- all writers in Pampango-later followed him. The first Pampango book ever published, Vida de san Nicolas do tolentino ( 1614), was written by Fray Tallada when he was minister of this town.
CANDABA (1575) P. Fray Manrique was the pioneer missionary of Candava (Candaba), also founded in 1575. P. Fray Jose de la Cruz, who built the churches of Betis and Mexico, built its stone church only in 1665, P. Fray Estaban Ibeas built its cimborrio (dome), and P. Fray Bravo the tower. The convent was built by the early fathers and later embellished by Fathers Ferrer, Ibeas and Bernando.
BACOLOR (1576) P. Fray Diego Ochoa, author of the first Arte, Vocabulario y Confesionario en Pampango, founded Bacolor. The church is said to be the most beautiful in the province, featuring a grand transept, a project o PP. Fray Manuel Diaz, E. Alvarez and Antonio Bravo, and boasts of having the biggest convent in the whole province. It also has a spacious cemetery equipped with a fine chapel.
MEXICO (1581) The town was initially called Nuevo Mexico, with Fr. Bernardino de Quevedo and Fr. Pedro de Abuyoas first priors. The first church, built by P. Fray Jose de la Cruz in 1865, was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1880 – leaving intact the bell tower. Fr. Esteban D. Ibeas had a provisional structure of wood and hierro built. The construction of the permanent church, which Fr. Ibeas had planned, was never realized because he was recalled to Manila, and eventually died of cancer of the tongue.
ARAYAT (1590) Among the friars assigned to this town were Fathers Contreras, Ven. Bedoya, Ortiz, and Ossorio who built its beautiful church of cut stone and bricks. Fathers Jose Torres and Juan Tarrero later rebuilt it from 1858 to 1892. Arayat owes to Fr. Torres the construction of a beautiful baño (bath house) at the foot of the mountain about two kilometres from the town proper, which is now still popular destination.
GUAGUA (1590) Fr. Bernardo de Quevedo founded the Guagua mission in 1590 with Fr. Juan de Zabala as first resident priest. One Augustinian wrote that “Guagua occupies the second place among the convents of Pampanga, just after that of Bacolor although formerly it was number one.” One reason for Guagua’s progress was the existence of Parian, an area where natives mixed with Chinese merchants in marriage and in business. Originally these Chinese were refugees from persecution by Gen. Simon de Anda, who had accused them of conniving with the British invaders in 1762 and plotting to assassinate the Governor General and some Augustinians. Another Augustinian likened the Holy week processions in Guagua as comparable to those held in Spain.
SASMUAN (1590) Sexmoan (Sasmuan) was visita of Guagua in 1590 and Lubao in 1611. In 1613 its residents complained of the inconvenience of having to Lubao for Mass, confession and catechism. In 1615, Fr. Pedro de Zuñiga was appointed vicar of Sexmoan. Fr. Jose Duque built he first chronicler Fray Gaspar de San Agustin wrote; “The church is very beautiful, and it is placed under the advocation of Santa Lucia the convent is of first class too”. Both buildings were swept away by the overflowing river beside them. In 1884, Fr. Toribio Fanjul restored the church.
PORAC (1594) Fr. Mateo de Peralta founded Porac in 1954 by organizing the Negritoes from various rancherias into a single town. In 1607, Porac was annexed to Bacolor as a visit; in 1641, the convent was relieved of its obligation to pay rent to Manila due to extreme poverty. Fathers Manuel Obregon (1726) and Nicolas Mornier (1735) are credited to have constructed the church, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1863 and restored by Frs. Isidoro Fernando and Esteban Ibeas (while stationed at Sta. Rita). Damaged again in World War II, it was restored by Fr. Daniel Castrillo, the last Augustinian parish priest of Pampanga.
APALIT (1597) The first prior was Fr. Pedro de Vergara, but it was Fr. Juan Cabello that started the construction of the first church constructed by Fr. Antonio Redondo in 1876-83. It cost P40,000 but Fr. Redondo spent on P 30, 000 through good fiscal management. It is said that the sacristan would go around town ringing a bell and preceded by the brass band, and the townspeople would follow him with their donations of sand and other materials; “whole town of Apalit helped either with monetary donations, personal service or their good wishes.
MAGALANG (1605) Fr. Gonzalo de Salazar served as first prior in 1605 in the town’s original site at barrio Macapsa. It was transferred to San Bartolome, which was abandoned due to flood in 1856, prompting another transfer, to its present site in barrio Talimunduc. Fr. Ramon Sarrionandia supervised the transfer and gave the town its name San Pedro de Magalang. The first church, built in 1725 in San Bartolome, was destroyed in the flood; the present church was built by Fr. Sarrionandia in 1886.
MINALIN (1614) Minalin was segregated from its matrix Macabebe in 1614; Fr. Miguel de Saldaña served as the first prior only in 1618. No records exist on when the church was constructed and by whom; only one record states it was finished in 1834. Augustinian figures as well as what appears to be a map of the town marked 1619 (although unlikely the map was painted in that year) are found in the convento.
SANTA RITA (1726) Fr. Pedro de San Nicolas served as minister of both Porac and Sta. Rita in 1722, but it was only in 1726 when Sta. Rita had its own priest and therefore became an independent parish. Fr. Francisco Royo built the present church in 1839; Fr. Juan Merino completed it in 1868. These two priests also opened the road linking Sta. Rita with Porac and Guagua. During the Revolution, the townspeople hid their last Augustianian parish priest, Fr. Celestino Garcia in their houses until the forces of Gen. Maximino Hizon captured him in Bacolor and took him all the way to Lepanto in the Cordilleras.
SAN LUIS (1740) Formerly known as San Nicolas de Cabagsa, in honor of former of former parish pries Fr. Nicolas de Orduño (cabagsac means a place where fruit bags are bagged out), the town had Fr. Jose Echevarria as first prior in 1742. There is no data on who built the church or when, except that Fr. Isidro Bernardo made great restorations in 1883.
SAN FERNANDO (1754) San Fernando had its first prior, Fr. Sebastian Moreno, only two years after its foundation in 1754. He also started the construction of the church; Fr. Mariano Alafont completed it in 1761. Destroyed in 1828, it was restored by Fr. Pedro Medina and Fr. Antonio Redondo, who had paintings done on the ceiling and the majestic dome built. It was destroyed again in 1899 by Antonio Luna’s soldiers, rebuilt, and then burned down in 1939. Archt. Fernando Ocampo, who designed it after the war.
SANTA ANA (1756) As early as 1598, the town (formerly named Pimpin) functioned as visita of Arayat, and it was in 1756 that Augustinians declared it an independent parish, with Fr. Lorenzo Guerra as first prior. The church was built in 1853; Fr. Lucas Gonzales added the five-story belfry in 1857. The stones used came from Meycauayan and the wood from Porac and Betis.
SAN SIMON (1771) The town’s original name was Virgen del Pilar, after its founder, Mariano del Pilar de los Reyes. After the British Occupation of 1762-65, Gen. Simon de Anda renamed it San Simon after his own name. The Augustinians appointed the first prior only in 1771, Fr. Fernando Medalla. In 1870, Fr. Benito Ubierna built the first church; the revolutionaries burned it down in 1898.
STO. TOMAS (1793) Formerly called Baliuag, Sto. Tomas parish was founded in 1763, by secular priests, although by 1853 the Augustians had reclaimed it. The church was built by secular priest, later repaired by Fray Guillermo Masnou. Convent was built later by Fray Tarrero and Fray Bedoya.
ANGELES (1820) The former barrio of San Fernando became a separate town in 1829. Initially ministered by a secular priest, Angeles (formerly Culiat) got its first Augustinian prior, Fr. Vicente Andres, in 1843. Fr. Guillermo Masnou built a wooden church in 1855 to replace the first nipa church, while Fr. Ramon Sarrionandia started the construction in 1860 of the present stone edifice. Fr. Rufino Santos (not the cardinal) did some restoration work in 1893. It took 37 years to complete the church in 1897.
FLORIDABLANCA (1867) Formerly a hacienda of Lubao called San Jose de Calumpaui, the town was renamed Floridablanca after the Count of Floridablanca, Spain (Don Jose Monino), who reportedly owned vast tracts of land in the town. Fr. Jose Hernandez served as the first prior after the town became a parish in 1867, the same year Calumpaui became Floridablanca. Fr. Luciano Morron Ylla constructed the church and convent in 1887. The parish was under the Augustinians until 1960.
MASANTOL (1887) The town, formerly a barrio of Macabebe, was founded in 1887—probably the last own founded by the Augustinians in Pampanga. It became an independent parish with the name San Miguel de Masantol in 1894.
MABALACAT (1712) This town was formerly an earlier mission of the Augustinians. Due to some insurmountable difficulties it was abandoned and later was given to the Augustinian Recollects in 1712. Fr. Andres de San Fulgencio is one of the three friars who pioneered in the mission. The famous bamboo organ builder, Fr. Diego Cera’s first assignment after his ordination in Spain. It was turn over to the secular priest in 1898.
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