Parishes

The history of the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Salvation began with the miraculous emergence of the Image of Our Lady of Salvation. Legend has it that one day in 1776, Mariano Dakuba the caretaker of  the property in Kagnipa (old name of Joroan) of a wealthy Buhinon was clearing the land began yelling that he cut a clap tree which he intend to make into firewood. However, he was bewildered when he noticed that despite the many hours under the heat of the sun the tree remained fresh and the leaves did not wilt. His Intuition suggested that there was something supernatural in it. They then summoned a sculptor and asked him to carve an image out of the wood one of which is the Our Lady of Salvation.

The present church building with St. Lawrence as the patron saint was constructed in 1829 in the town proper of Tigbi which in later years became the present name Tiwi. The secondary patron of the parish is Our Lady of Salvation because for more than a century. 1805 to 1919, the original image of the Virgin under this title which had its home in Joroan. was housed in the Twi parish church pending the construction of a suitable chapel in Joroan. When the image was finally returned to Joroan, a replica remained in Tiwi for veneration by the people until the present. The people of both Tiwi and Jordan attributed their protection from the repeated raids of the Moslems in the 17th and 18th centuries to the Lady of Salvation.

Oral tradition recalls that one moonlit evening a woman riding on a cattle, was seen roving back and forth in the street. People scampered for safety thinking that the Moros were there again to assault the town. It was believed that the woman was the Lady St. Anne guarding the pueblo against the aggressors. There was a time when the Moros came and the people hid themselves in the church and the Lady St. Anne fought valiantly against the intruders and drove them away. These accounts Increased the faith of the people who vigilantly prayed that they be saved from imminent danger, epidemics and other forms of misfortunes.

Before Estancia became a parish, a certain person surnamed Cervantes donated several tracts of land to the Catholic Church. A small chapel was constructed through the efforts of the barrio folks. Priests from its mother parish of Malinao would come over to say Mass once a week. Later, this service was done by the parish priest of the neighboring parish of San Antonio de Padua, which was two and a half kilometers away from Estancia. Many Estancia parishioners used to walk the distance to hear Mass at San Antonio and because of this inconvenience, the residents clamored for a priest to be assigned to their barangay.

Representations were made with Bishop Flaviano Ariola who visited the place and was convinced that it had a sufficient population and a commendable site. He approved the creation of Estancia as a parish under several conditions, one of which was the provision of a parish cemetery. A resident promptly donated a piece of land for the purpose, and in August 1960, Estancia became a parish, with Fr. Severino Bea as its first parish priest. An image of St. Nicholas, which was brought all the way from Rome, was donated to the parish, but unfortunately got lost. Its donor replaced the image, which is at present placed on a side altar, along with another donated image, that of St. Anne, Patroness of Malinao.

Barangay San Antonio was originally called Ogcod it came from the name of a plant that grew abundantly there. In the 18th century, the Spaniards came and soon, most of the people of Ogcod became Christians. They wasted no time in building a chapel on a piece of land donated to the Church. However, disappeared during the Japanese occupation.

The barangay folks chose St. Anthony for their patron saint in grateful acknowledgment of the miracles attributed to him. It is said that cholera and smallpox epidemics broke out in Ogcod. followed by a famine brought on by the eruption of Mayon Volcano. These calamities ceased through the miraculous help of St. Anthony. These miracles are remembered annually during the fiesta in honor of St. Anthony every 13th of June.

The residents decided to change the name of the place in the belief that no more epidemics will occur in their barangay. So now the barangay is called San Antonio, although there are some who still call the place Ogcod.

As mythical as the tale that the Daraga church was built by young maidens (“daraga”) is the common belief that it was built after and on account of the eruption of Mayon Volcano that buried the town of Cagsawa in 1814. The historical truth is that it began to be built more than 40 years earlier, in 1773 by the Franciscan priests.

Daraga was established as a settlement by people relocating from Cagsawa, who feared another eruption of the Mayon Volcano in that region. They requested permission from the Spanish government to establish a new community and church south of Cagsawa. Their request was granted by Governor-General Simon de Salazar through a communication to the Alcade-mayor of the province of Camarines, dated June 12, 1772.

Built at the time that Daraga was a visita  of Cagsawa, the church was erected atop a hill in barangay Santa Maria overlooking the Mayon Volcano. When the Mayon Volcano erupted on February 1, 1814, the residents of Cagsawa transferred to Daraga after the destruction of their church. The church was consecrated to Our Lady of the Gate in 1854.

Legazpi City began as a small fishing village called Sawagnan. As early as 1587, Spanish Franciscan missionaries had established a mission chapel in Sawangan. By 1616, Sawangan had expanded so much in area and population that it became an independent town called “Albay,”  Albay then was made the “Cabecera del Partido de Ibalon”. Consequently, Albay was declared a separate parish from Cagsawa. Fr. Francisco de Sta. Ana, O.F.M., its first parish priest, constructed the first church and dedicated it to St. Gregory the Great, it was called “La Mision de San Gregorio Magno.”

In 1636, Fr. Martin del Espiritu Santo, O.F.M., built a bigger and more imposing church, which supplanted the old chapel. For six decades the Franciscan missionaries continued to serve the parish. In 1696 they turned it over to the native clergy.

The peaceful and uneventful life of the parish was suddenly disrupted by the violent eruption of Mayon Volcano on February 1, 1814, which completely destroyed the church. Afraid of another eruption and the constant threat of further Moro invasions, the people of the town, on orders of both the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, transferred the seat of their town and their parish to higher ground, first, to Macalaya, then, to the barrio of Taysan, and finally, to Taytay. Later, when Fr. Pedro Licup, the parish priest at that time, decided it was safe enough, the parishioners helped build an “ermita” or chapel at Bagumbayan, a barrio close to the present church site. In 1839, when the seat of the town had been restored in Bagumbayan, the people started building a new more permanent and imposing church on what is now its present site.

On December 15, 1953, Fr. O’Connell, who was then the Father Provincial of the Australian Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, appointed six Redemptorist Fathers to constitute the team for the new foundation in the Bicol Region (Philippines). They were Fr. M. Boland (Superior of the team), Fr. G. Gaspar, Fr. N. Cox, Fr. P. Bowe, Fr. K. Turner and Fr. T. Hodgins. Since the Fathers were to begin a new foundation, a picture of the Mother of Perpetual Help was sent with them. During the liturgical farewell to the Fathers in Mayfield, Australia on March 7, 1954, Fr. Boland officially received the picture from Fr. Selleck (Acting Provincial). Fr. Selleck entrusted to them the picture, with the instruction: “Take this picture of the Mother of Perpetual Succour to your new home. And following the command of the Holy Father, ‘Make Her known’ in the Bicol Region.” Framed in Newscastle, the picture entrusted to them was from Rome and was touched to the original.

The Redemptorist Fathers came to the Diocese of Legazpi in December 1954. They stayed temporarily in a house at 305 Rizal St., Legazpi City next door to Sta. Teresita Hospital. They built a small chapel inside the house and immediately promoted the devotion to the Mother of Perpetual Help. They remained there for about four and a half years.

On May 21, 1959, the Redemptorist Community moved into the present Shrine in Gogon, Legazpi City. On May 27, 1959, Fr. Bowe presided over the first Wednesday Novena in the new chapel. On June 21 of the same year, the Redemptorist monastery was blessed and inaugurated by the Most. Rev. Flaviano B. Ariola, DD. On October 14, 1959, the first Bicol Novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help was begun. On June 18, 1961, the first public procession of the Mother of Perpetual Help was held along Lakandula Drive. Presently, the shrine has been designated as the Bicolandia Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The Filipino – Chinese Apostolate in the Diocese of Legazpi started in 1952 through the initiative of an Italian priest, Rev. Fr. Victorino Musconi, OFM, who came out of China in 1950. Being a missionary to China, he was full of enthusiasm to continue to offer his priestly services to the overseas Chinese in the Philippines. This was the official start of the said apostolate in the Diocese of Legazpi with the blessing of Bishop Flaviano B. Ariola, D.D., the first Bishop of Legazpi. Fr. Musconi started out his apostolate by gathering the Chinese Catholics in the locality and organizing them into an association, the Chinese Catholic Association, composed of both men and women. His work continued up to 1954 when Fr. Antonius Wang came to take his place. After sometime, Fr. Estanislao Chu came as Fr. Wang’s coadjutor but later moved to Tabaco. Due to poor health, Fr. Wang left the place to Fr. Chu. Bishop Ariola then appointed Fr. Antonio Rabadam, Rector of the St. Gregory the Great Minor Seminary, to take place of Fr. Wang in Legazpi.

In 1965, Fr. John Chang, came to the Diocese of Legazpi. Upon his arrival, he resided in Lapu-Lapu St., Legazpi City. A few months later, he initiated the building of the St. ‘Jude Catholic Church which serves the Filipino-Chinese community. The following year, Fr. Paul Wang joined Fr. Chang in the apostolate. In 1996, after the inauguration of St. Jude Parish, Fr. Chang organized the Chinese Catholic Women known as the Daughters of St. Jude Association. With the blessing of Bishop Teotimo Pacis, CM, DD, the second Bishop of Legazpi, Fr. Domingo Palanca came in for a couple of years in the 70s to assist Fr. Chang. As the demands of the school increased, Fr. Chang asked Fr. Wang to succeed him in his ministry at St. Jude Church in Legazpi City while serving as well as the spiritual needs of the Tabaco Community. In 1992, Fr. Wang renovated the St. Jude Church, after which, he retired and returned to the Tabaco Chinese Community Church.

On October 1993, Bishop Jose C. Sorra, DD, the fourth Bishop of Legazpi, appointed Rev. Msgr. Honesto A. Moraleda, EV as Pastor of the St. Jude Church as well as Episcopal Vicar for the Filipino-Chinese Catholic Community in the entire Diocese of Legazpi. Under the pastorship of Msgr. Moraleda, the personal parish saw an upsurge of churchgoers. In fact, the Church became an open religious haven of penitents seeking spiritual solace and of faithful looking for a deeper meaning in their lives. Msgr. Moraleda likewise made several necessary renovations in the Church to accommodate the ever-growing devotees of St. Jude Thaddeus. He initiated the novena to St. Jude which facilitated the evangelization and conversion of numerous people.

In 1950, Mr. Jose G. Locsin, a businessman from Daraga, Albay, Philippines, was in Manila for a heart treatment when the late Fr. Patrick Peyton conducted the first ever Family Rosary Rally in the Philippines. Though not a deeply religious person, he attended the rally and was moved by the late priest’s challenge to pray daily the holy rosary and his now famous crusade motto, “The family that prays together stays together.” Coming home from Manila, he was seated in the airplane beside the first Bishop of Legazpi, the late Most Rev. Flaviano B. Ariola, and consulted the Bishop how he could start such a local crusade. The good bishop then lent him a small image of Our Lady of Fatima. With the help of the members of the Society of the Holy Name of Jesus in Daraga, Jose organized processions participated in by students, devotees, religious organizations, religious communities and the clergy led by Bishop Ariola and his then assistant, now His Eminence, Jose Cardinal Sanchez. A Holy Mass and an offering of Family Rosary Pledges by the rally participants followed this. Bishop Ariola himself was so impressed that on his way back from Rome in 1962, while on break from the Vatican II sessions, he brought a big image of Our Lady of Fatima and entrusted it to the Locsin couple.

On 3 May 1996, the International Pilgrim Image of Our Lady Fatima was brought to Legazpi City. The highlight of her overnight stay was the Eucharistic Celebration and cornerstone laying of the soon-to-be-built new parish church at the Our Lady’s Village in Tahao Road, Legazpi City. Soon after, the construction of this new church began in earnest, under the leadership of Rev. Msgr. Honesto “Ham” Moraleda, EV.

The first celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the church took place on the last Saturday of October 1996. The nearby residents attended the Mass with the church devoid of flooring, light, ceiling, fixtures and amid construction dust and debris. Soon, a regular Saturday anticipated Mass was held for the people. Then Sunday morning Masses were celebrated.

In 1999, led by Msgr. Moraleda, a pilgrimage retreat in preparation for the Great Jubilee Year 2000 was organized. The same image was brought to the Holy Land, to Rome (where the Holy Father, John Paul II blessed the Image during Mass he celebrated at his private chapel) and, finally, to Fatima, Portugal, where the Bishop of Leira, Fatima, Portugal crowned her again. Upon the return of the group, on 30 (Sunday) May 1999, the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, the Our Lady of Fatima Church was solemnly erected as a daughter of church of St. Jude Church and as a territorial parish by the Bishop of Legazpi, the Most Rev. Jose C. Sorra, DD, together with the Most Rev. Lucilo Quiambao, DD, Most Rev. Porfirio Iligan, DD, Most Rev. Nestor C. Cariño, DD, Msgr. Ham Moraleda, the Pastor of the new Parish, and several other priests. 

The Our Lady of Fatima Parish Church and Shrine stands as a symbol of journeying community. It tries to become a “Church of the Poor” and a “Church of the Young” as well as a “Community of Christ’s Disciples” by way of continued Renewed Integral Evangelization.

In 1579, Camalig was formally inaugurated as a town and a parish. The original town was established in Binanua-an where the original church and “escuela catolica” were erected. In February 1814, Mayon Volcano erupted and totally destroyed Cagsawa and parts of Camalig. This prompted the town officials to transfer the church and the town government to the mountains called Tondol, then to Quilaponte where they stayed for two years at the end of which they returned to Baligang. In 1837, a big fire razed the church and the nearby houses to the ground due to lack of water. The town officials asked and obtained from the higher government the required license to re-establish the old town that was laid waste by the volcano in 1814.

The church, placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist, was first made of wood. In 1605, the license was obtained from the higher authorities to reconstruct it in stone. The decree was signed by the Lord Governor and General Captain Don Pedro de Acuña and notarized by the Captain in charge of the town, Don Pedro de Arceo. 

A great surge of economic progress soon brought prosperity to Camalig. In 1842, a huge church was built, with the new edifice consuming all of the volcanic stones of the town. However, only the church and belfry were finished that year. It took another six years to complete the whole structure in 1848. With such an edifice comparable to the magnificent cathedrals in Europe, the affluent residents vied with one another in providing the church interior with expensive furnishings, be they in wood, glass, silver gold, brass or ceremonial vestments.

This church has lived through the different historical periods (Spanish, American, Japanese and the present era). It has outlasted four big wars: the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Revolution, World War I and World War II. It has weathered and braved several Mayon Volcano eruptions, strong earthquakes and typhoons. It has seen good days and bad days. But because of old age, this church succumbed to the fury of super typhoon “Sisang” in 1987. The entire building was unroofed. The three intricately carved confessionals, the pulpit and the pipe organ were destroyed. Only the main altar remained intact. But the people of Camalig refused to be beaten by any calamity. As one, they moved to repair and restore their church. 

The aborigines of Guinobatan were the indigenous tribes which formerly inhabited the region bordering Albay Gulf, also known as Legazpi Bay. These were the people found by the Franciscan Missionaries of Camalig who arrived in 1578 to evangelize the place, which was then considered a barrio of Camalig. Frequently bothered by the Mohammedans (“moros”) of Mindanao and Borneo, the people were forced to migrate to the interior, reaching as far as Tandarora to Bubulusan, which are at present, barrios of Guinobatan.

When Christianity gained foothold in this place, the missionaries gathered the converts in the nearby placed called Binanuaan. From 1672 – 1678, this settlement expanded considerably and was subsequently recognized as a permanent Visita and designated as a Christian outpost. Meanwhile, Mauraro, then a distant settlement with 217 inhabitants, was also considered a temporary religious station

In 1606, a Spanish missionary named Fray Luis de Juan came to the early settlement named Cavasi, formerly a sitio of Polangui, and settled the disputes among the incumbent chieftains. Two years later when the Franciscans baptized the first converts and Cavasi was created as a parish with St. Stephen as the patron saint, Fray Luis was appointed the first pastor. Later Cavasi was renamed Ligao in 1665, was annexed to Oas. A year later Ligao declared its autonomy from Oas and in 1702, the Municipality of Ligao was organized.

A record of baptism officiated by Fray Luis de San Juan on August 24, 1608 and another which states “bautisto en esta Iglesia de San Esteban de Ligao con Fray Domingo de los Martinez” in 1614 points to the existence of the parish church of Ligao in those years. It was Fray Francisco Vicente who in 1676 attempted to build a church of bricks and stone after the first chapel of light materials was burned to the ground.

Again, the church including the municipal building was burned on January 6, 1676 after the religious procession on the Feast of Three Kings when prisoners staged a riot.

In 1760 the construction of a much bigger church started, only to be partially destroyed by an earthquake. It was during Fray Manuel Rojo’s time that the façade was finished in 1812.

During Fray Tomas Alpapara’s term in 1846 the roof made of tiles was finished. The main church was completed in 1881 – as can be presently seen on a stone marker at the façade: AÑO DE 1881 – though its bell tower reached completion in 1882 under Fray Manuel Crispo. The years that followed called for some physical repairs and improvements. Fr. Remigio Rey in 1938 – 1947 undertook the repairs after the Japanese Occupation.

Typhoon Jean of December 1947 and Typhoon Trix of October 1952 badly damaged the church. It was Fr. Teofisto Alberto, who later became Bishop of Caceres, who repaired the dilapidated church. With Fr. Justiniano Romano succeeding in 1953, the church was continuously maintained, repaired and improved through the generosity of the parishioners – from bells to glass naves and communion rails.

Fr. Jose Ras who came in 1969 did his part in cementing the church flooring, the painting of the main and side altars plus the walls and ceilings. After Fr. Ernesto Alberto (1981 – 1982), Fr. Domingo Baybay caused the cementing of the roof, the intricate steel doors and the stained glass windows. And to serve as place for meetings and gatherings, a temporary parish hall of coco lumber and anahaw leaves was built.

Fr. Armando Red’s term in 1988 saw the improvements of the parish rectory and parish office. In 1993, Fr. Eulogio Lawenko completed the marble church flooring and installed the permanent altar and improved the church corridors.

In 1995, Fr. Manuel Camu caused the church interior to be improved acoustically to enhance the church public address system. He then built the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel by the left side of the church. To accommodate the images of the saints, he improvised a Chapel of the Saints just below the church tower. To emphasize the antiquity of the church façade, some restoration was done.

The Franciscan missionaries founded the St. Michael the Archangel Parish church in 1605, with Fray Marcos de Lisboa as its first pastor. The first structural foundation of the church was made of wood and cogon grass. In 1825, a bigger church and a new rectory were built of volcanic rocks and bricks. They were constructed under the supervision of Fray Francisco de Anunciacion O. Peñaranda. In 1866, both the church and the rectory were damaged by fire. In the same year, they were reconstructed under the supervision of Fray Francisco de Aragones.

From 1873 to 1878, Fray Santos Herrijon was the pastor. Under his watch, a transept was added to the church. In 1884, a strong earthquake and a typhoon demolished the church and the rectory. Fray Manuel de Brijuega had to initiate the reconstruction in the same year. By 1889, Fray Carlos Babido took over as parish priest and remodeled the clergy’s residence. The church buildings stood undamaged until 1947 when a very strong typhoon again wreaked havoc on the parish structures. Fr. Luis Dimarumba came the next year and would be remembered as the pastor who rallied the faithful to another round of efforts to repair the church edifice and rectory immediately after the Second World War.

In 1997, under the dynamic leadership of Msgr. Rolando Diokno, the Oaseños finally realized their dream of coming together of worship in a beautifully renovated church. On May 8, 1997, the fiesta of the patron saint was celebrated with the blessing and inauguration of the renovated church building. It had undergone a total reconstruction and interior enhancement, soon after the installation of the pastor. With the help of the town folks and their children living in far from home the church was able to raise the needed funds for a new baptistery, the choir loft, the adoration chapel, a parish hall, a Castillo, a renovated rectory. All of this have been completed. 

Traditionally, Oas celebrates its town fiesta on May 8, but the parish observes another feast on September 29 according to the church calendar. On this day the newly established Himoloan festival is held, showcasing the religious traditions of Oas and the spirit of oneness and Alay Kapwa – aid to the neighbor in need

The Parish of St. Dominic de Guzman was created on 1 August 1969 by virtue of a decree issued by the Most Rev. Teotimo C. Pacis, CM, DD shortly after his appointment as the second Bishop of Legazpi. This Episcopal Decree separated Matacon from the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, Polangui, Albay, making it a new parish. This new parish includes the following barrios: Matacon (the seat of the parish), Agos, Cotnogan, Santicon, San Roque, Salvacion, Magpanambo, Sta. Teresita, La Purisima and La Medalla, San Agustin and Sta. Cruz, both of Libon, Albay. 

As a new parish, at first it owned nothing but a small dilapidated chapel built on a borrowed lot, which was razed to the ground in 1970 by the typhoon Sening. Realizing the urgent need for a church, the parish administrator, together with some parishioners, boldly launched the project of building a concrete modern church.

On August 4, 1969, the people witnessed the solemn blessing and laying of the cornerstone of the proposed church building on a lot donated by two prominent families of Matacon. Bishop Pacis’ message on that occasion impressed and inspired everyone: “This parish church shall be the heart and center of the barrio community, beautiful as a place of worship worthy of our Blessed Lord.”

On June 8, 1970, the construction of the church and its rectory began, but was temporarily halted during the time of the imposition of Martial Law. Finally, the new parish church was completed and was blessed and inaugurated on August 8, 1977, feast day of St. Dominic de Guzman. In March 1978, a cemetery lot was donated to the Church, and this was blessed too.

Together with the physical growth of the church was the development and Christian formation of the community. Religious instructions were conducted in almost all of the elementary schools in the parish. On March 3, 1973, the parish held for the first time a grand Catechetical Feast for the children. On February 2, 1975, under the management of the Parish Pastoral Council, the tithing program was launched.