Historical sketch of the town and church of Bayambang, Pangasinan

The following is a historical sketch of the town and church of Bayambang, Pangasinan.

1587:   The evangelization of Pangasinan started as early as 1587 by six Dominican Fathers led by Fr. Bernardo Navarro de Santa Catalina. Their first abode was a house made of bamboo and nipa in the encomienda of Jimenez del Pino in Binalatongan, now San Carlos City (R.T. Jose, 14-15).

1614: Bayambang, being a neighbor of Binalatongan, was one of the towns subjected to the evangelization. Its first site was west of the present town. In 1614, it was entrusted as a Visita of the Vicariate of Binalatongan.

1619: Five years later in 1619, it was accepted by the Provincial Chapter as one of the Vicariates of the Dominican Order and was placed under the patronage of St. Vincent Ferrer. Fr. Raimundo Vasquez was its first vicar. Telbang (ancestor of Bautista) was placed as its visita.

1686:  Telbang was separated from Malunguey and erected as an independent vicarage in 1686 under the patronage of San Juan Bautista. However, about 1700, Telbang reverted to visita status under Malunguey due to the lack of Dominican personnel. Also placed under the stewardship of Malunguey were the missions of Telbang: Santa Rosa de Paniqui, San Jose de Camling, and Santa Catalina de Pantaleon (Pananisia, 28-30).

1741: In 1741, due to frequent floods, the inhabitants of Malunguey relocated to a place called Bayambang. The church and convent, both made of wood, were also transferred to Bayambang, its present site. As described by Manuel Mora, who visited the town in 1804, the convent was old and leaning. The church which consisted of three naves was likewise old, humid, and dilapidated. Because of these, proposals were presented to the ecclesiastical and civil authorities to build a church and convent made of bricks. However, the people then were not particularly inclined to do communal work (Fernandez, 1-2).

1813:   Fr. Manuel Sucias, parish priest of Bayambang from 1813 to 1824, laid the foundation of the second church and convent. If his plans had not been aborted, the church upon completion would have been one of the best in Pangasinan, i.e. a structure of a composite order with fluted columns (Fernandez, 2).

Beside Fr. Sucias, other priests who continued the gradual construction of the church were Fr. Joaquin Flores Garay (1826-1833). Fr. Juan Alvarez del Manzano (1833-1835), and Fr. Benito Foncuberta (1836-1840). According to existing records, however, the construction of the church proceeded very slowly due to the lukewarm attitude and lack of cooperation of the townspeople.

1840:   Such lukewarm attitude of the people changed with the arrival of Fr. Jose Ibañez, who succeeded these priests. During his term, from 1840-47, he was able to inspire the parishioners to help in the construction of the church. Their enthusiasm, however, was dampened when the barn-like church and convent were destroyed by a big fire.

Undaunted, Fr. Ibañez dedicated his energies and funds to rebuilding the convent, so that he might have a place to live in. He raised its walls up to the roof, giving it a new interior division. What is worthy to note is that all its doors and windows were a single piece of wood, all taken from the trunk of an enormous narra tree that Fr. Manzano had ordered to be cut down during his stay in Bayambang (Fernandez, 3). The transept of the new church was ready to be roofed when Fr. Ibañez was recalled by his superiors. He left for Spain in 1847.

1856:   Fr. Ibañez’s successor, Fr. Raimundo Barcelo, installed the roofing of the finished walls of the church. He lowered the unfinished portion of the transept, building two sacristies in its place. Unfortunately, the church and convent were gutted by another fire in 1856. Fr. Barcelo rebuilt them once more in accordance with the original plan and division of convent. The walls of the church were polished square stones hewn and transported from a quarry located on the other side of the Agno River. The rebuilt church was roofed with tiles.

 

1863: But another misfortune occurred: the earthquake of 1863, which extensively damaged the tile roofing. Fr. Barcelo had no choice but have the damaged tile roofing removed.

Secularization of the Parish

1891:   The last Dominican parish priest of Bayambang was Fr. Feliciano Martin (1891-1898). He was responsible for initiating the construction of a new cemetery fenced with stone. He was about to finish the construction of the new stone-fenced cemetery when the Philippine Revolution forced him to leave the town on June 14, 1898.

1898:   April 6, 1898 started the advent of secular priests who took over the administration of the church and parish. First among the secular priests assigned to the St. Vincent Ferrer Parish was Fr. Francisco Fernandez. He continued the fencing of the Bayambang Cemetery.

1902: On September 5, 1902, Fr. Justo Claudio was appointed as the new parish priest vice Fr. Fernandez.

1916: After Fr. Claudio, Fr. Agustin Rosario took over the parish on June 10, 1916.

1920: His term ended with the coming of Fr. Fermin Abalos on July 6, 1920.

1928: Then Fr. Petronilo Castañeda was assigned as the new parish priest on September 8, 1928. His concern was the collapse of the old belfry. He started to have the flooring of the church cemented. He served the parish until April 9, 1929.

1929:   Other secular priests who directed and supervised the gradual construction of the church and cultivation of the faith of the people were Fr. Juan Bello (April 9, 1929-June 18, 1939) who put the tiles of the floor of the altar; Fr. Oscar Lopez together with Fr. Angel Velasco and Fr. Ambrosio Alvear (June 18, 1939-July 14, 1947) who repaired the roof of the church due to the damage brought by the Second World War. The roof was severely damaged when a bomb was dropped targeting the church. While the bomb went through the roof, it landed at the middle portion of the nave of the church but miraculously did not explode. This story of how the church survived the bombing during the war is still believed to this day as a miracle of St. Vincent Ferrer.

1947:   In July 1947, Fr. Amado Ballesteros took over as parish priest, relieving Fr. Oscar Lopez. He was a very dynamic, young priest. He did much both in terms of taking care of his flock and improving the church during his term. With the assistance of Fr. Sindolfo Garcia, Fr. Benjamin Mangonon, Fr. Simon Fang and Fr. Jose Valerio, his associate priests, they were able to evangelize the barrios and made the St. Vincent Catholic School flourish.

1952: It was also during the term of Fr. Ballesteros when the Christ the King Celebration was held in the parish in 1952. It was participated in by the whole diocese of Lingayen. Fr. Ballesteros’ vigor, however, was cut short by his sudden death in 1954. The parishioners mourned over his early demise.

1954:   With the untimely death of Fr. Ballesteros, the parish was faced with the problem of his successor. Not long after, Fr. Francisco Posadas was assigned to take his place. He was assisted by Fr. Emeterio Domagas, Fr. Aurelio Posadas and Fr. Antonio Salindong. Fr. Francisco Posadas served the parish for twelve years, from December 6, 1954 to June 12, 1966, the longest term. Among his assistant priests, the one well remembered was Fr. Emeterio Domagas. He was called “Fr. Mamoteg” or the “Crying Priest” because every time he delivered his sermon or homily, he ended up crying unabashedly.

The improvements made on the church during Fr. Posadas’ incumbency were the renovation of the altar, construction of cemented tabernacle, painting of the façade and interior of the church, repairing portions of the church that got burned when the house near the church caught fire.

1966:   In 1966, Fr. Calixto Armas was appointed as new parish priest. He was assisted by Fr. Jesus Mislang, Fr. Angel Aquino and Fr. Romeo Biala until November 21, 1970. They were responsible for repairing the leaking roof of the church.

1970:   On November 21, 1970, Msgr. Ciriaco Billote arrived as the new parish priest. With his coming, the idea of the Parish Pastoral Council was brought to fruition. Dormant religious organizations were activated and new ones were organized with enthusiasm.

1974:   One of the projects undertaken under the auspices of the Parish Pastoral Council was the construction of a concrete belfry annexed to the church. This was inaugurated and blessed by Archbishop Federico Limon on April 5, 1974. The belfry housed the church bells and its basement was converted into a parish library.

It was also during the term of Msgr. Billote that the first batch of married couples of the parish underwent the Marriage Encounter (ME) Program. This was held at the SVD Sunny Side Retreat House in Baguio City in February 1975. The ME group was affiliated with the Catholic Family Movement (CFM) of the Philippines.

The Cursillo Movement was also invigorated and became very active during Msgr. Billote’s term. The parish produced several batches of men and women cursillistas.

Those who worked with Msgr. Billote as assistant priest (one after the other) were Fr. Gil Luis, Fr. Mauro Muñoz, Fr. Alberto Arenos, Fr. Ernesto Escaño and Fr. Jose Laforteza. Msgr. Billote’s term as parish priest of Bayambang ended on May 27, 1977.

1977:   The work started by Msgr. Billote was continued by Msgr. Antonio Aldana. He was assisted by Fr. Benjamin Estimada, Fr. Medes Laguerta, Fr. Romeo Tandoc, and Fr. Teofilo Aquino. Each of them served for one year as co-pastors, with the exception of Fr. Aquino. Msgr. Aldana served the parish from 1977 to 1981.

1981:   Four years later, on May 10, 1981, Msgr. Luis B. Ungson took over as the new parish priest of Bayambang, with Fr. Wenceslao Abalos as associate priest. However, due to an urgent need of his services in the diocese, his term was cut short by Bishop Federico Limon. He served as parish priest of Bayambang for only 11 months, the shortest term for a parish priest staying in Bayambang. He was transferred to Calasiao. In spite of his very, very short stay in the parish, he achieved much in terms of the spiritual enlightenment of the parishioners especially the youth, through the Catholic Youth Movement (CYM), which he introduced, and the Cursillo Movement, which he revived.

Revival of the Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer: Early Attempt

It was also during the short stint of Msgr. Luis Ungson that an attempt to rekindle the flame of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish as a shrine was initiated. Several meetings with the Parish Pastoral Council regarding the matter were held. A very viable plan to implement this initiative was already in the making when Msgr. Ungson was recalled by an urgent order from Archbishop Federico Limon as he was needed to serve as parish priest of Calasiao and as Vicar General of the Archdiocese. The big plan was therefore set aside and did not materialize.

1982:   On April 2, 1982, Fr. Alfredo Mariñas took over as new parish priest vice Msgr. Ungson. With him was Fr. Jovino Batican as his assistant pastor. With their coming, the parish choir was reactivated. They worked for the tiling of the altar and aisle with marble. Other associate priests who came in succession were Fr. Ponciano Doria, Fr. Jonathan Songcuan, Fr. Romeo Domantay, Fr. Joel Ynson and the late Fr. Ace Serrame, who was assigned as full-time Director of St. Vincent Catholic School.

1988:   Towards the middle part of January, 1988, Fr. Mariñas was transferred to Sta. Barbara, while Fr. Carmelo Carreon, the parish priest there, was assigned to Bayambang.

The second month stay of Fr. Carreon in the parish was marred by the death of Fr. Ace Serrame who was accidentally felled by a stray bullet. The accident happened during an evening Valentine Program where Fr. Ynson and Fr. Serrame were amongst the crowd watching. Investigations were conducted to determine where the bullet originated but to no avail. A big rally participated in by priests, seminarians, religious and the laity coming from the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was held at the town plaza to seek justice for the untimely death of Fr. Serrame.

This unfortunate incident brought together the townspeople of Bayambang as one. It served as a springboard in forging a new and better parish.

Under the leadership of Fr. Carreon, and with the help of his associate pastors (who came one after the other), Fr. Vic Embuido and Fr. Roland Abrera, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish underwent some changes both spiritual and social. The priests were able to minister in the remote barrios of Bayambang.

1922:   During this time, several fundraising campaigns, some of which were unconventional, were undertaken for the improvement of the church. For example, for the first time in the history of the parish, the church became the main sponsor of the town fiesta. This was in April of 1992. Proceeds from the fundraising activity were used principally for renovating the ceiling and the façade of the church which were damaged by the strong earthquake of July 16, 1990. It is regrettable, however, that the cemented wall of the church which was slightly damaged was totally scraped, exposing the crude stone walls. Likewise, the ceiling of the church which was made of antique wooden slabs was replaced with plain plywood to the loss of the unique, antique and concave structure of the ceiling.

Other associate priests who were assigned to the parish during Fr. Carreon’s term were Fr. Joven Beltran and Fr. Raymund Oligane in 1994, Fr. Nick Villamil and Fr. Manuel Sayson in 1995.

On the eighth year of Fr. Carreon in the parish, two newly ordained priests were assigned to work with him. They were Fr. Raymund Manaois and Fr. Florentino Ferrer. Full of idealism, dedication and vigor, the two young priests easily captured the then waning support and cooperation of the parishioners. Help kept coming voluntarily in cash and in kind as the parishioners saw how these resources were utilized for the maintenance of the cleanliness and beautification of the church. The St. Vincent Ferrer sanctuary sported a new look. It was repainted, draped with curtains, and lighted all over with candle-like bulbs.

The engaging rapport between the parishioners and the two young associate priests was, however, cut short when on December 24, 1995, barely six months of their stay in the parish, the two were transferred to other parishes due to differences they had with the parish priest. Their early transfer dampened the enthusiasm of the parishioners especially since this happened at Christmas time. Not long after, Fr. Carreon was likewise transferred to another parish.

A Transformed Parish

1996:   In March of 1996, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish welcomed the arrival of a young parish priest, Rev. Fr. Manuel S. Bravo Jr. The first mass he officiated at the parish that also included his formal installation as the new parish priest of Bayambang by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz was well attended, a very encouraging sign that he was most awaited and most welcomed by parishioners.

Within a year’s stay of Fr. Manuel Bravo, a transformed parish was very visible spiritually, socially and physically. More parishioners attended the church services and participated in its activities. People from all walks of life shared their talents and resources voluntarily in whatever way they could because they saw the many tangible projects done by Fr. Bravo in so short a time. Among these were: (a) putting up an Adoration Chapel, (b) renovation of a portion of the convent into a cozy living quarter for priests, (c) renovation of another portion of the convent into a presentable Parish Office, and (d) building new classrooms for the SVF Catholic School. The Adoration Chapel located at the ground floor of the belfry became very accessible to everyone. It is considered one of the finest adoration chapels in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan at that time.

The zest and vigor of the parish in the first year stint of Fr. Bravo was sustained and fortified throughout his stay in the parish. Along with the many infrastructure projects undertaken, evangelization/faith formations were bolstered. A well-noted activity was the launching and hosting in the parish of the Vicariate IV Youth Day. This program intended to develop and strengthen the faith of the youth is ongoing. Aside from this program, a catechetical instruction for children is another ongoing program of the parish.

Due to the influx of parishioners attending masses and other church services, the church ministries had to be expanded. More extraordinary ministers, lectors, commentators and ushers had to be commissioned yearly.

2001:   Another milestone in the history of the parish was the hosting of the Vicariate IV Christ the King celebration on November 25, 2001. The parish was then faced with the herculean task of repairing the church which was in an almost deplorable state to prepare for the event. With the able leadership of Fr. Bravo, parishioners were taken to task and took the risk of entering into a contract with a well-known architect to do the overall face-lifting of the church notwithstanding the absence of a ready budget for this. With strong determination and faith in God, and with the cooperation and support of the parishioners, the needed repairs were all done. These included the repair of the leaking roof, restoration of the ceiling into its original structure, repair of broken windows, painting of the church and belfry, and repair of the mezzanine for the choir.

The hosting of the Christ the King celebration provided an opportunity for Bayambangueños residing in different parts of the country and abroad, particularly in the U.S., to share their blessings with their beloved parish. The movement was contagious and there was an outpouring of help and donations in cash and in kind, so that before the date of the celebration, the church was already sporting a new look inside and outside that everyone was proud of.

The preparation undertaken for the Christ the King Celebration was not only physical but much more spiritual. A mini-Christ the King Feast was held in almost all barangays from September 26 to November 22, 2001 that increased the awareness of barangay parishioners of the significance of the celebration.

Other Developments

2004:   In October of 2004, the renovation of the entire second floor of the old convent was finished. One of the rooms was converted into a Museum of St. Vincent Ferrer where the relic of the patron saint was installed. The blessing and formal opening of the convent was done in time with the culmination of the festivities in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. It was a very colorful celebration participated in by barangay parishioners who joined the procession with their respective patron saints in beautiful carrozas.

Another project that started before the end of 2004 was the Candle Shed on one side of the churchyard and its landscaping and the completion of the Bonery. By April 10, 2005, the said project had been completed, blessed and inaugurated by the good Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese.

2006:   On December 16, 2006, Archbishop Cruz once again set foot on St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church to bless the refurbished retablo, new tabernacle, and eight giant chandeliers. It was truly a day of jubilation for the entire parish because it happened on the first dawn mass of Advent.

The gigantic accomplishments of Fr. Bravo in his eleven years of residence in the parish were all done with the strong support and cooperation of the parishioners who appreciated how he worked for the glory of God. All these were achieved with the assistance of the different associate pastors who were assigned to the parish and worked with him, to wit: Fr. Rafael Mesa, Fr. Vicente Nacor, Fr. Theodore de Leon, Fr. Herman Caronongan, Fr. Jimmy Quinto, Fr. Antonio Rey Quintans, Fr. Bienvenido Salosagcol, Fr. Reydentor Mejia, and Fr. Democreto Umagtam.

Team Ministry Installed

2007:   In 2007, upon the instruction of Archbishop Oscar Cruz, the assignments of parish priests were reshuffled and some changes were introduced in the Archdiocese. Rev. Fr. Manuel S. Bravo, Jr., was designated as Superintendent of all Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese such that he had to leave the parish. For the first time, the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer was placed under a Team Ministry. Under this new set-up, on July 1, 2007, two priests were assigned to comprise the team. They were Rev. Fr. Isidro “John” Palinar Jr. as Team Moderator and Rev. Primo V. Aquino as Team Member.

There were a lot of adjustments in terms of the relationship between the parishioners and their pastors during the first years of the Team Ministry. Conflicts could not be avoided because the parish was then experiencing a great change in the way it was administered that it was not used to after being under the care of a parish priest for many years.

After sometime, no matter how formidable the change was, through the intercession and guidance of their beloved patron saint, the miraculous St. Vincent Ferrer, the heavy yoke was gradually unburdened. Soon, the parishioners and their team ministry worked hand-in-hand to boost each other’s effort in attaining the mission of the parish.

2010:   One of the biggest projects of the parish was the construction of the Parish Center. The two-story Parish Center was completed in 2010. At last, the dream of having a convenient place to hold parish seminars, meetings and other related activities became a reality.

No less than the endearing Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas came to bless and inaugurate the prominent structure.

With the construction of a Parish Center, the parish was all the more inspired to continue one of its evangelizing activity, the undertaking of PREX seminars. There was an improved relationship already obtaining between and among the team ministry, parishioners and other stakeholders, when another inevitable change took place. Rev. Fr. John Palinar was transferred to another parish. With a heavy heart, he was feted with a send-off party by the parishioners.

The parishioners surely missed Fr. Palinar. However, his replacement was met with surprise, enthusiasm and rejoicing. This was because for the first time in the parish’s history, priests were allowed to serve in their own hometowns.

2010:   Thus, in March 2010, Rev. Fr. Anthony B. Layog and Rev. Fr. Rolando Salosagcol, both natives of Bayambang, were assigned to serve in the parish of St. Vincent Ferrer. Rev. Fr. Primo V. Aquino remained as member of the new Team Ministry.

The triumvirate introduced innovations in the pastoral care of the parish and reinforced those that had to be perpetuated. In terms of improving the church’s facilities, the sound system of the church was improved for better communication, and repairs in the sacristy were undertaken. The three priests continually assessed and addressed the immediate needs of the parish.

The famous saying “One cannot be a hero in one’s town” must have worked in the case of Fr. Layog and Fr. Salosagcol. With barely two-and-a half years’ stint in their hometown parish, the two were given new assignments by the Bishop. Fr. Layog was assigned as parish priest of the Holy Parish in Tandoc, San Carlos City. On the other hand, Fr. Salosagcol requested for a respite from parish priest work.

2013:   On October 18, 2013, Rev. Fr. Allen O. Romero was installed by Bishop Socrates Villegas as the new parish priest and team moderator of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish.

Upon his installation, Fr. Allen saw the need to continue what was started by his predecessors. On December 8, 2013, a simple but unique fundraising activity was initiated. This was Parol Parad Santuario nen Señor San Vicente. This continuity of the project started in July 2013 which was the renovation of the church sanctuary, specifically the re-tiling of the floor with granite to replace the old, worn-out tiles and the installation of iron grills to enclose the sanctuary.

2014:   Through the untiring effort and endless prodding of Fr. Allen and some church leaders to solicit financial assistance, the project was finally completed. On April 5, 2014, the renovated church sanctuary was blessed by Archbishop Socrates Villegas in time for the feast of St. Vincent Ferrer and the 400^th year anniversary of the Municipality of Bayambang. 

Donations for the parish outpoured and kept on coming not only from local residents but also from those residing abroad. In February 2014, a group of parishioners living in San Diego, California funded the refurbishment of all the church pews, which was completed by the end of March 2014. The nave of the church with its resplendent two rows of pews was a sight to behold. The atmosphere promoted a sense of community and enhanced the serenity during Eucharistic celebrations.

Giving Way to Modernization

Under Fr. Allen Romero’s term, some old and supposedly legacy structures had to be removed to give way to new church facilities.

The remnants of the old original belfry located in front of the church which used to be the venue for the “Pasyon” during Holy Week was totally torn down to give way for a wider parking space. The landscaping in front the churchyard with the slabs of the Ten Commandments had to be removed also to provide more space for parking.

A beam of the old convent made from a single piece of tree trunk was replaced with cemented hollow blocks to fortify the balcony of the convent.

The Adoration Chapel was converted into a Prayer Room. The wood divider at the narthex, which used to serve as bulletin board and to keep the faithful from outside distraction, was removed to ease the flow of churchgoers in entering and leaving the church after the mass.

It is also under Fr. Allen Romero’s direction and management where many changes and improvements in the church and its premises are noticeable. Noteworthy are the following: (1) installation of billboards in front of the convent and beside the church where giant posters and tarpaulins announcing events (celebrations) within the parish and the whole diocese as well as church advocacies are posted, (2) widened parking space with two gates for vehicles, (3) three gates for parishioners for easier entrance and exit especially during Sundays, (4) repair and refurbishments of the restrooms, both for male and female parishioners, (5) improved sound system with the installation of upgraded microphones, (6) installation of the three giant ceiling fans for better ventilation, and (7) stained glass with replicas of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary placed above each of the two side doors of the church and a replica of St. Vincent Ferrer at the main entrance door.

Mindful of the spiritual welfare of his flock, Fr. Allen facilitated the holding of PREX Seminars, Youth Encounter Seminars, and Pananabangan Seminars, and encouraged the attendance of parishioners in diocesan meetings, gatherings and the like.

2017: Different church ministries and apostolates have also been activated by Fr. Romero in line with the Second Archdiocesan Synod held in September 2017, such as the Youth Apostolate, Music Ministry, Lectors, Altar Servers and Ushers.

2019: It has been six years (2013-2019) since Fr. Allen took over the shepherding of the St. Vincent Ferrer Parish. As a father of the parish, he has been a good provider for the spiritual and social needs of the parishioners. Be it by sheer luck or God’s plan, Fr. Allen has been chosen as the “Manager” of a very big celebration of the parish and that is its 400th year anniversary on April 5, 2019. Discerning God’s unique plan for him, he was undaunted by the enormous task before him.

The story behind the quadricentennial celebration of the Parish under the patronage of Fr. Romero, together with his parochial vicars, Fr. Vishnu R. Valdez and Fr. Roy Joel Rosal, is one of leadership prowess with strong pastoral bent. He had to face and overcome pressures from conflicting ideas and had to deal with financial matters pertaining to the repair, restoration, renovation and face-lifting of the church at a time when resources were terribly scarce. In all of these, the pastoral leadership of Fr. Allen was put to the test and passed successfully.

2023: Fr. Reydentor Mejia was assigned back to the parish. He was assisted by Fr. Rowell Allan Rocaberte, a newly ordained priest. When Fr. Rocaberte had to leave for Spain for studies, he was replaced by Fr. Jezer Tristan de Vera.

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From this historical sketch, it can be gleaned that the parishioners of the St. Vincent Ferrer Parish of Bayambang, Pangasinan, have a great devotion to her patron, St. Vincent Ferrer.