Bajo Las Toques De Campana

Never did a Christian community in the Philippines so throb to the rhythm of the bells bajo las campanas. The bells of the eight churches of Cavite Puerto swing and rolled in rapturous celebration of naval victories or tolled the abyss of anguish and pain of defeat and death. As the sun set turned the bay into a shimmering golden pond, the angelus chimed from the eight towers to school children home to kiss the hands of their parents or elders. Promptly at eight o’clock at night, the melancholy and howl menace of the animas bells reminded pious folks to pray for their beloved dead who perished in the dark waters of the bay. Between 1586 and 1591, the parish of San Pedro Apostol was established in Cavite Puerto. Just like any church during the early days of Spanish colonization, it must have been made of bamboo and nipa, but by 1659, a simple church of massive stone was constructed. The bell tower was made of four large posts. In 1778, it was described as a beautiful church made of stone, bricks, and wood. The belfry, which is also made of the same materials, consisted of four stories. In this church was established the Cofradia del Santisimo Sacramento y Benditas Animas del Purgatorio. It was later raised to the rank of Archconfraternity.

The pastoral letter of Pope Benedict IV dated April 2, 1748 and promulgated by the Archbishop of Manila on October 24, 1752, designated San Pedro Church as a shrine to be visited wherein indulgences could be gained. The church was destroyed and razed to the ground during the Second World War.

The Franciscans had two establishments in Cavite Puerto. One was the convent, and the Church of San Diego de Alcala, while the other was the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. The hospital is said to have been founded by the Franciscan Proto Martyr of Japan, San Pedro Bautista, OFM, in 1591 on a piece of land donated by the Spaniard Don Felipe Correo. It was enlarged significantly in 1608 and in succeeding years. A large piece of land in Ligtong, a barrio of Rosario, was donated on April 1, 1610, to this hospital by Don Cristobal de Valenzuela and Don Diego Bravo, both residents of Sta. Ana de Sapa, Manila. On this land, a cattle ranch was established for the support of the hospital.

In this task of catechizing the people, the Jesuits were greatly helped by a lay catechist, who was formerly a “catalonan” (pagan priest). In his Relacion de las Islas Filipinas, Fr. Pedro Chirino S.J., gave a very good description of Diego Masanga, a catalonan turned catechist, and Indian, who though physically blind, was spiritually very enlightened, and who with extraordinary faith, love, and delight in the things of God teaches those who wish to be baptized, instructing them morning and afternoon in church. “He is so proficient in catechism that not one of us could do it better so that they came from him excellently instructed. And although he cannot see, he keeps a good count of the many catechumens under his charge that if one is absent, he unfailingly took notice of it and informs the priest accordingly…he used to be one of the pagan priest…now transformed into a preacher of our faith.

In 1636, Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera relieved the Franciscans of the administration of the hospital and instead put it in the hands of the laymen. Corcuera was irked by the alleged anomalies in the administration of the hospital supply. In 1663, the church and the convent built during the term of its first prior, Fr. Andres de Tordesillas OFM, were demolished. The Franciscans left the Puerto for good.

The Augustinian church was the shortest lived among the churches of Cavite Puerto. According to Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin, OSA, it was founded in 1602 under the patronage of Ntra. Sra. De los Remedios. Fr. Gabriel Pizarro, OSA, was named its first prior, but he died before he could assume this post. Thereupon, Fr. Agustin de Tapia, OSA, was named prior. The property on which the church and the convent stood was a gift from Governor General Francisco Tello.

For unknown reasons, Fr. Juan Enriquez had the Cavite mission suppressed during his term as provincial (1620-1622); it was totally abandoned during the term of Fr. Alonzo de Mentrida (1623-1625). Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin claimed that the property was ceded to the Dominicans in 1625. Between 1613 and 1614, the Jesuits started their Lenten mission in Cavite. It was so successful that it resulted to a lot of moral conversion. The sailors themselves asked the fathers to stay. Two pious benefactors, Sr. Bautista, a Genoese, and Juan de Cavallo, a Portuguese, turned over their houses to the society and opened a small chapel in 1615; this was dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. On October 20, 1620, Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano granted the Jesuits the authority to minister to the Japanese and Chinese in the Puerto.

A church of stone was commissioned by a secular priest, Don Lucas de Castro, the parish priest of the Puerto and a former pupil of the Jesuits as a gesture of thanksgiving to society. Two lay brothers worked in the construction of the church; they were the Genoese Guilio Lombardo and an Irishman who took the Spanish name of Francisco Bautista. The church of Our Lady of Loreto was inaugurated on the feast of St. Francis Xavier on December 3, 1633, with Fr. Lucas de Castro himself celebrating the mass. The image of Our Lady of Loreto, which has previously been kept at the Dominican church was brought to the new church in solemn procession.

On August 25, 1637, a document of foundation was signed at Manila establishing the Jesuit Colegio de Cavite, a school for boys. Don Lucas de Castro endowed the college with fourteen thousand pesos for its construction.

“A church of stone was commissioned by a secular priest, Don Lucas de Castro, the parish priest of the Puerto and a former pupil of the Jesuits as a gesture of thanksgiving to society. Two lay brothers worked in the construction of the church; they were the Genoese Guilio Lombardo and an Irishman who took the Spanish name of Francisco Bautista. The church of Our Lady of Loreto was inaugurated on the feast of St. Francis Xavier on December 3, 1633, with Fr. Lucas de Castro himself celebrating the mass. The image of Our Lady of Loreto, which has previously been kept at the Dominican church was brought to the new church in solemn procession."

Because of the victory of Governor Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera in his military campaign in the south, he was given a triumphant welcome when he returned to Luzon. In Cavite, it was said that on the eve of the celebration of the victory, students of Colegio de Cavite, who came from Jolo, performed the first moro-moro play in the Philippines. Fr. Juan Lopez, one of the Jesuits in Cavite, narrated with amusement, “Boys at their play, faithfully reflect the preoccupation of their elders – feel into playing Españoles and Mindanaos with a Corcuera, wooden sword in the air, leading the charge against the defiant rank of a “Kudrat”…having been dismissed early the day before, the town celebrated the victory of Jolo, a band of boys went to the new fort under construction, there to re-enact the battle of Maguindanau on the unfinished ramp. The two armies went at each other with such conviction that Kudrat refused to do what was expected of him, standing his ground instead of fleeing. He was pushed over a parapet by the outraged Spaniards and had to have five stitches on his scalp, but Lopez saw him in the parade the next day…”

One of the most brilliant rectors of Cavite was Fr. Paul Klein, S.J. Aside from working to improve the living condition of the shipyard workers, he employed herbal medicine in healing, mastered the Tagalog language, wrote prayer books, and he had been the spiritual director of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the foundress of the first Filipina congregation for women, the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM).

However, the fruitful ministry of the Jesuits in Cavite was suppressed when the King of Spain ordered expulsion of all Jesuits in all parts of the Empire. On May 17, 1768 at 3 PM, the church and the Jesuit College of Cavite were sealed off. Most of the Jesuit properties were distributed to other parishes. The statue of Loreto was given to Indang to be converted as Our Lady of the Rosary. Some lion cirial stand and some candelabra were given to Tanza. All other Jesuit properties were taken and given to the secular parishes.

Upon repeated request, the newly arrived Augustinian Recollects decided to establish a convent in Cavite Puerto in 1616 to minister the spiritual needs of the seamen who lived there and who were accustomed to danger and reckless in vices; their morals becoming so relaxed because of their exposure to people of different faith and nationalities. Don Raphael Blanco, the “cabo del arsenal,” overed a large parcel of land on which he had built a few houses, provided a church and convent would be built there. San Nicolas de Tolentino was chosen as patron of the church. However, later it came to be known as Sta. Monica. The first prior of this convent was Fr. Andres del Espiritu Santo, ORSA. In 1706, Don Pascual Bautista, a resident of the Puerto, founded in this church the Cofradia del Nuestro Padre Jesus. This cofradia branched out to San Roque on March 2, 1726, and it exists to this day. The friars also introduced to the people special devotion to Sta. Rita and to Our Lady of the Rule.

The Recollect Foundation in Cavite spread when they acquired haciendas in Imus and Bacoor. During the second half of the 19th Century, almost all parishes in Cavite were administered by the Recollect. The Recollect church in Cavite was destroyed when it was hit by a canon ball during the May 1, 1898, Battle of Manila Bay. Fifteen Dominican friars arrived in Cavite on July 21, 1587. Not long after, they found the need to have a mission in Cavite to minister to a large number of Spaniards, Indios, and Chinese, and at the same time to have a resting place for newly arrived missionaries.

In 1619, the church of San Pedro Telmo, patron of mariners, was inaugurated. The church was constructed under the direction of the famous Dominican architect, Fr. Jeronimo de Belen. Cofradia de Ntra. Sra. Del Rosario was established in this church. A special devotion to San Vicente Ferrer was also promoted. On March 22, 1656, the Cofradia de San Telmo was established. Later, the cofradia came to be known as Cofradia de la Preciosisima Sangre de Cristo y San Telmo. In 1752, Archbishop Santisima Trinidad declared the church of San Telmo as Shrine.

In 1814, the Dominicans established a printing press in Cavite. The Imprenta de San Telmo lasted for three years only. There were seven known works printed in this press. Among them were the Novena de la Santisima Virgen de los Dolores Maria Señora Nuestra dated 1814 and Novena dedicada al Santisimo Nombre de Jesus 1815.

The Dominican church, like the Recollects’, was destroyed during the battle of Manila Bay. When the Dominican Fathers left Cavite, they left behind legends of fabulous treasure buried beneath the church of San Telmo.

“ In 1619, the church of San Pedro Telmo, patron of mariners, was inaugurated. The church was constructed under the direction of the famous Dominican architect, Fr. Jeronimo de Belen. Cofradia de Ntra. Sra. Del Rosario was established in this church. A special devotion to San Vicente Ferrer was also promoted. On March 22, 1656, the Cofradia de San Telmo was established. Later, the cofradia came to be known as Cofradia de la Preciosisima Sangre de Cristo y San Telmo. In 1752, Archbishop Santisima Trinidad declared the church of San Telmo as Shrine.""

In 1641, the brothers of the Congregacion de San de Dios arrived in Cavite. Governor Concuera provided them lodging in the royal buildings. They were able to open a ten-bed hospital. On January 30, 1642, the brothers requested and received the custody of the royal hospital, which was most probably the same hospital taken away from the Franciscans. The church and the hospital had to move its site several times. The first church, which was dedicated to San Jose de Granada, was made of bamboo built by Fr. Francisco de Magallanes. It lasted until 1682. The second church, built by Fr. Marcos de Mesa, lasted until 1699; it was followed by another church made by Fr. Juan de Alarcon, but it was closed in 1728, since it was slowly being eaten away by the sea. The fourth structure was built by Fr. Antonio Arce and was located just across the church of San Pedro to the north. It appeared in the map of 1739. As they build the church, they held their ministry in a house donated by Captain Don Miguel Cordero. In 1749, the hospital and the church moved again on another site owned by General Pedro Prieto.

Finally in 1765, the Hospital de San Juan de Dios seemed to have ended its odyssey. It was then located on a block across the western side of the Recollect compound. Don Simon de Anda, the Governor General of the Philippines and the defender of the country against the British invaders, died peacefully in this hospital. In 1880, the hospital was given to the Daughters of Charity by Archbishop Pedro Payo. A school for girls was opened by the Sisters in 1890. The church and the hospital were destroyed by the last world war.

The Ermita de Porta Vaga was the Shrine of Cavite’s patroness – the Virgin de la Soledad de Porta Vaga. The church was built besides the Porta Vaga gate. The Virgin’s image was enthroned in this church in 1692. The devotion to the Virgin of Solitude became so popular that she was considered as the Celestial Guardian and Protectress of the entire province of Cavite. The image of the Virgin which dates back to 1667 was bedecked with gold filigree, and precious stones, and pearls donated by the grateful merchants of the galleon trade. She was considered as patroness of the galleons. The fiestas of the Virgin held in this church were known far and wide. Four successive Sundays of November were dedicated in her honor. Archbishops of Manila as well as Governor Generals paid their homage to the Virgin in this Shrine. Various Bishops and Archbishops granted partial or plenary indulgence on all those who make a devotion to the Virgin. The church underwent several times of construction and repairs. However, it was razed to the ground after the Japanese bombardment during the last war. The image of the Virgin is venerated to this day in the Church of San Roque.