The Parish of Bantay, Ilocos
Sur was founded in 1593 and was named Saint Augustine de Hippo, the
Doctor of Grace, as the Patron Saint by the Augustinian friars who
established it. Fr. Montoya was the first parish priest with Fr.
Geronimo Cavero as his assistant. In a report by Bishop Domingo de
Soria, O.P. on August 15, 1613, the population of Bantay was 4,000
souls under the care of three priests. Vigan was only 2,000 souls. This
is explained by three facts that by then, Bantay parish was very
extensive. The following parishes were originally its “visitas” - Magsingal separated in 1676; Santo Domingo separated in 1742; San Ildefonso separated in 1769; San Vicente separated in 1795; and Santa
in 1795. One of the three ministers of the Gospel for the Bantay Area
was Father Francisco Lopez, a great Augustinian Philologist with the
help of Pebro Bucaneg, the blind genius of the Ilocano tongue took
parts in the translation of the “Catechism” which was originally
written by Robert Cardinal Bellarmine.
The translated catechism was
approved from the convent of Bantay in 1616. The book in the Malayan
script and Spanish alphabet was first published in 1621. The Bellarmine
catechism was the first book in Ilocano to be printed and its
influence on the morality, culture and language of the entire Ilocos is
immeasurable. Up to this day, we Ilocanos still say all the Common
prayers as Fr. Lopez and Bucaneg translated them. Fr. Mariano in his
History of the Works of the Religious Orders in the Philippines said
that the old church was in the form of a cross (con crucero) but it was
rebuilt almost completely by Fathers Eduardo Navarro and Lisardo
Villanueva.
The ruins of the section that
would form the arms of the across are still standing. In 1660, Andres
Malong, of Pangasinan, revolted against Spanish and proclaimed himself
king of the province. He bestowed the title of Conde to Pedro Gumapos
of Agoo and sent him with 3,000 men to invade Ilocos and Cagayan. In
the army of Gumapos was a great number of Calanasans, head-hunting
Tinguians, and Aetas from the wilds of Zambales. These savages came
killing pillaging and burning until Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Juan Manzano, a
lieutenant of Gumapos, attacked Bantay on January 22, 1661, leaving
800 dead I the area.
He buried everything. Only one
tiled house and the church with its convent were left standing. The old
novena of Our Lady of Charity expressly says that the church was saved
through intervention. The Zambales repeatedly tried to set fire to the
church at least three times, but it would not burn through the cogoon
roofing was very dry. Terrified as such an inexplicable phenomenon, the
Calanasans finally fled. This incident, Rev. Fr. Pedro Murillo has
written in his book,Historia de Filipinas de la Campania de Jesus. They
burned Bantay, and though they set fire times to the church, It was
delivered by Nuestra Señora de la Caridad through her special
protection. At the end of the last century, we find the church roofed
with split bamboo and nipa. The late most Rev. Alfredo Versoza roofed
it with galvanized iron. He was the parish priest of Bantay. In April
15, 1945, during the battle for liberation of Ilocos Sur, three big
incendiary bombs hit the Church and convent but not one of them
exploded. Fifty meter away from the buildings five others exploded with
great force. Because of the concussions, the roof put on by Bishop
Versoza was indirectly knocked down. Even the convent, the altars and
the pulpits crashed down. Rev. Jose Brillantes y Bello made a temporary
chapel, using the fallen roofing for its roof and walls. It served for
five years. The church with new roofing was raised higher to allow the
construction of the tall Gothic design of the interior. It is a
monument to the sacrifices of the any devotees of our Lady of Charity
from Bantay, Vigan and other parishes of Nueva Segovia, under the
supervision of Fr. Brillantes and Most Rev. Santiago C. Sancho. The
church that was damaged during the World War II was reconstructed in
1950. The restored façade is of neo-gothic design mixed with
pseudo-Romanesque materials and elements.Its grandiose afforded a
reminiscent of the old Spanish architecture using indigenous materials
which are bucks and slime. The picturesque belfry sits on a hilltop
overlooking a vivid vast green pastureland and the mountain view of the
province of Abra. It was used as a watcher tower for invading enemy
forces during world war I and II because of its strategic location.
The Bantay Church and bell
tower are monumental witnesses to various atrocities, uprising and
others. In the preparation of the Silver Jubilee of the Canonical
Coronation of our Lady of Charity January 10, 1981, the sorry state of
the church building cried for some repairs. The renovation included
repair of the roof. The accumulated rust had been patched, and a
protective coat of paint had been laid on, repair of the façade- a
thick crust of moss and lichen had been cleared away, the bricks had
been resurfaced and a layer of paint had been applied to maintain its
architectural design, restoration of the lateral turrets – deep cracks
and wide gaps have been refilled, the demolished superstructures had
been restored, refurbishing the intrerior, peeled off plastering had
been patched, the walls had been repainted, ad a marbleized altar has
been erected, repair of the belfry, the blackening layer of moss and
the dense overgrowth of weeds have been cleared away, knocked off
portions of the cornice and frieze have been restored,pock mocks and
cracks have been patched and the bricks have been resurfaced. Numerous
improvements were made in the church, convent and bell tower. Inside
the church particularly in the altar, golden mouldings were placed that
signifies the Golden Canonical Coronation Anniversary of our Lady of
Charity. Chandeliers were changed to the design of the old ones made by
Rev. Brillantes Bello. Landscaping in front of the church and convent
made the parish beautiful. Construction of comfort rooms for the
parishioners and visitors. The second floor of the convent had a face
lift especially stairs, landing with its new sofa, the kitchen
modernized and the two (2) ruined rooms had been restored including the
old rooms. The floor area of the template had been expanded and
flowering plants have been planted on the plant boxes around it. These
improvements were made possible through the initiative of Fr. Felecisimo
Ferrer, Parish Priest and Fr. Constantino Atinaja, Assistant Parish
Priest.
I do not own the pictures I just searched them in
the internet . . . thanks:)
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