 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
See updated photos of the Cathedral of All Saints |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
THE CATHEDRAL OF ALL SAINT’S IN
RETROSPECT 1903
ONWARDS In October 1901, the General Convention of the House of Bishops in San Francisco, California, U.S.A., made the Philippines a Missionary District of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. (PECUSA). The same convention also elected the Rev. Charles Henry Brent, the rector of the St. Stephen Parish in Boston as the first Bishop of the Missionary District of the Philippines Islands. In 1902, Bishop Brent and Mr. William Howard Taft, the first American Civil Governor of the Philippines, traveled together via Rome to the Philippines. When the two arrived in the Philippines, Bishop Brent observed that the work of the Roman Catholic Church, which started more than three centuries ago, was already deeply rooted especially in Manila and in Central Luzon, hence, he saw it wise “not to set up altar against altar” and adopted a policy of “not interference with the adherents of other churches”. He further said, “We wish to teach the people the true meaning of religious liberty, but this cannot be done by aggression which at best releases men from one form of bigotry to bind them to another”. Because of this condition, Bishop Brent decided to concentrate his ministry to the Americans and other Europeans and the Chinese who were mostly living in Manila and the Filipinos in the North and South. Having this vision in mind, Bishop Brent, together with father Walter C. Clapp who arrived with the Rev. and Mrs. John Armitage Staunton Jr. on the eighteenth of November 1901 traveled across the Cordillera to get acquainted with the places where he would establish mission stations. ALL SAINT’S MISSION BECOMES A CATHEDRAL In mid-January of 1903, Bishop Brent and Fr. Walter Clapp traveled mostly on foot and sometimes on horse back from Manila toward the north to explore the Igorot Territory passing through many villages. On February 17, 190, they finally arrived in the village along the Chico River called Bontoc. It was here where they decided to start the first Episcopal mission in Mountain Province. At that time, the whole mountain tribes were pagan, and Bishop Brent set as his main goal the conversion of these people instead of competing with the well-established Roman Catholic Church in the Lowlands. When Fr. Clapp was stationed in Bontoc for the first time, he must have thought that he had no competition because the Augustinians had abandoned their work in Bontoc, which started in 1893. However, the Roman Catholic Missionaries returned to Bontoc in 1908 and re-established their church. The first Episcopal built was initially called the mission of the Holly Comforter. Bontoc was a good choice since it was a center town and later became the capital of the Mountain Province. Fr. Clapp returned to Bontoc in June of 1903 and set immediately to work. His immediate task was to build a house, which later served as a chapel, dispensary, classrooms, post office and living quarters. This building was first called Mission House. In 1908, it became Mission House Chapel, and in 1910 the name was completely changed to Holy Family Chapel. Much later, a small stoned chapel was built and dedicated to all the saints- hence the name- All Saints Church. As early as 1902, American women missionaries were appointed to join Fr. Clapp. They were: Miss Margaret P. Waterman who took care of “a crowd of little, unwashed, uncombed Igorot girls…..”; Miss Edith B. Oakes, appointed in 1903 who later became Mrs. Clapp, took care of the dispensary; Miss Lizzie H. Whitcombe, appointed in 1905, took care of the dormitory girls and did also other jobs. When Fr. Clapp resigned as priest-in-charge in 1912, the Bontoc mission had a good foundation. Aside from the Holy Family Chapel, the mission was operating a boys’ and girls’ dormitory, school and dispensary. A rectory and some residential houses were built for the priest-in-charge and the other missionaries. Mission work was also started in the nearby villages of Samoki, Alab and Tocucan. Among his early converts, was Pitapit who was baptized later on as Hilary Clapp and became the first Igorot Provincial Doctor. He also served as a provincial governor. The burden of strengthening the foundation fell on the Rev. Edward Allen Sibley who arrived in Bontoc as a deacon in 1908. Fr. Sibley shared his task with a dozen other missionaries who came and went during his nineteen years as priest-in-charge. The most notable accomplishments during Sibley’s years was the expansion of the evangelical and educational work to other outstations. It was at this period when mission work was established in Guina-ang, Mainit, Malegcong, Balili and Payeg-eo. However, it was also during this time when All Saints experienced frequent defections of its members to the Roman Catholic Church which was conducting a strong campaign to win back members it lost after a brief period of inactivity following the defeat of Spain in the Philippines. Father Sibley’s long term ended tragically on November 22. 1931, when he died in a car accident while returning to Bontoc from Tocucan where he conducted service. On hand to succeed Fr. Sibley was the Rev. William H. Wolfe who arrived in 1930 to assist in the outstation work of All Saints. Bishop Governeur F. Mosher, Bishop Brent’s successor, who came all the way from Manila to pay his last respects to the late Fr. Sibley, appointed Fr. Wolfe. Fr. Wolfe’s term (1931-1939) was mark by the construction of much-needed buildings for the central mission and its outstations. At All Saints, a beautiful concrete church was built to replace small stone chapel, which could not accommodate the whole congregation that had now increased to a few hundreds. More significant than the construction of buildings, was the growing involvement of the congregation in the life of the mission. Actually, it was at this period when All Saints began reaping the fruits of the efforts of its early founders. Most of the young converts of the 1910’s and 1920’s were now grown up, educated in the Western tradition, and serving Church and the colonial government (commonwealth in 1936). The first three Igorots to be ordained to the ministry- Albert Masferre, Mark Suluen and Edward Longid – served All Saints one after the other during this period.
The promising 1930’s was suddenly dimmed by the Second World War
in the first part of the 1940’s. When the war came, the Rev.
Clifford B. Nobes, who became priest-in-charge in 1940, was
interned with other missionaries including the new bishop-Norman
Spencer Binsted, by the Japanese invading forces. Fortunately,
for All Saints , there was the Rev. Albert Masferre to continue
the work with some catechists. Fr. Masferre ministered
clandestinely to the members. Through out the war, the Japanese occupied the buildings at the Mission Compound. In the Reoccupation of the Philippines by American forces in 1945, most of the buildings including the beautiful church was ruined from bombing. Rehabilitation followed immediately after the war. At All Saints, church services are now held openly, and classes were resumed with Fr. Masferre in charge of both responsibilities until the arrival of the Rev. Edward Jacobs in 1947 and Rev. Leopold Damrosch in 1949.
The arrival of Suffragan
Bishop Robert F. Wilner and his wife in 1950 boosted the
rehabilitation work at All Saints. Bishop Wilner took charge of
pastoral and administrative work while Mrs. Wilner took care of
the school. When the Wilners left in 1955, the church was
rebuilt and the school was offering a complete elementary course
for the first time.
Following the departure of
Bishop Wilner was the arrival of the Rev. Richard L. Rising who
served until the Rev. Richard R Over succeeded him in
1958.During this period , Sibley- Shaw Memorial Hall was added
to the new buildings at All Saints. This period also saw the
resignation of Bishop Binsted in favor of Rev. Lyman C. Ogilby,
and the increase in the number of native clergymen. Among these
priests who served at All Saints at one time or another in this
period were: Henry Umangil, Alejandro Rulite, Manuel Kiley,
Anthony Sagalla, James Kollin and Juan Sicwaten.
At this time , the Episcopal
church of the Philippines was still a missionary district of
the Episcopal Church of USA ( ECUSA) to delegates the national
convention, which were being held in USA to present the
Missionary District of the Philippine Episcopal Church had to
be elected.
In 1961, Rev. Alejandro Tauli
and Mr. Timothy d. Chaokas were among the delegates who were
elected to represents the Missionary District of the Episcopal
Church of the Philippines to 60th General Convention
Of the ECUSA which was held in Detroit, Michigan from
September 17-19,1961. These two delegates did not only go there
to attend the convention but they were also invited for a series
of speaking engagements to the different churches in some states
after the convention.
Fr. A. Tauli would speaks in
the status of the Philippine Episcopal Church while Mr. Tim D.
Chaokas , who was the vice Governor of the old Mt. Province that
time would speak on Philippine Politics and current issues of
the country.
Being true to his vision of
Filipinizing the Philippine Episcopal Church, Bishop Ogilby
resigned on May 1,1967 to give way to Bishop Benito Cabanban
who was the Suffragan Bishop at that time to become the first
Filipino Bishop of ECP and paved the way to Filipino bishops
there after. He must have felt a great satisfaction and
fulfillment to a dream come true . His dream was very well in
keeping to the theme of this centennial celebration
“Bringing others to Christ: Looking back, moving forward.”
At this time, the Episcopal
church of the Philippines was still a missionary district of the
Episcopal Church of USA (ECUSA) so delegates to the national
convention, which were being held in USA to represent the
Missionary District of the Philippine Episcopal Church, had to
be elected.
In September 17-29 1961, the
Rev. Alejandro Tauli and Mr. Timothy D. Chaokas were among the
delegates who were elected to represents the Missionary District
of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines to the 60th
General Convention of the ECUSA which was held in Detroit,
Michigan. After the convention, the two were invited to speakl
in various churches about the mission work and politics in the
Philippines . Mrs. Sofia O. Bacwaden , Mr. Rex Botengan and Rev.
Thomas Ambucay were among the Philippine delegates in July 1988
to the 69th national convention also held in Detroit,
Michigan. Being true to his vision of Filipinizing the Philippine Episcopal Church, Bishop Ogilby resigned on May 1, 1967 to give way to Bishop Benito Cabanban who was the Suffragan Bishop at that time to become the first Filipino Bishop of ECP and paved the way to Filipino bishops thereafter. He must have felt a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment for a dream come true. His dream was very well in keeping with the theme of this centennial celebration, “Bringing others to Christ: Looking back, moving forward.”
The rector resigned, leaving the congregation uncertain of the future. Fortunately, developments in the early part of the following decade were favorable to All Saints. In 1971 the convention of the Philippines Episcopal Church approved a resolution proposing the division of the PEC into three dioceses. This resolution was implemented in 1972, creating the dioceses of the Northern, Central and Southern Philippines. Because of its strategic location, All Saints naturally became the administrative and spiritual center of the Diocese of the Northern Philippines.
After seven years of being a parish, All Saints
Mission formally became a Cathedral – the seat of the Bishop- on
the installation of the Rev. Edward G. Longid as Diocesan Bishop
on May 10, 1972. The priest-in-charge was now called the Dean of
the Cathedral thereby making the Very Rev.Henry Hakcholna, the
first appointed Dean. In July 1990, Rev. Joseph G. Domogo became
the first elected Dean of the Cathedral of All Saints. Cathedral of All Saints updated photos (taken July 17, 2006, photo: Joel T. Fagsao)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
The Cathedral of All Saint’s Bontoc, Mountain Province is one of
the earliest Anglican Missions established in the Philippines.
From a humble beginning 100 years ago, All Saint’s underwent
remarkable and sometimes traumatic changes to become the center
of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines.
(In photo, the new Cathedral of All
Saints at 80% completion, taken July 17, 2006).
