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The Diocese of Imus: Discerning, Deciding and Celebrating Being Church
by Rev. Fr. Miguel R. Concepcion lll
based on a fuller historical account written by Rev. Fr. Virgilio Saenz Mendoza,
as published in the CBCP Monitor (Vol 11 No 23 – November 12-25, 2007)
In the past decade, the Province of Cavite (which comprises the Diocese of Imus) had experienced a dramatic and drastic change in its socio-economic, cultural and religious make-up. The typical provincial and mainly agricultural locale has radically burgeoned into an industry-based economy. Its agriculture is now largely confined in the upland areas of the province. Population especially in the lowlands cuts across multi-cultural groups with people from different parts of the country flocking for jobs at various industrial sites and making this part of the Philippines as their second home. As a result, Church community life has also changed. With over two and a half million people, the Church in Cavite has been more alive than ever, hoping, working and moving forward to become more responsive to the needs, conditions, and aspirations of its people.
The Province of Cavite is located in the southwestern part of Luzon, hemmed at the south and southwest by Batangas, at the east and northeast by Laguna and at the west and northwest by Manila Bay. The name “Cavite” comes from the Tagalog word ‘kawit,’ meaning a fish hook which is descriptive of the the fish hook-like formation of the peninsula extending from the present-day Kawit to Cavite City.
In 1571, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi ordered Martin de Goiti to start the initial conquest of Luzon. The Spaniards under Martin de Goiti landed in Cavite and they found out that it was sparsely populated. It was in Kawit where the Spaniards put up a settlement and this community was the first to be called Cavite. From Cavite Viejo (Kawit), the Spaniards proceeded in their exploration and found a small native settlement at the end of the hook, which was then known as Tangway. Eventually, this settlement would be transformed into a walled Spanish port town, which would be called Cavite Puerto. In 1614, Cavite was proclaimed as a politico-military province with Cavite Puerto as capital.
By the 17th century (after half a century of Spanish occupation) Tangway or Cavite Puerto has become a town with stone houses, cobbled streets, light churches, a fort and stonewalls that curtained Intramuros from the bay. Cavite was the Spanish idea of a perfect fort for absolute maritime world power, the harbour and haven for the world’s greatest armadas, an imperial seaport.
The beginnings and spread of the faith in Cavite
Together with the Spanish conquistadores were the missionaries who had sown the seeds of the Catholic faith in the country. In Cavite, the faith sprung and flowed from two points and spread to the province: the first was in Cavite Puerto where the first parish in Cavite was established between 1585 and 1595. This parish came to be known as the Parish of San Pedro Apostol and was run by diocesan priests. In the same period, the Franciscans founded a hospital in Cavite Puerto called the Ospital del Espiritu Santo. From Cavite Puerto, the Franciscans proceeded to Kawit, Bacoor, and Estancia San Francisco de Malabon. In the upland area, the Franciscan sowed the seeds of faith in Silang, Indang and Maragondon. Around 1611, the Franciscan mission was taken over and handed to the Jesuits. The latter in turn continued to spread the faith. They reached other towns including Ternate, Naic and Carmona. At that time, almost all the parishes were under the governance of the Jesuits. But in 1768, the Jesuits were expelled in all places under the Spanish rule. As a result, the Archbishop of Manila handed many parishes in Cavite to the care of Filipino diocesan priests.
The Church during the Spanish era
In organizing Christian communities, one of the foremost tasks that the missionaries have taken was the teaching of catechism among children and adults. Another salient point in the Christianization of Cavite was the promotion of devotions to the Blessed Mother. In Cavite Puerto alone, eight churches were dedicated to the Virgin Mary: Immaculada Concepcion,Virgen de los Remedios, Virgen de Loreto, Nuestra Sra. de los Angeles, Nuestra Sra. del Rosario, Nuestra Sra. de las Dolores, and the foremost was Nuestra Sra. de la Soledad de Porta Vaga which became the patroness of the whole province of Cavite. In other towns like Silang, the Virgin was Nuestra Sra. de Candelaria, Nuestra Sra. de la Asuncion in Maragondon, Immaculada Concepcion both in Naic and Dasmarinas, Nuestra Sra. del Pilar in Imus and Nuestra Sra. del Santissimo Rosario in Salinas. In 1693, the Virgin of Antipolo was brought to Cavite and stayed there for around fourteen (14) years. The first miracle of Nuestra Sra. de Penafrancia, before it became the patroness of Bicol, transpired in cavite. For this reason, Cavite has been considered as Tierra de Maria Santissima.
Aside from Marian devotions, there were other existing devotions by then in the different parts of the province. In the later part of the 17th century, the devotion to Sto. Nino de Ternate spread: an image of the Child Jesus was brought by the mardecas of the Moluccas when they settled at the Barra de Maragondon (Ternate) during the mid-16th century. There was also a deep devotion to Tata Usteng (Saint Augustine) in the town of Sta. Cruz de Malabon (Tanza). The devotion to Mary as Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria was deep and wide in Silang, as well and to St. Mary Magdalene in Kawit. The caracol became popular in Rosario while there was Maytinis in Kawit on Christmas Eve.
The Friar haciendas
In the course of time, different religious congregations came to Cavite to continue sowing and strengthening the natives’ newfound faith. The missionaries, though, were also preoccupied with economic concerns. The friars gradually bought parcels of land while some of these lands were donated by rich families. This was the advent of the haciendas of the friars. The Recollects were the first ones to bu parcels of land beginning in 1666 and their haciendas came to being in 1812. These areas, comprising the Hacienda de Imus included the towns of Imus, Dasmarinas, and Binakayan in Kawit. The Hacienda de San Nicolas de Tolentino had the whole of Bacoor as its scope. The Jesuits, on the other hand, had their own hacienda that spanned from Carmona, Silang, Maragondon to some parts of Naic. The Augustinians, for their share, had Hacienda de San Juan Bautista in San Francisco de Malabon and Naic. The Congragation of San Juan de Dios had a ranch in Ligtong (Rosario).
To facilitate travel and commerce, many friars with outstanding skills built bridges, roads, irrigations and more churches, schools, and hospitals. The Zapote-Bacoor Bridge and the one adjacent to the cuartel in Imus were built by priests-engineers belonging to the Recollects. The church of San Telmo in Cavite was designed and constructed by a Dominican priest-architect. Roads linking Molino, San Francisco de Malabon and the rest of Cavite were also constructed by missionaries. Many of them had been faithful to their vows and duties. Saint Peter Bautista and Saint Ezekiel Moreno who both served in Cavite, have been raised and honored as among the holy ones of the Church.
Although the friars had contributed significantly to religious and economic development in the province, there were also adverse courses of actions and unjust practices in their management of the haciendas. From the mal-administration of the haciendas, conflicts and animosities between friars and tenants built up. Whether rightly or wrongly perceive, the mal-administration of the friar haciendas was one of the major causes of the revolution in the Philippines and more particularly in Cavite.
The Church and the faithful during the Revolution
One difference between the revolution in Cavite and that in Manila was the former’s religious sentiment and conviction. Cavitenos, although anti-friar, did not turn their backs against the Church. The revolution in Manila was not only anti-friar but it was at the same time, anti-clerical. Filipino priests taking charge of parishes in Cavite were with the katipuneros in their struggle and quest for freedom. Even amidst the turmoil of the uprising, the Cavitenos were faithful in living out the Christian faith.
The Caviteno clergy: leaders of the Revolution
Cavite’s native clergy took a very active role in the Revolution. Fr. Mariano Gomez was one of the champions of the rights of Caviteno priests. He championed the cause of Caviteno priests who were relieved of their parish assignments between 1850 and 1860. Because of this, he was executed along with Fathers Burgos and Zamora. Inspired by the martyrdom of Gomburza, the native priests promoted the Revolution against Spain while remaining loyal to the Church.
Fr. Manue Trias y Gomez, a nephew of the martyred Fr. Mariano Gomez and Gen. Mariano Trias’ uncle, became a staunch supporter and promoter of the revolution in Cavite. In Ternate, Fr. Esteban del Rosario ignited and kept the flame of the people burning to join the Revolution. The revolution saw more priests-supporters in fathers Arcadio Resurrecion, Fruto Tirona and Simon Villafranca. Simultaneous with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s election as president of the Tejeros Convention by the Revolutionaries, the priests then formed an organization in Maragondon and selected Fr. Cornelio Ignacio as its presidente eclesiastico.
Cavitena Religious Missionaries
Racial discrimination in the Church was rampant during the Spanish era. This deterred native Filipinos to be accepted in different religious orders. The women were more determined. After having been refused admittance to existing convents, they founded their own religious institutes. Some Cavitenas joined these congregations and even occupied high positions. Mother Hipolita Cotelo, became prioress of the Beaterio de la Compania (RVM) in Intramuros between 1845 and 1850. Mother Aniceta de la santissima Trinidad (nee aniceta de la Cruz), an Imusena, was mother prioress of Beaterio de San Sebastian (the present-day Augustinian Recollect Sisters) from 1845-1857. Mother Prudencia del Pilar (nee Prudencia Custodio y Faustino) of San Roque, Cavite also became mother prioress of the same beaterio from 1893-1922. Cavitena religious worked in foreign missions, as well.
The Church during the American Occupation
The separation of the Church and the State was enacted and enforced in the country when the Americans took over from Spain in order to pacify the Revolutionaries. The first step that the Americans significantly took was to purchase the haciendas of the friars for distribution to Filipinos. Because of this, the religious orders lost their properties in Cavite.
In 1902, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (better known as the Aglipayan church) was established. This was the consequence of the rather snail-paced decision and action of Rome to transfer the governance of the Church into the hands of the Filipinos. This nationalistic stance made some towns in Cavite namely Bacoor, Noveleta, San Roque, Caridad, Magallanes, Ternate and Bailen as bastions of the Aglipayans.
In the course of time, the Church got back to her feet. The towns that turned its back to the Church and to the faith developed and gradually returned to the Church’s fold. As in the Spanish times, the Church in Cavite remained under the charge and care of the Archbishopric of Manila.
Erection of the Church of Imus
By virtue of the Apostolic Constitution Christi fidelium promulgated by Pope John XXIII on November 25, 1961, Cavite was created a separate bishopric from manila after more than three hundred years. On April 29, 1962, the diocese of Imus was formally erected and established under the leadership of the first bishop of Cavite, Msgr. Artemio casas, a native of Meycauayan, Bulacan. Our Lady of the Pillar became its titular patroness. Bishop Casas’ incumbency saw the sowing of the seeds of renewal in the local Church.
Seven years after, Bishop Felix Paz Perez, D. D. took over as Bishop of Imus. A Diocesan Synod was planned during the incumbency of Bishop Perez but it did not materialize due to the untimely demise of the Bishop on February 29, 1992. Fr. Pedro Arigo, a native of Kawit (now, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Palawan) took over as administrator.
Most significant among Bishop Perez’s legacy to the diocese are the seminary and formation houses which were established through his efforts. In 1970, a minor was opened, the Our Lady of the Pillar Seminary. After some time, the high school department was phased out and what remained to date were seminarians in the college level. At present the college seminary sits on a 2.6-hectare lot in Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite.
On December 1, 1975, the Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol in Tagaytay City was formally and solemnly blessed by no less than the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, D.D. Today, one seminary with two departments (college and theologate) continues to offer a unique type of formation that is perceived to be more responsive to the needs of the time, ensuring that the formandi’s conditions in relation to the diocese’s dynamics and the signs of the times are looked into and enhanced. It is more apostolate-based as it also encourages excellence in other aspects of formation --- academics, spiritual growth, human formation and community life.
His twenty-three-year term of being shepherd of the whole province of Cavite saw his true commitment to justice and truth seeking and fighting for the rights and welfare of the diocese and his family, the clergy of Imus. The Church of Cavite during his time responded to the socio-economic needs of the people through livelihood projects and cooperatives of various types. Many of these cooperatives still exist today. The Social Action Commission was strengthened and its concerns broadened with the Church unperturbed in intervening and mediating in various agricultural and industrial disputes in favour of the less fortunate.
Diocesan Pastoral Assembly
Over a year after the death of Bishop Perez, Bishop Manuel Cruz Sobrevinas, D. D. of Dinalupihan, Bataan was appointed Bishop of Imus. At the advent of the Third Millennium, the God of history who reveals his solidarity with his pilgrim people continued to reveal his stirring presence in the changing face of Cavite. On March 5, 1998, the first assembly for the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Consultation was held and as an offshoot, the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly Commission was created. A series of Pre-Diocesan Pastoral assembly Consultation Seminars were undertaken in parishes from September until October of 1998. Another significant and groundbreaking endeavour was set in November in November 12-13, 1998 when the diocesan vision-mission statement was formulated in Tagaytay City through the support of the Social Pastoral Institute (SPI).
Through and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, every Christian faithful in Cavite was given a common dream, the vision of the Diocese of Imus: Maging Sambayanang Kristiyanong maka-Diyos: maka-Tao, maka-Buhay, maka-Kalikasan at maka-Bayan --- mga alagad ni Kristo at Simbahan ng mga Duka na may pananagutan at pakikisangkot sa pinagpanibagong lipunan sa tulong ni Maria, Birhen del Pilar.’ In order to promote this vision, a course and focus of action was set: [1] continuous integral formation among the clergy, the religious and the laity; [2] creation and strengthening of basic ecclesial communities (BEC) anchored on the Word of God and the Teachings of the Church to become witnesses to God’s reign and his Kingdom; [3] establishment of appropriate structures and diocesan, vicarial and parochial programs and thrusts; and finally, [4] Christian response to changes and development affecting the family, in particular, and the society, in general.
Finally, the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA) was convoked on February 22-27, 1999 at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Tagaytay City. The Assembly was attended and participated in by the clergy, the religious and the laity representatives of the whole Diocese of Imus. This was the first-ever gathering of this kind in the diocese.
After thirty-six years of existing as a diocese, confident of the guidance and grace of the Holy Spirit, the Church in Imus gathered as an Assembly, sat and reflected to take a long look into the situation of Cavite. Here, it was examined what and how the Church could respond more to the needs of the people according to the times. The bishop, the clergy, the religious and the laity expressed their conviction for a new pastoral path to take to address the growing and revitalized Catholic faith in the province. The Assembly recognized the different and multi-faceted needs according to the socio-economic, political, cultural, and religious status at hand. The response ought to be focused on the shepherding and caring for the people (tao), all forms of life, particularly human life (buhay), creation or nature (kalikasan), order (kaayusan), and relationship with God (pagkilala sa Diyos).
On October 19, 2001, a Diocesan Pastoral Planning was called and held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Silang, Cavite to bring down the fruits of the Assembly and promote the diocesan vision to and among the people. Around eighty (80) participants including the bishop, clergy, religious and laity gathered together. It was in this meeting and reflection that a clear and definite response of the Church was drafted for people to live and experience the kingdom of God. The fruit of this gathering came to be known as the Diocesan Pastoral Plan (DPP), which was to be implemented and undertaken through various apostolates and ministries.
Rev. Fr. Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, an Imuseno, then parish-priest of Our Lady of the Pillar Parish (Imus Cathedral) and Rector of the theological seminary, Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol took over as the fourth Bishop of Imus on October 22, 2001. Bishop Tagle took the reins of shepherding the Caviteno faithful with fascination of the goodness of God and his people. Closest to his heart it seems are the diocesan seminaries: Our Lady of the Pillar Seminary and Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol in which he continues to be the rector.
The Diocesan Pastoral Priorities for Evangelization
In May 2002, all participants to the diocesan planning were once again convened in Kawit, Cavite to synthesize the results of various consultations undertaken. A pre-final draft was prepared and eventually presented in the final gathering of the lay, religious and clergy of the Diocese of Imus. Later in June 2002, the drafts on the nature of the different apostolate and ministries were discussed. Bishop Chito Tagle promulgated on October 16, 2002 five apostolate and twenty-two (22) ministries of the Diocese of Imus as the first step towards the realization of the diocesan vision. These are: [1] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagkilala sa Diyos (with the following ministries: katekesis, pagbubuo ng mga simbahang pamayanan,popular religiosity at mga debosyon, at liturhiya); [2] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pangangalaga sa Tao (with the ministries on pamilya, kabataan, paaralan, pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga lingkod-bayan, pagtataguyod sa bokasyon, paghuhubog sa pagkapari, mga relihiyosa at relihiyoso); [3] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagtataguyod sa Buhay (with the following ministries: pagkalinga, pagtataguyod sa karapatang-pantao, mga manggawa, mga mangingisda, mga maralitang nasa Cavite and migrante sa ibayong dagat); [4] apostolado sa Larangan ng Pamamahala sa Kalikasan (ministri sa pamamahala sa kalikasan); [5] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Kaayusan (that includes the ministries on: pangangasiwa ng pananalapi at mga pag-aari ng Simbahan, pananaliksik at komunikasyon, pangangasiwa sa mga kumbento at opisina ng Diyosesis).
On March 25, 2004, the Bishop of Imus promulgated the Diocesan Patoral Priorities for Evangelization or better known in Cavite as the DPP-E which defines the direction for pastoral planning of the five apostolate and twenty-two ministries at hand. To introduce the vision and the programs, parishioners are encouraged to enrol in a modular series of formation called Pahayag, which was scholarly done and pastorally-oriented in its very nature. One of the processes involved is the discernment of charisms among the clergy, lay leaders and parishioners primarily to come up with persons-in-charge of the different apostolate and ministries. To date, all areas of the apostolate and ministries, still groping towards interministeriality which is the interconnection of programs among all ministries to avoid overlapping of tasks and concerns, according to Rev. Fr. Sharkey Brown, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Concerns, are going forward with their respective thrusts and programs, a collaborative endeavour between those ordained and consecrated and the laity.
The Diocese is cognizant that as a Church, a distinct kind of strategy for the realization of its vision ought to be deeply stressed --- pagkilatis, pagpapasya, at pagdiriwang. This holistic process of discernment-decision-celebration calls for deep prayer and the ability to listen and immerse oneself before God and in the lives of people. The Church is moving towards re-appropriation of the diocesan vision to various apostolate and ministries and ensuring that particularly ministry visions are linked with the grander vision of the Diocese and promotes interministeriality. All these should be attuned and should correlate with the Teachings of the Church, with Scriptures, and Tradition. This is the present thrust of the local Church in Cavite.
In the words of Bishop Chito Tagle, the Diocese of Imus dreams to be a Sambayanang Kristiyano, a type of Church focused beyond herself. Her identity is intricately bound with the vision of the Kingdom of God so that every step taken with missionary zeal and fervor brings this Kingdom into the real lives of God’s people in all strata of society.
With the rich historical and spiritual legacy of the Catholic faith in the Diocese of Imus which spans four centuries and counting on the warm and unwavering response of its parishioners to the present-day thrusts and vision, the whole Church in Cavite stands on a new threshold of pastoral work dedicated to strengthening and further deepening its faith heritage in the face of the magnitude of recent social, economic, political, moral, cultural and religious developments and trends that are set to test, more than anything else, the spiritual and moral fibre and psyche of Cavite’s faithful, God’s people.
based on a fuller historical account written by Rev. Fr. Virgilio Saenz Mendoza,
as published in the CBCP Monitor (Vol 11 No 23 – November 12-25, 2007)
In the past decade, the Province of Cavite (which comprises the Diocese of Imus) had experienced a dramatic and drastic change in its socio-economic, cultural and religious make-up. The typical provincial and mainly agricultural locale has radically burgeoned into an industry-based economy. Its agriculture is now largely confined in the upland areas of the province. Population especially in the lowlands cuts across multi-cultural groups with people from different parts of the country flocking for jobs at various industrial sites and making this part of the Philippines as their second home. As a result, Church community life has also changed. With over two and a half million people, the Church in Cavite has been more alive than ever, hoping, working and moving forward to become more responsive to the needs, conditions, and aspirations of its people.
The Province of Cavite is located in the southwestern part of Luzon, hemmed at the south and southwest by Batangas, at the east and northeast by Laguna and at the west and northwest by Manila Bay. The name “Cavite” comes from the Tagalog word ‘kawit,’ meaning a fish hook which is descriptive of the the fish hook-like formation of the peninsula extending from the present-day Kawit to Cavite City.
In 1571, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi ordered Martin de Goiti to start the initial conquest of Luzon. The Spaniards under Martin de Goiti landed in Cavite and they found out that it was sparsely populated. It was in Kawit where the Spaniards put up a settlement and this community was the first to be called Cavite. From Cavite Viejo (Kawit), the Spaniards proceeded in their exploration and found a small native settlement at the end of the hook, which was then known as Tangway. Eventually, this settlement would be transformed into a walled Spanish port town, which would be called Cavite Puerto. In 1614, Cavite was proclaimed as a politico-military province with Cavite Puerto as capital.
By the 17th century (after half a century of Spanish occupation) Tangway or Cavite Puerto has become a town with stone houses, cobbled streets, light churches, a fort and stonewalls that curtained Intramuros from the bay. Cavite was the Spanish idea of a perfect fort for absolute maritime world power, the harbour and haven for the world’s greatest armadas, an imperial seaport.
The beginnings and spread of the faith in Cavite
Together with the Spanish conquistadores were the missionaries who had sown the seeds of the Catholic faith in the country. In Cavite, the faith sprung and flowed from two points and spread to the province: the first was in Cavite Puerto where the first parish in Cavite was established between 1585 and 1595. This parish came to be known as the Parish of San Pedro Apostol and was run by diocesan priests. In the same period, the Franciscans founded a hospital in Cavite Puerto called the Ospital del Espiritu Santo. From Cavite Puerto, the Franciscans proceeded to Kawit, Bacoor, and Estancia San Francisco de Malabon. In the upland area, the Franciscan sowed the seeds of faith in Silang, Indang and Maragondon. Around 1611, the Franciscan mission was taken over and handed to the Jesuits. The latter in turn continued to spread the faith. They reached other towns including Ternate, Naic and Carmona. At that time, almost all the parishes were under the governance of the Jesuits. But in 1768, the Jesuits were expelled in all places under the Spanish rule. As a result, the Archbishop of Manila handed many parishes in Cavite to the care of Filipino diocesan priests.
The Church during the Spanish era
In organizing Christian communities, one of the foremost tasks that the missionaries have taken was the teaching of catechism among children and adults. Another salient point in the Christianization of Cavite was the promotion of devotions to the Blessed Mother. In Cavite Puerto alone, eight churches were dedicated to the Virgin Mary: Immaculada Concepcion,Virgen de los Remedios, Virgen de Loreto, Nuestra Sra. de los Angeles, Nuestra Sra. del Rosario, Nuestra Sra. de las Dolores, and the foremost was Nuestra Sra. de la Soledad de Porta Vaga which became the patroness of the whole province of Cavite. In other towns like Silang, the Virgin was Nuestra Sra. de Candelaria, Nuestra Sra. de la Asuncion in Maragondon, Immaculada Concepcion both in Naic and Dasmarinas, Nuestra Sra. del Pilar in Imus and Nuestra Sra. del Santissimo Rosario in Salinas. In 1693, the Virgin of Antipolo was brought to Cavite and stayed there for around fourteen (14) years. The first miracle of Nuestra Sra. de Penafrancia, before it became the patroness of Bicol, transpired in cavite. For this reason, Cavite has been considered as Tierra de Maria Santissima.
Aside from Marian devotions, there were other existing devotions by then in the different parts of the province. In the later part of the 17th century, the devotion to Sto. Nino de Ternate spread: an image of the Child Jesus was brought by the mardecas of the Moluccas when they settled at the Barra de Maragondon (Ternate) during the mid-16th century. There was also a deep devotion to Tata Usteng (Saint Augustine) in the town of Sta. Cruz de Malabon (Tanza). The devotion to Mary as Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria was deep and wide in Silang, as well and to St. Mary Magdalene in Kawit. The caracol became popular in Rosario while there was Maytinis in Kawit on Christmas Eve.
The Friar haciendas
In the course of time, different religious congregations came to Cavite to continue sowing and strengthening the natives’ newfound faith. The missionaries, though, were also preoccupied with economic concerns. The friars gradually bought parcels of land while some of these lands were donated by rich families. This was the advent of the haciendas of the friars. The Recollects were the first ones to bu parcels of land beginning in 1666 and their haciendas came to being in 1812. These areas, comprising the Hacienda de Imus included the towns of Imus, Dasmarinas, and Binakayan in Kawit. The Hacienda de San Nicolas de Tolentino had the whole of Bacoor as its scope. The Jesuits, on the other hand, had their own hacienda that spanned from Carmona, Silang, Maragondon to some parts of Naic. The Augustinians, for their share, had Hacienda de San Juan Bautista in San Francisco de Malabon and Naic. The Congragation of San Juan de Dios had a ranch in Ligtong (Rosario).
To facilitate travel and commerce, many friars with outstanding skills built bridges, roads, irrigations and more churches, schools, and hospitals. The Zapote-Bacoor Bridge and the one adjacent to the cuartel in Imus were built by priests-engineers belonging to the Recollects. The church of San Telmo in Cavite was designed and constructed by a Dominican priest-architect. Roads linking Molino, San Francisco de Malabon and the rest of Cavite were also constructed by missionaries. Many of them had been faithful to their vows and duties. Saint Peter Bautista and Saint Ezekiel Moreno who both served in Cavite, have been raised and honored as among the holy ones of the Church.
Although the friars had contributed significantly to religious and economic development in the province, there were also adverse courses of actions and unjust practices in their management of the haciendas. From the mal-administration of the haciendas, conflicts and animosities between friars and tenants built up. Whether rightly or wrongly perceive, the mal-administration of the friar haciendas was one of the major causes of the revolution in the Philippines and more particularly in Cavite.
The Church and the faithful during the Revolution
One difference between the revolution in Cavite and that in Manila was the former’s religious sentiment and conviction. Cavitenos, although anti-friar, did not turn their backs against the Church. The revolution in Manila was not only anti-friar but it was at the same time, anti-clerical. Filipino priests taking charge of parishes in Cavite were with the katipuneros in their struggle and quest for freedom. Even amidst the turmoil of the uprising, the Cavitenos were faithful in living out the Christian faith.
The Caviteno clergy: leaders of the Revolution
Cavite’s native clergy took a very active role in the Revolution. Fr. Mariano Gomez was one of the champions of the rights of Caviteno priests. He championed the cause of Caviteno priests who were relieved of their parish assignments between 1850 and 1860. Because of this, he was executed along with Fathers Burgos and Zamora. Inspired by the martyrdom of Gomburza, the native priests promoted the Revolution against Spain while remaining loyal to the Church.
Fr. Manue Trias y Gomez, a nephew of the martyred Fr. Mariano Gomez and Gen. Mariano Trias’ uncle, became a staunch supporter and promoter of the revolution in Cavite. In Ternate, Fr. Esteban del Rosario ignited and kept the flame of the people burning to join the Revolution. The revolution saw more priests-supporters in fathers Arcadio Resurrecion, Fruto Tirona and Simon Villafranca. Simultaneous with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s election as president of the Tejeros Convention by the Revolutionaries, the priests then formed an organization in Maragondon and selected Fr. Cornelio Ignacio as its presidente eclesiastico.
Cavitena Religious Missionaries
Racial discrimination in the Church was rampant during the Spanish era. This deterred native Filipinos to be accepted in different religious orders. The women were more determined. After having been refused admittance to existing convents, they founded their own religious institutes. Some Cavitenas joined these congregations and even occupied high positions. Mother Hipolita Cotelo, became prioress of the Beaterio de la Compania (RVM) in Intramuros between 1845 and 1850. Mother Aniceta de la santissima Trinidad (nee aniceta de la Cruz), an Imusena, was mother prioress of Beaterio de San Sebastian (the present-day Augustinian Recollect Sisters) from 1845-1857. Mother Prudencia del Pilar (nee Prudencia Custodio y Faustino) of San Roque, Cavite also became mother prioress of the same beaterio from 1893-1922. Cavitena religious worked in foreign missions, as well.
The Church during the American Occupation
The separation of the Church and the State was enacted and enforced in the country when the Americans took over from Spain in order to pacify the Revolutionaries. The first step that the Americans significantly took was to purchase the haciendas of the friars for distribution to Filipinos. Because of this, the religious orders lost their properties in Cavite.
In 1902, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (better known as the Aglipayan church) was established. This was the consequence of the rather snail-paced decision and action of Rome to transfer the governance of the Church into the hands of the Filipinos. This nationalistic stance made some towns in Cavite namely Bacoor, Noveleta, San Roque, Caridad, Magallanes, Ternate and Bailen as bastions of the Aglipayans.
In the course of time, the Church got back to her feet. The towns that turned its back to the Church and to the faith developed and gradually returned to the Church’s fold. As in the Spanish times, the Church in Cavite remained under the charge and care of the Archbishopric of Manila.
Erection of the Church of Imus
By virtue of the Apostolic Constitution Christi fidelium promulgated by Pope John XXIII on November 25, 1961, Cavite was created a separate bishopric from manila after more than three hundred years. On April 29, 1962, the diocese of Imus was formally erected and established under the leadership of the first bishop of Cavite, Msgr. Artemio casas, a native of Meycauayan, Bulacan. Our Lady of the Pillar became its titular patroness. Bishop Casas’ incumbency saw the sowing of the seeds of renewal in the local Church.
Seven years after, Bishop Felix Paz Perez, D. D. took over as Bishop of Imus. A Diocesan Synod was planned during the incumbency of Bishop Perez but it did not materialize due to the untimely demise of the Bishop on February 29, 1992. Fr. Pedro Arigo, a native of Kawit (now, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Palawan) took over as administrator.
Most significant among Bishop Perez’s legacy to the diocese are the seminary and formation houses which were established through his efforts. In 1970, a minor was opened, the Our Lady of the Pillar Seminary. After some time, the high school department was phased out and what remained to date were seminarians in the college level. At present the college seminary sits on a 2.6-hectare lot in Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite.
On December 1, 1975, the Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol in Tagaytay City was formally and solemnly blessed by no less than the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, D.D. Today, one seminary with two departments (college and theologate) continues to offer a unique type of formation that is perceived to be more responsive to the needs of the time, ensuring that the formandi’s conditions in relation to the diocese’s dynamics and the signs of the times are looked into and enhanced. It is more apostolate-based as it also encourages excellence in other aspects of formation --- academics, spiritual growth, human formation and community life.
His twenty-three-year term of being shepherd of the whole province of Cavite saw his true commitment to justice and truth seeking and fighting for the rights and welfare of the diocese and his family, the clergy of Imus. The Church of Cavite during his time responded to the socio-economic needs of the people through livelihood projects and cooperatives of various types. Many of these cooperatives still exist today. The Social Action Commission was strengthened and its concerns broadened with the Church unperturbed in intervening and mediating in various agricultural and industrial disputes in favour of the less fortunate.
Diocesan Pastoral Assembly
Over a year after the death of Bishop Perez, Bishop Manuel Cruz Sobrevinas, D. D. of Dinalupihan, Bataan was appointed Bishop of Imus. At the advent of the Third Millennium, the God of history who reveals his solidarity with his pilgrim people continued to reveal his stirring presence in the changing face of Cavite. On March 5, 1998, the first assembly for the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Consultation was held and as an offshoot, the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly Commission was created. A series of Pre-Diocesan Pastoral assembly Consultation Seminars were undertaken in parishes from September until October of 1998. Another significant and groundbreaking endeavour was set in November in November 12-13, 1998 when the diocesan vision-mission statement was formulated in Tagaytay City through the support of the Social Pastoral Institute (SPI).
Through and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, every Christian faithful in Cavite was given a common dream, the vision of the Diocese of Imus: Maging Sambayanang Kristiyanong maka-Diyos: maka-Tao, maka-Buhay, maka-Kalikasan at maka-Bayan --- mga alagad ni Kristo at Simbahan ng mga Duka na may pananagutan at pakikisangkot sa pinagpanibagong lipunan sa tulong ni Maria, Birhen del Pilar.’ In order to promote this vision, a course and focus of action was set: [1] continuous integral formation among the clergy, the religious and the laity; [2] creation and strengthening of basic ecclesial communities (BEC) anchored on the Word of God and the Teachings of the Church to become witnesses to God’s reign and his Kingdom; [3] establishment of appropriate structures and diocesan, vicarial and parochial programs and thrusts; and finally, [4] Christian response to changes and development affecting the family, in particular, and the society, in general.
Finally, the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA) was convoked on February 22-27, 1999 at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Tagaytay City. The Assembly was attended and participated in by the clergy, the religious and the laity representatives of the whole Diocese of Imus. This was the first-ever gathering of this kind in the diocese.
After thirty-six years of existing as a diocese, confident of the guidance and grace of the Holy Spirit, the Church in Imus gathered as an Assembly, sat and reflected to take a long look into the situation of Cavite. Here, it was examined what and how the Church could respond more to the needs of the people according to the times. The bishop, the clergy, the religious and the laity expressed their conviction for a new pastoral path to take to address the growing and revitalized Catholic faith in the province. The Assembly recognized the different and multi-faceted needs according to the socio-economic, political, cultural, and religious status at hand. The response ought to be focused on the shepherding and caring for the people (tao), all forms of life, particularly human life (buhay), creation or nature (kalikasan), order (kaayusan), and relationship with God (pagkilala sa Diyos).
On October 19, 2001, a Diocesan Pastoral Planning was called and held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Silang, Cavite to bring down the fruits of the Assembly and promote the diocesan vision to and among the people. Around eighty (80) participants including the bishop, clergy, religious and laity gathered together. It was in this meeting and reflection that a clear and definite response of the Church was drafted for people to live and experience the kingdom of God. The fruit of this gathering came to be known as the Diocesan Pastoral Plan (DPP), which was to be implemented and undertaken through various apostolates and ministries.
Rev. Fr. Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, an Imuseno, then parish-priest of Our Lady of the Pillar Parish (Imus Cathedral) and Rector of the theological seminary, Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol took over as the fourth Bishop of Imus on October 22, 2001. Bishop Tagle took the reins of shepherding the Caviteno faithful with fascination of the goodness of God and his people. Closest to his heart it seems are the diocesan seminaries: Our Lady of the Pillar Seminary and Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol in which he continues to be the rector.
The Diocesan Pastoral Priorities for Evangelization
In May 2002, all participants to the diocesan planning were once again convened in Kawit, Cavite to synthesize the results of various consultations undertaken. A pre-final draft was prepared and eventually presented in the final gathering of the lay, religious and clergy of the Diocese of Imus. Later in June 2002, the drafts on the nature of the different apostolate and ministries were discussed. Bishop Chito Tagle promulgated on October 16, 2002 five apostolate and twenty-two (22) ministries of the Diocese of Imus as the first step towards the realization of the diocesan vision. These are: [1] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagkilala sa Diyos (with the following ministries: katekesis, pagbubuo ng mga simbahang pamayanan,popular religiosity at mga debosyon, at liturhiya); [2] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pangangalaga sa Tao (with the ministries on pamilya, kabataan, paaralan, pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga lingkod-bayan, pagtataguyod sa bokasyon, paghuhubog sa pagkapari, mga relihiyosa at relihiyoso); [3] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagtataguyod sa Buhay (with the following ministries: pagkalinga, pagtataguyod sa karapatang-pantao, mga manggawa, mga mangingisda, mga maralitang nasa Cavite and migrante sa ibayong dagat); [4] apostolado sa Larangan ng Pamamahala sa Kalikasan (ministri sa pamamahala sa kalikasan); [5] Apostolado sa Larangan ng Kaayusan (that includes the ministries on: pangangasiwa ng pananalapi at mga pag-aari ng Simbahan, pananaliksik at komunikasyon, pangangasiwa sa mga kumbento at opisina ng Diyosesis).
On March 25, 2004, the Bishop of Imus promulgated the Diocesan Patoral Priorities for Evangelization or better known in Cavite as the DPP-E which defines the direction for pastoral planning of the five apostolate and twenty-two ministries at hand. To introduce the vision and the programs, parishioners are encouraged to enrol in a modular series of formation called Pahayag, which was scholarly done and pastorally-oriented in its very nature. One of the processes involved is the discernment of charisms among the clergy, lay leaders and parishioners primarily to come up with persons-in-charge of the different apostolate and ministries. To date, all areas of the apostolate and ministries, still groping towards interministeriality which is the interconnection of programs among all ministries to avoid overlapping of tasks and concerns, according to Rev. Fr. Sharkey Brown, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Concerns, are going forward with their respective thrusts and programs, a collaborative endeavour between those ordained and consecrated and the laity.
The Diocese is cognizant that as a Church, a distinct kind of strategy for the realization of its vision ought to be deeply stressed --- pagkilatis, pagpapasya, at pagdiriwang. This holistic process of discernment-decision-celebration calls for deep prayer and the ability to listen and immerse oneself before God and in the lives of people. The Church is moving towards re-appropriation of the diocesan vision to various apostolate and ministries and ensuring that particularly ministry visions are linked with the grander vision of the Diocese and promotes interministeriality. All these should be attuned and should correlate with the Teachings of the Church, with Scriptures, and Tradition. This is the present thrust of the local Church in Cavite.
In the words of Bishop Chito Tagle, the Diocese of Imus dreams to be a Sambayanang Kristiyano, a type of Church focused beyond herself. Her identity is intricately bound with the vision of the Kingdom of God so that every step taken with missionary zeal and fervor brings this Kingdom into the real lives of God’s people in all strata of society.
With the rich historical and spiritual legacy of the Catholic faith in the Diocese of Imus which spans four centuries and counting on the warm and unwavering response of its parishioners to the present-day thrusts and vision, the whole Church in Cavite stands on a new threshold of pastoral work dedicated to strengthening and further deepening its faith heritage in the face of the magnitude of recent social, economic, political, moral, cultural and religious developments and trends that are set to test, more than anything else, the spiritual and moral fibre and psyche of Cavite’s faithful, God’s people.