A.Paulita Roa
MANY are unaware of the historical fact that in 1622, two Recollect priests who were the first Spaniards to enter the Cagaiang (now Cagayan) territory also did another historical first--when they celebrated the first mass here. This was recorded in a Recollect journal by Fray Luis de Jesus, ORSA and was printed in 1681 in Madrid. It is written in 16th century Spanish.
However, there is an English translation of this and it was done by two prominent American historiographers and translators namely Emma Helena Blair and James Alexander Robertson. This Recollect journal is included in their monumental work titled, “The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898” along with other Spanish documents that were all translated to English. Commonly known as “Blair and Robertson” by scholars and researchers, this is a collection that consists of 55 volumes and it provide important and valuable sources of our history. This six-year collaborative work was started in 1903.
Let me quote a portion of Fray Luis de Jesus’ journal that is found in Volume 21, pages 231 to 233 of the “The Philippine Islands, 1493 - 1898” by Blair and Robertson:
“Preaching of Ours in the river of Cagaiang
“Let us leave those islands for a moment and return to Mindanao, where Ours were fervently attending to their ministry. After having put Christianity on the best footing possible along the shores of Butuan, they went forty leguas farther on by the sea, to look for another river called Cagaiang, as they had been told that its inhabitants were a people more docile than the other inhabitants, in order to enlighten them with the light of the gospel. The lord of that land was an Indian named Salangsang. He lived on a steep and inaccessible rock, which is a peninsula called Himologan. It had no other approaches or mode of ascent than certain ladders made of rattans (bexucos), which resemble strong osiers. When those were removed it was fortified and protected from invasions of enemies. The customs of those people are like those related of the inhabitants of Caraghas. The path opened for that undertaking was that Dona Magdalena Bacuya, a Christian Indian woman (the grandmother of the above mentioned Indian, Salangsang), being moved by zeal for the honor of God, and compassion of the blindness of those people, went to see her grandson. Although with difficulty, she succeeded in gaining admittance for our ministers, who were at that time staying at the island of Camigui without being able to accomplish that which they wished. Finally, fathers Fray Juan de San Nicolas and Fray Francisco de la Madre de Dios arrived there (at Himologan), and found the chief in the presence of five hundred Indians who lived in that place. That site, perched on its summit, was a very agreeable residence capacious enough for that people to live in a house resembling a cloister, so large that they lived in it with their families. These had communication on the inside, while it was strongly enclosed on the outside. In the middle of it was the diwatahan or temple dedicated to the devil. It was a little house and dirty, as was he who was worshiped there. The prince received the ministers with some show of affection, for he gave them a little buffet on the cheek, as a sign that he received them as friends.
“Those people wondered at seeing those ministers in their lands, and joked about them, taking them for madmen, since they entered without weapons or other defense, to seek their death. But as those fathers had God on their side, whose cause they were serving, His sovereign Majesty ordained that the chief, showing them kindness, should give them a small corner in his house, so that they might live securely, although very uncomfortably. For no one gave them anything, and, in order to live, they had to go fishing and to carry wood and water on their backs. They suffered considerably from that, but in joy and gladness, for they were serving the Lord, to whom they were attempting to offer those barbarous people by means of the preaching of the faith.
“The fathers obtained permission to celebrate the holy mystery of the mass, although it had to be done outside that rock, the dwelling-place of the Indians. They selected the shore of a small river near the sea. There with their own hands they raised an oratory and an altar, where they celebrated mass with great labor, because they had to carry on their shoulders all the things necessary for the work, without any one aiding them. Then they went up and locked themselves in their little lodging, which served them as cell and choir, going out only to discuss with the leading Indians the knowledge of the true God. By that good example, they steadily gained great love, and the people presented to them some food.”
The narrative is the first written account about Cagayan and the people that lived in Himologan. It is loaded with many interesting historical data that I would like to point out, but for now, let us focus on the site of the first mass in Cagayan. It is written that the said mass was celebrated outside of Himologan, on a site selected by the two priests--by a small river near the sea. It must have been a beautiful and pleasant place for they deemed it worthy to build a small “chapel” with an altar where they said the holy mass.
Where is this place now? That area by a small river near the sea, which perhaps, was not far from Himologan. It is best that we look at the size and landscape of 16th century Cagaiang territory for possible clues of this important historical site next week. (to be concluded next week)
