Saint Peter the Apostle Church (Vinzons)

The Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol, also known as the St. Peter the Apostle Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in the municipality of Vinzons in Camarines Norte, Philippine Islands. It is the oldest church in Camarines Norte built by the Franciscan friars in 1611.[1] The new parish priest is Rev. Fr. Milo Jojo M. Caymo, appointed in January 10, 2023.

Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church
Church facade in 2023
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol is located in Camarines Norte
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol is located in Luzon
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol is located in Philippines
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol
14°10′22″N 122°54′24″E
LocationVinzons, Camarines Norte
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusParish church
Architecture
Functional statusactive
StyleBaroque
Completed1611

History

A town named Tacboan was established by Franciscan priests in 1581. In 1611, Fr. Juan de Losar, OFM built a church named after Saint Peter. Fr. Losar was the first parish priest of the church. In 1624, the whole town of Tacboan was relocated and it was called Indan where a new church was built with the same patron saint, St. Peter the Apostle. In 1636, the missionaries established a church of Labo combining with Indan. In 1661, the secular clergy started administering the church.

After World War II, Indan was renamed Vinzons in honor of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons; a former governor of the Camarines Norte, youngest delegate to the Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1935, and a guerrilla leader martyred by the Japanese during World War II.

In 1994, the left and right sides of the church were repaired with the help of the townspeople. In 2011, the 400th foundation anniversary of the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle including the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Daet and Paracale Church|Parish of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Paracale was celebrated.

On December 26, 2012, the church was destroyed by a fire.[2] According to its parish priest, Fr. Francisco Regala Jr., the historical artifacts of church were not saved.[2] The Governor of Camarines Norte, Edgardo Tallado, said that the slow response of the fire marshall resulted in the destruction of the whole church except for the concrete walls.[3]

Reconstruction

Through the efforts of Fr. Augusto Jesus B. Angeles III, the 400-year-old limestone church was restored in a 15th-century setting. The flooring consists of the same baldozas mosaicos or machuca tiles, specially fired and featuring the same design. Wooden doors and benches are made of yakal, featuring sculpted banyan tree leaves. The windows are handcrafted and fired by Kraut Art Glass with a modern and symmetrical design. Chandeliers and ceiling murals were commissioned pro bono by Hermes Alegre, a visual artist from the Philippines. These works were made possible by the donations of a few families in Vinzons, such as the altar with Italian granite flooring. The church's pulpit was also restored using the wooden materials which survived the fire that gutted it.

The church was inaugurated on June 29, 2015, on the feast of its patron saint, St. Peter the Apostle.

Features
Church interior in 2023

The facade is plain and traditional, with a triangular pediment and a flat wall. There are no horizontal bands to separate the facade into storeys, though a steam of cornices separate the pediment from the wall.[4] An arched main portal contrasts against the otherwise plain facade, its smoothness stark against the unplastered masonwork of the rest of the facade. The spacious central niche holds the town patron, surrounded by a florid frame. A square bell tower rises to the church's left. It tapers slightly and a peculiar layering indicates different types of masonry used in its construction. Its campanile windows are protected with decorative balustrades and a squat spire is topped with a cross.

List of parish priests
NameYears of Pastorship
Rev. Fr. Manuel Isidro de Vera †1845 - 1864
Rev. Fr. Antonio Peñalosa †1865 - 1874
Rev. Fr. Avelino Vinzons †1874 - 1881
Fr. Carlos Cabido †1881
Rev. Fr. Isaac Villareal †1881 - 1882
Fr. Vicente Rojo †1882 - 1888
Fr. Toribio Martinez †1882 - 1898
Rev. Fr. Marciano Bamba †1898 - 1913
Rev. Fr. Salomon Balane †1913 - 1950
Rev. Msgr. Cayetano Iligan †1950 - 1971
Rev. Fr. Floro Cabrera †1972 - 1976
Rev. Fr. Juan P. Chavez †1976 - 1988
Rev. Fr. Domingo Halum †1988 - 1990
Rev. Msgr. Quirino G. Parcero, H.P. †1990 - 1998
Rev. Msgr. Jose A. Rodriguez, Jr., H.P. †1998 - 2002
Rev. Msgr. Reymundo J. Asis, P.C. †2002 - 2008
Rev. Fr. Francisco P. Regala, Jr. †2008 - 2013
Rev. Fr. Augusto Jesus B. Angeles, III †May 2013 - 2023
Rev. Fr. Milo Jojo M. Caymo †January 2023 - present

List of Parochial Vicars
  • Rev. Fr. Quirino G. Parcero (1962 – 1965)
  • Rev. Fr. Efren S. Sanchez (July 1976 – April 1978)
  • Rev. Fr. Ruben Cammayo (1980s)
  • Rev. Fr. Andrei F. Uy (1996 – 1998)
  • Rev. Fr. Rodrigo A. Lazarte (1998 – 2000s)
  • Rev. Fr. Gerardo P. Nemi (2003 – 2008)
  • Rev. Fr. Venancio Rosales (2005 – 2006)
  • Rev. Fr. Luis M. Puno, Jr. (2008 – 2010)
  • Rev. Fr. Ace D. Baracena (2013 – 2014)
  • Rev. Fr. Rainier M. Abaño (2014 – 2015)
  • Rev. Fr. Donn Corre (2015 – 2019)
  • Rev. Fr. Peter Molina (2019 – 2021)
  • Rev. Fr. Michael T. Rañeses (2021 – 2023)
  • Rev. Fr. Ramiel A. Alvarez (January 2023 – present)

Schedule of services

Masses
  • Monday to Saturday: 6:00 am
  • Friday: 6:00 pm
  • Saturday: 6:00 pm (Anticipated Mass)
  • Sunday: Morning: 5:30 am & 7:30 am

Afternoon: 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm

Baptism
  • Saturday & Sunday: 10:30 am
  • Feast Day: June 29 after 9:30am Mass (Bishop's Mass)

Wedding

By appointment at the Parish Office

Devotions
  • Morning Prayer & Rosary:

Monday to Sunday before the 5:30am, 6:00am, 7:30am Mass

  • Afternoon Prayer & Rosary:

Sunday before the 4:00pm & 6:00pm Mass Monday to Sunday: 6:00pm

  • First Friday Mass: 5:00am and/or 6:00am
  • First Saturday Procession:

4:30am before the 6:00am Mass

References
  1. National Historical Institute. Historical Markers:Regions V-XII. Manila: National Historical Institute, 1994.
  2. "Fire destroys 400-year-old church in Bicol". GMA News. 26 December 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  3. Jonas Cabiles Soltes (26 December 2012). "Fire razes 400-year-old church in Camarines Norte". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  4. Galende, Pedro G. Philippine Church Facades. Quezon City: Filipiniana.net, 2007.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.