DUMAGUETE VISITA IGLESIA
St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral
With the Holy Week coming soon, let me start a series of church stories.
Old churches and temples fascinate me. It’s on top of my list when I find myself in a new place, or revisit some that I can never get enough of.
Dumaguete City was on my bucket list for ages. Fortunately, Cebu Pacific opened a direct route from Davao and I finally made it to the Negros Oriental city.
I had five days to fill up. Too long, especially if the goal set was to go food tripping only. The time in between meals, when the temperature is cooler, allowed me to go walk around the city for some sightseeing.
One of the most popular Dumaguete attractions was just a couple of blocks from the seaside hotel I was staying—the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
The patron saint Catherine of Alexandria is revered as one of the 14 Holy Helpers in Catholicism. Martyred at age 18 in the early 4th century, St. Catherine was said to be a princess and noted scholar, who became a Christian at age, and converted people to Christianity.
Catherine of Alexandria is also known as the Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine. She’s the patron saint of unmarried girls, people who work with a wheel, educators, scholars, among others.
The Dumaguete Cathedral is the locals’ namesake for the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral. Welcoming you as you enter the church grounds are the statues of Saints Matthew, Mark Luke and John, whose statues stand atop the gate’s pillars.
The cathedral holds the distinction of the oldest stone church in Negros. The building’s first cornerstone was laid in 1754 and construction was finished in 1776.
In 1885, the cathedral underwent reconstruction, and in 1936, the present façade extension we see today was added.
On the eastern side of the church grounds stands the Campanario de Dumaguete. According to its marker, it was built upon one of the four original massive watchtowers that parish priest Don Jose Manuel Fernandez de Septien built in the 1760s to discourage Moros from pillaging the town. The two layers or the campanario were added during the administration of Fray Juan Felix de la Encarnacion in 1867.
With the grotto built at the foot of the belfry, the tower has become a place of prayer for the devotees of the Virgin Mother.
When you find yourself in Dumaguete City, do visit the cathedral to say a prayer and admire the architecture of the centuries-old church. If you’re a single lady wishing to get married, perhaps St. Catherine of Alexandria can be of help.
St. Catherine of Alexandria or Dumaguete Cathedral is along Perdices Street, fronting Quezon Park in Dumaguete City.
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