History of the Santo Nino de Ternate Aglipayan Church

History of the Santo Nino de Ternate Aglipayan Church

History of the Santo Nino de Ternate Aglipayan Church

The first church structure

The present church

A committee of laymen and women were also organized to promote the teachings and doctrines of the church.

In April 1903, the people of Ternate organized a Comite de Caballeros and Comision de Damas, respectively, thus our church was born in the said town. The officers of the Comite de Caballeros were:

Senor Anastacio Ramos – President

Sr. Cenon Zapanta – Vice President

Sr. Ambrosio Nigoza – Secretary

Sr. Ciriaco Ramos – Assistant Secretary

Sr. Jose de Leon – Treasurer

Sr. Valentin Olano – Assistant Treasurer

And forty (40) board members who were prominent names of the town such as the Ninofranco, Dingas, Reyes, Eslabon, Ibanez, Lindo, Pavio, Distrito, Salcedo, Kasteloy, Asuncion, Montoya, Huerto, Tibagayan, Castillo, Estiebar, Ognaya, Katalasan, Hernandez, Federico, Mendoza, Dinglas, Katalasan and Dionis. On the other hand, the Comision de Damas officers were:

Senora Serapia del Rosario – President

Sra Irenea Ninofranco – Vice President

Sra Cornelia Dionisio – Secretary

Sra Marcela Godin – Assistant Secretary

Sra Maria Ramos – Treasurer

Sra Manuela Kasteloy – Assistant Treasurer

And twenty-three (23) councillors.

Unlike in other towns, the Ternatenos had not taken over the old church. Instead, they erected a chapel of light materials within the town center. However, they bring with them the historic icon of the Santo Nino de Ternate and placed it in the altar of their newly erected chapel for the Filipino church. It was their view that since their ancestors, the Mardicas, brought the icon from Ternate, Mollucas, to their new place in the Philippines, hence, it has never been a property of the Roman Church. The imperialistic Roman Church sought the help of their fellow Colonialist Government, which the latter favourably and immediately responded. Under orders of the American Governor General, strong contingent military soldiers had forcibly and violently taken the icon from the altar after they imposed grave threats to the helpless faithful. The Ternatenos, who were our loyal faithful, brought legal action claiming legality on the ownership of the icon. On the other hand, the Roman Church charged with robbery on our church leaders, which the court dismissed. While the litigation dragged for many years, the icon was placed under custody of the Maragondon Church. On the question of ownership, on December 12, 1908, the Supreme Court, as expected, ruled against the Filipinos by unjustly giving the icon to the non-owners, the Roman Church. Despite this painful decision, the Ternatenos remained steadfast to our church.

Source:

Centennial Yearbook of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) – (1902-2002)

Parish of the Holy Child

Date Founded: 1903

Present Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Darius Campos (2016)

Estimated No. Of Household Members: 400 (2002)

Estimated No. Of Individual Members: 2,000 (2002)

Parish Organizations: Laymen of the IFI (LIFI), Women of the PIC (WOPIC), Youth of the IFI (YIFI)