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)
