Unfolding the History of the Quadricentennial Roman Catholic Churches in the Province of Camarines Norte

Abstract

Faith and religion are inseparable elements that shape one’s being and personhood. The foundation of history in any place in the world and even in the remotest area of a small province has its roots in the early civilization of the local folks’ culture, traditions, beliefs, and ethnography. As a devoted Roman Catholic who was born and raised in the same faith by equally devoted parents, the researcher took a heartfelt fascination on how religion influenced, shaped, and reshaped the Province of Camarines Norte. As cited by Noel Alegre (2010) in his study of the Masonic symbols on the façade of Our Lady of the Candle Church in Paracale, Camarines Norte, “History of religions ceases to be on museum of fossils, ruins, and obsolete memorabilia and becomes what it should have been from the beginning for any investigator: a series of ‘messages’ waiting to be deciphered and understood” (Eliade in Comstock, 1971:57). Inspired by the study of Alegre, the researcher unearthed and unfolded the historical beginnings, developments, and contributions of the quadricentennial Roman Catholic Churches namely: St. John the Baptist Church in Daet, Nuestra Señora De la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candle) in Paracale and Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol (St. Peter the Apostle) Church in Vinzons to provide and store verified information of the past, and how these catholic churches influenced and shaped the lives of the local folks in the Province of Camarines Norte. Tino (2023) also cited that “every society which honors basic human rights, has a role for the church and the state, the church has lived with under every form to men, nations, and governments come and go but the church endures; it is the oldest living institution known to man.” Being a devoted Roman Catholic, born and raised in the same faith by equally devoted parents, the researcher took a heartfelt fascination on how religion could influence, shape, and reshape his immediate society, the Province of Camarines Norte.