View source for Saint Ferdinand Co-Cathedral (Ilagan)

{{Short description|Roman Catholic church in Isabela, Philippines}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox church
| name                   = Saint Ferdinand Parish Church
| other name             = Proto-Cathedral of Ilagan
| fullname               =
| image                  = File:Saint Ferdinand Parish Church.jpg
| image_size             =
| caption                = Cathedral [[facade]] in 2022
| pushpin label position =
| coordinates            = {{coord|17.14931|N|121.88907|E|dim:30_region:PH_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin map            = Luzon mainland#Philippines
| map caption            = Location in [[Luzon]]##Location in the Philippines
| location               = [[Ilagan]], [[Isabela province|Isabela]]
| country                = [[Philippines]]
| denomination           = [[Roman Catholic]]
| membership             =
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| founded date           = 1686
| founder                = Pedro Jimenez
| dedication             = [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Saint Ferdinand of Castile]]
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| past bishop            = {{bulleted list|Francisco R. Cruces (1970–1973)|[[Miguel Purugganan|Miguel G. Purugganan]] (1974–1999)|[[Sergio Utleg|Sergio L. Utleg]] (1999–2006)|[[Joseph Nacua|Joseph A. Nacua]] (2008–2017)|Prudencio P. Andaya (appointed as diocesan administrator in 2017–2019)|[[David William Antonio|David William V. Antonio]] (February 12, 2019 – present)}}
| people                 =
| status                 = [[Cathedral]]
| functional status      = Active
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| architectural type     = [[Church building]]
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| materials              = Brick, sand, stone, gravel, cement, steel, concrete
| parish                 =
| deanery                =
| archdiocese            = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao|Tuguegarao]]
| diocese                = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan|Ilagan]]
| diocese start          = 1970
| metropolis             = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao|Tuguegarao]]
| province               = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao|Tuguegarao]]
| archbishop             = [[Ricardo Baccay|Ricardo L. Baccay]]
| bishop                 = [[David William Antonio|David William V. Antonio]]
| priestincharge         = Ric-Zeus E. Angobung
| priest                 =
| asstpriest             =
}}
'''Saint Ferdinand Parish Church''', also known as the '''Proto-Cathedral of Ilagan''', is a [[Roman Catholic]] [[cathedral]] located in Barangay Bagumbayan in [[Ilagan]], the capital of the province of [[Isabela province|Isabela]], [[Philippines]]. The cathedral used to be the episcopal seat of the [[Diocese of Ilagan]] until it was transferred to the [[Gamu Cathedral|Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel]] in the neighboring town of [[Gamu]] in 2003.<ref name=PDI>{{cite news|last1=Darang|first1=Josephine|title=Pope Francis transfers episcopal seat of Diocese of Ilagan to Gamu, Isabela|url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/126825/pope-francis-transfers-episcopal-seat-of-diocese-of-ilagan-to-gamu-isabela|accessdate=March 29, 2015|newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|date=September 22, 2013}}</ref>
==History==
[[Ilagan]] had its beginnings as an ''[[encomienda]]'' of Don Hernandez de Paz circa 1617. The town was also founded as a [[Christian mission|mission]] of the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priests called San Miguel de Bolo on April 21, 1619. After the revolt in 1621 by the inhabitants of Ilagan and the nearby towns of [[Naguilian, Isabela|Naguilian]] and Baculud, nothing was written about the town's history until it was re-founded by Pedro Jimenez in 1678. During that time, it was officially named as San Fernando de Ilagan. It was also formally accepted as a Dominican mission in March 1686.<ref name=Hornedo>{{cite book|last1=Hornedo|first1=Florentino H.|title=On the Trail of Dominican Engineers, Artists & Saints in the Cagayan Valley & Batanes|date=2002|publisher=University of Santo Tomas Publishing House|location=Manila, Philippines|isbn=9715061923|page=31|edition=First}}<!--|accessdate=29 March 2015--></ref>
At around noontime on April 22, 2024, the church was struck by an hour-long fire that occurred during renovations on its roof, destroying its interior and causing a large portion of the roof to collapse. One person was injured after coming into contact with superheated metal while salvaging items from the cathedral.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Velasco |first1=Lanie |title=St. Ferdinand Parish Church sa City of Ilagan, nasunog |date=April 22, 2024 |publisher=Bombo Radyo Cauayan |lang=fil |url=https://cauayan.bomboradyo.com/st-ferdinand-parish-church-sa-city-of-ilagan-nasunog/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Fire guts Ilagan diocese’s original cathedral |date=April 22, 2024 |publisher=CBCP News |lang=en|url=https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/fire-guts-ilagan-dioceses-original-cathedral/}}</ref><ref name="rappler">{{cite news|last1=Esmaquel |first1=Paterno II |title=Fire engulfs 17th-century Isabela church during renovation |date=April 22, 2024 |work=[[Rappler]] |lang=en |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/fire-saint-ferdinand-parish-church-ilagan-city-isabela-april-2024/}}</ref> Several religious images were rescued from the church.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Felina |first1=Jayson |title=Rebulto ni Mama Mary na inilabas sa nasunog na St. Ferdinand Parish Church agaw pansin dahil tila lumuluha |date=April 23, 2024 |publisher=Bombo Radyo Cauayan |lang=fil |url=https://cauayan.bomboradyo.com/rebulto-ni-mama-mary-na-inilabas-sa-nasunog-na-st-ferdinand-parish-church-agaw-pansin-dahil-tila-lumuluha/}}</ref>
==Architectural history==
Records tell that the construction of the church of Ilagan started around 1696 to 1700. In 1777, Pedro de San Pedro started the construction of the [[belfry (architecture)|belfry]]. Later on, the tower was completed by Joaquin Sancho in 1783, the date indicated in the clay inset found at the top of the tower. The church was recorded to have sustained heavy damages during a typhoon in 1866. It was torn down by the parish priest in the hopes of erecting a new structure. The current church structure is no longer the old stone structure erected in the [[History of the Philippines (1521-1898)|Spanish-era]].<ref name=Hornedo /> Only the tower remains intact.
==Transfer==
The cathedral served as the episcopal seat the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan]] since its establishment in 1970<ref name="rappler"/> until 2003, when it was transferred to the newer Saint Ferdinand Cathedral in Barangay Upi, [[Gamu]]. In 2013, [[Pope Francis]] decreed that the new cathedral be dedicated to [[Michael the Archangel|Saint Michael the Archangel]] although the diocese remains under the patronage of [[Saint Ferdinand of Castile]].<ref name=PDI />
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Facebook|OfficialSFPO}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan}}
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in Isabela (province)]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Baroque church buildings in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan]]
[[Category:Jubilee churches in the Philippines]]