The Saint Joseph the Patriarch Cathedral Parish ( fil, Parokyang Katedral ni San Jose ang Patriyarka), otherwise known as Alaminos Cathedral ( fil, Katedral ng Alaminos), is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

located at

Barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippine city or municipality, which may take up the ...

in the city of Alaminos, Pangasinan,

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Dedicated to Saint Joseph the Patriarch, it has been the episcopal seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos ('' la, Dioecesis Alaminensis'') is a Roman Rite diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was erected on January 12, 1985, and comprises 14 municipalities in the ...

since 1985.

History

In 1743, the Zambal pioneers settled in what is now the seaside

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

Baleyadaan of Alaminos, with the settlement named after their leader Suyang. There, they built houses and a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph. Due to the frequent

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

s, they resettled to the wide

plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...

s southwest of their previous area and named it ''Casboran'', in reference to the plants abundant in their new settlement. A continued increase in population led into the creation of a new local government with its

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

and

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

being constructed in 1768. A disagreement in town leadership led to the burning of the whole town including the church, with its residents fleeing in all directions. Survivors of the fire resettled some from the sea and was called ''Salapsap'' or ''Zarapzap''. The

Augustinian Recollects The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) is a mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. It is a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follows the same Rule of St. Augustine. History The Order was founded in 16t ...

, who are in charge of the area, then formally established a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

, with Fr. Toribio Raymundo as the first

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

who would go on to serve from 1778 until 1815. In 1834, the church was charred again. It was then reconstructed under the helm of Fr. Manuel Busqueto from 1837 to 1849. The

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

-engineer Maestro Cenon, who also designed the church of Aguilar, was tapped by Fr. Busqueto to design the church of Sarapsap. The entire town was told to contribute in rebuilding the church. Fr. Busqueto died after 16 years of being Sarapsap's parish priest. From 1849 to 1878, Fr. Jose Tornos continued the rebuilding of the new church. In 1857, the church was inaugurated built with

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the sup ...

s, nipa roofing, a

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

and a

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

for the church's patron, Saint Joseph. In 1860, Juan Alaminos y Vivar visited the town and in 1873, the town's name was changed into ''Alaminos'' in honor of the

governor-general of the Philippines The Governor-General of the Philippines (Spanish: ''Gobernador y Capitán General de Filipinas''; Filipino: ''Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas''; Japanese: ) was the title of the government executive during the colo ...

. Fr. Victoriano Vereciano became Alaminos' parish priest in 1879. In 14 years, he made improvements in the Alaminos' church and convent which include: obtaining hardwood agaro from the forests of Zaragoza and tindalo from Alos;

galvanized iron Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerged ...

sheets replaced the church's nipa roof; installation of wood parquet for the loft's floor; the ceiling was repainted; and

communion rail The altar rail (also known as a communion rail or chancel rail) is a low barrier, sometimes ornate and usually made of stone, wood or metal in some combination, delimiting the chancel or the sanctuary and altar in a church, from the nave and oth ...

s made of iron were placed. A silver altar, a sanctuary light, floors made of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

, and

church bells A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and ...

were also added or implemented. Fr. Andres Romero succeeded Fr. Vereciano who died in 1893. Under his term, the

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

was enlarged and the chapel was reconstructed. During the Philippine-American War in 1901, the Augustinian Recollects ceded the parish's administration to the local clergy. Among the improvements made to the church of Alaminos from 1926 include: the

Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...

statue installation in 1930; construction of grotto of

Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (french: Notre-Dame de Lourdes) is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, ...

with its image sculpted by the late Filipino artist and clergyman, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Mariano Madriaga; adding of new church pews; the church belfry was remade into concrete; fences were added for the church's front yard; new tabernacle installation; Our Lady of Mount Carmel chapel and mortuary construction; and the installation of large Stations of the Cross, done by a local artist. The church of Alaminos was elevated into a cathedral when the

Diocese of Alaminos The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos ('' la, Dioecesis Alaminensis'') is a Roman Rite diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was erected on January 12, 1985, and comprises 14 municipalities in the ...

was founded in 1985. Bishop Jesus Cabrera, its first

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, spearheaded more cathedral improvements which include: installation of

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

on the cathedral's altar and floor; new sacristy; constructions of Alaminos Pastoral Center and perpetual adoration chapel; and the repainting of the whole church in 1995.

References

External links

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* {{Roman Catholic churches in Pangasinan 1770s establishments in the Philippines Roman Catholic churches in Pangasinan Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Philippines Roman Catholic churches completed in 1857 Spanish Colonial architecture in the Philippines 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos