TANDAG CITY (MindaNews / 08 September) – The Diocese of Tandag on Friday marked the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in Surigao del Sur with a fluvial procession witnessed by hundreds of faithful who gathered on Tandag Bridge.
Dubbed the “Reenactment of the Arrival of the Missionaries,” a total of 45 adorned boats, including the four boats carrying the patron saints of the first four parishes established in the diocese, cruised along the riverbanks.
The first four parishes in the diocese are San Nicolas de Tolentino in Tandag, Immaculate Conception in Cantilan, Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Bislig, and Santo Niño in Lianga.
The procession started at 4 AM, coinciding with a prayer on Tandag Bridge to honor the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It ended at the riverbank in Barangay Dagocdoc.
The boats paused beneath the bridge, where Bishop Raul Dael blessed them.
According to “The Synodal Journey of Faith: A Timeline of the 400 Years of Christianity in the History of the Dioceses of Cagayan, Butuan, Surigao Tandag, and Malaybalay,” an audio-visual presentation by the Diocese of Tandag, eight Augustinian Recollect missionaries arrived in Tandag in 1622.
Tandag became the center of the mission and the seat of its superior.
The missionaries brought with them the treasures of the Catholic faith, including the revered images of San Nicolas de Tolentino and Our Lady of Consolation.
Following the procession, a mass was held, during which Fr. Macky Calo of the Mission Society of the Philippines emphasized the 400-year history of Christianity in the diocese, stressing the significance of the community’s faith, tradition, and gift of faith.
“If all these gifts of faith that we have received for 400 years remain alive and are passed on to our children and the youth, then we will be celebrating something even greater than just 400 years,” Calo said.
Another highlight of the quadricentennial celebration will be the arrival of the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles Brown, on September 9.Archbishop Brown will stay in the city until September 10 and will preside the Mass for the Feast of San Nicolas de Tolentino before departing for Manila on the same day. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)
