Oldest Church in the Diocese of Mati Restored

For the parishioners of San Salvador del Mundo Parish, Mindanao’s oldest church in the municipality of Caraga, breathtakingly situated in the eastern part of Davao Oriental, two years of waiting is absolutely worth the wait, and the wait ended on July 6, 2020, as the restored parish church was formally turned over to the Diocese of Mati, through Bp. Abel Apigo.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines through a recorded message of NHCP Executive Director Restituto Aguilar, expressed happiness with the complete restoration of the San Salvador del Mundo Parish, and delineated how the restoration works were done in two years.

“As the church was declared a national historical site in 2012, it is the responsibility now of the government to take charge of restoring the historical site. So the NHCP did as what we were obliged to do. The restoration was a very meticulous process, based on the restoration guidelines of the agency. The walls were thoroughly cleaned and repaired, as well as the doors, windows, the roof, especially the corals. The Commission wanted to help the locality, the institution, and the parish so that it will remain preserved,” he said.

Aguilar emphasized that as a heritage, it should be inculcated to the people the importance of taking really good care of the structure, considered a treasure beyond measure.

He added that the Commission is happy that the structure remains strong, depicting the strong faith of the people despite the many challenges that tried and measured their faith.

In his acceptance message, Bp. Abel Apigo was elated and felt the realization of a dream come true for the parishioners.

“The day has finally come for the people of Caraga, for them to come and pray again inside the church. They have waited for the restoration. Making them happier is their beautiful place of worship. The priceless collections that one can see inside speaks so much of the strong catholic faith of the people,” he stressed.

The Bishop furthered that conservation of important landmarks is always the high priority of the church. These include buildings, ancient images, and church documents. And in Davao Oriental, San Salvador del Mundo Church is a concrete example.

“As a matter of fact, the rectory is a strong contender for historical preservation. One can really be amazed how these churches and important landmarks that could last to one thousand years be preserved,” he mused.

Mayor Alicia Mori reiterated her stand that in her incumbency, there is no separation of the state and the church, adding that both can work together for the common good, including spiritual nourishment.

For Vice-Mayor Melody Ann Benitez, the restoration is a manifestation that Caraga has been shaped by history, strengthened by time and fuelled by strong faith. Heritage that the church is, it is an important figure in the lives of all devout Catholics in Caraga.

The requested restoration project through a resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan, was approved by NHCP with a 20M budget.

As its counterpart, the local government unit of Caraga allocates 2 million pesos, 1 million for the sound system, and 1 million for the sanctuarium and baptistry.

Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang was enormously grateful and happy that the restoration was finally over and the restored church was turned over to the Diocese.

The move for the restoration was initiated and done during the helm of the former parish priest, Fr. Rev. Uldarico Toroba, Jr. then followed by Fr. Rev. Diomedes L. Lagroma, current parish priest, and also during the incumbency of the former NHCP Executive Director Ludivico Badoy.

The current parish priest, Fr. Diomedes Lagroma was also equally happy as this will pave the way for a renewed faith among the people.

The San Salvador del Mundo Parish was erected in 1883.

The restored church will he opened on the occasion of its 137th parochial fiesta on July 16, 2020.

Bp. Abel Apigo has a vivid picture of people going to the church, observing proper health protocols, singing “How lovely is your dwelling place, Oh, Lord. (Neela G. Duallo)