TRAVEL WITH FAITH: St James the Great, Dapitan City

Welcome to Sugid’s “Travel with Faith” featuring the Parish Church of St James located in the historic Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

Dapitan itself is historic because of Dr. Jose Rizal’s exile in this humble place in Zamboanga peninsula. Visitors come here primarily to visit Rizal Shrine showcasing Rizal’s old haven and the rustic atmosphere of the city which gives you a “Vigan feeling”. Most of the icons found date back during the Hispanic colonization of Mindanao.

July 25 is the feast day of St James the Great who happens to be the Patron Saint of Dapitan City. Allow me to give you a tour of this old church.

The church building of St James Parish at the heart of the city is a “must-see”. The Church was built by the Jesuits in 1871 in honor of St. James the Great – the patron Saint of Dapitan. It is situated right at the heart of Dapitan City. Its unpainted facade looks uninteresting from the outside but once you get inside, you’ll be amazed by how its interior looks like. The pink ceiling is eye-catching. I think it is the most amazing feature of the church, the colorful and vibrant ceiling that’s basically composed of simple interlocking pink and white rectangles. According to local historians, Dr. Jose Rizal used to frequent the church every Sunday. Interestingly, a marker is engraved which indicates his favorite spot in the church, which I included in the photos.

Rumors have it that because of the existence of the Catholic Church and the influence of Catholicism, the people opposed the construction of a school ran by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, who were forced to move across the sea. This institution is the Silliman University in Dumaguete, the first American institution of higher learning in the Philippines and the entire Asian continent. Yes, it was initially planned to be erected in Dapitan City and not Dumaguete. (Blaze Q. Cantaros/SUGID Writers’ Guild)