Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-29


The weekly Gyaic, Of Manila. furnishes
the GLOBE the following article
Manila is a city of churches-Catholic
churches-many of them vast edifces Of
great architectural beauty, and their rosters
show communicates numbering SOC, 900
people, almost the entire population Of the
city, hence it may be called Christian
city, despite the foibles that may attach to
it. Manila. too, is an educated city, and
the great Catholic Church is the sponsor of
L. Its per cent of children, men and
women who cannot read and write is so
small that it rivals many of the cities of
educated America and Europe But this is
not so strange when it is remembered that
Manila is the apex of the civilization that
exists in the Philippine Archipelago. Call
ing to mind that it took over three cen
turies for the consummatiou of this work
of love and the element of wonder is
eliminated Still, the work has been
grand one, and the men of God whom Spain
sent to the islands 10 temper them with
civilization are entitled to just needs of
praise
When Magallanes took possession Of the
archipelago in the name of his king he
found races and hordes of humanity as
savage as beasts Of prey, and such con-
frouted the church when it entered upon its
missionary labors. Such therefore, were
necessarily slow, for old CASTLE had entered
upon its period of national retrogressiou.
however, strong its bulwark. the Church of
State, might have been Manila was founded
and the corner-stones of St Augustine were
laid. This is the oldest church in the city.
Old or New, and, subsequently, was shaken
to its foundations by an earthquake and
later rebuilt Then came St Domiuick St
Recolect. the Cathedral, San Francisco. ST.
Mary's Chapel, the present home for Amer
ican Catholics; Santa Clara, for nuns; Chapel
of st. John de Letrau and the Chapel of the
Fathers Capuchin. st Domiuick is the
largest and most eaborately furnished
church building Of Manila, and it has a
capacity of 900 to 900 worshipers.
While the churches were erecting the
great walls which circle the old mart we're
going up, and with them the great moats
we're going in, evidently that the city
might have a defensive base in the event of
attacks from the savages Of the outlying
country, or, perchance, be able to repel at
tacks from the armies and uavies of other
countries. Be that as il may, all walls and
buildings were laid with great bases for in
the carly years of the Spanish regime the
turbulent volcano was running riot Three
or more churches we're shattered to atoms,
entailing loss of millions in money and
labor, and hundreds Of people were manned
for life. or killed These we're days of dis.
couragement and heartache, but the Cath
oIiC missionary remained at his post and
continued to rebuild where nature had de-
stroyed, which evidences that all such we're
true and loyal to the vows they had taken
at the sacred affairs
When Manila began to broaden her en-
vironments, the missionary was one of the
chief factors in every improvement. and
that he was provident factor is evidenced
by the beautiful churches built in Binondo,
Toudo, Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Sebastian.
San Miguel, Paco Ermita, Malate, and La
Iona (the latter belonging to Binoudo),
the districts or wards comprising the new
city These churches all bear the district
or ward name, and each has its patron saint
in the order nlmed
ST. Mary Of Rosario, Santo Nino. Our
Lady Of Carmen, St. Cruz Father Recolect.
St. Michael, ST. Christie of the Franciscan
Fathers, Father Recolect Of the Jesuits.
promoter of La Iona The Ermita Church
has been dedicated to American Catholics
in that part of the city. and Father Nc.
Kinnou, the well-kuown army chaplain, is
its pastor
Each church has its fiesta, or feast day, in
honor OF its ratron, and these days are
observed Such holidays, how
ever, belong to the church aud not the |
H.v q. E. al.
enjoyment of the sacred mass and feastiug,
the eventide ushers in gorgeous parades
which are participated in by thousands Of
communicate and thousands upon thou
sands Of onlookers are massed upon the
streets. Marchers carry the candles and
statues Of the Crucifxion, the Virgin Mary.
and other saints whom the church loves to |
worship and honor. These parades attract
the universal attention of tourists or visitors,
and they are not without beauty and
solemnity They are generally orderly and
wholly in harmony with the occasion.
The Walled City is the seat Of the ed
ucahODal institutions Of the church les
uit and Dominican orders lead in education
al work One college, the leading one of
the church in the Philippines, and the
University Of Santa Tomas, grace its en-
virouments Besides these it has parochial
schools for boys and schools for girls pre-
sided over by the Dominican clergy and
Dominican nuns. They did much in the
Spanish work Of civilization, and many of
the best Filipino minds Of the islands call
them alma mater The Dominican Fathers
also have a school for boys in the Province
Of Cagayau, aud Father Benedictine has
one for boys at San Sebastian Prior to
the insuuection, Dominican nuns had a
hourishing school for girls at Lingayen and
the Dominican Fathers one for boys at
Dagupan These pueblOs are in the Prov
ince Of Pangasinan. The nuns and fathers
felt they lacked protection with the clash
OF arms. and abandoned them With the
dawn Of peace, however. steps have been
for reinstitution, and quite soon it is ex-
pected that their doors will again be
thrown open. The critic associates the
school with the Church. for itss the very
nursery Of the Catholic religion.
June is the festal month Of the Jesuits
and October that Of the Dominicans. These
church orders are the most prominent ones
Of the islands. The San Franciscan. Au-
gustine. Recolect, Capuchin and Benedic.