Iloilo's Santa Maria church a stop for Visita Iglesia

THE Santa Maria Parish Church in Iloilo City, dedicated to Our Lady of China, would be on the list of churches that the faithful, especially Chinese-Filipinos, for their Visita Iglesia (church visit) this Holy Week.

Located in Gen. Blanco Street, Maria Clara in Iloilo City, the Santa Maria Chinese-Filipino Parish home of the Chinese-Filipino Catholics in the Archdiocese of Jaro.

According to the parish, the church was established by Jesuit missionaries, among them Fr. Miguel Pardenas, a Mexican, who were expelled from China with the rise of atheism in the mainland.

Pardenas was pastor of the newly created personal parish for the Chinese and Chinese-Filipino Catholics in Cebu City when he came to Iloilo City in 1953 for an Ignatian retreat.

The Mother Superior, herself Mexican, had told him «there was also a need to minister to the big Chinese and Chinese-Filipino population in Iloilo,» the parish said.

The idea to create a personal parish for the community got strong support from then Jaro Archbishop, Monsignor (Msgr.) Jose Ma. Cuenco.

In that same year Jesuit China mission superior Fr. O'Brien gave that task to Italian missionary Fr. Guerrino Marsecano, who was 39 years old at that time.

Advertisement

Marsecano was expelled from Mengiuang, China in December 1952 after four years of hard work in communal farms, the parish said.

He studied the work of Pardenas in Cebu before going to Iloilo with only P30 in his pocket and with nothing arranged in advance for his accommodations.

Marsecano arrived on March 1, 1953 to a warm welcome from the leaders of the Iloilo Catholic Chinese Association (ICCA) and a sizable crowd of Chinese-Filipino Catholics, the parish said.

On July 5, 1953 during the holy Mass in Assumption chapel, Cuenco read the decree from Pope Pius 12 authorizing the creation of a personal parish for Chinese and Chinese-Filipino Catholics in Iloilo City.

Advertisement

Marsecano became the first priest of the parish dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary who first appeared in Donglu, China in the 1900s.

Marsecano held Masses and other church activities at the Assumption chapel. After a year of services in various churches Marsecano and the community realized the