Davao Archdiocese’s history in photos

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 08 December) — The Catholic Archdiocese of Davao is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.  Part of their celebration was a cultural exhibit of photos and artifacts that narrate their contribution to Davao history.

The exhibit was called “De Navigatione,” which was held at Catholic universities last October and culminated at the NCCC Victoria Plaza grounds on November 23.  

^{Exhibit of photos on the history of the Archdiocese of Davao. MindaNews photo by TYRONE A. VELEZ}

The title also hints on the origins of the Catholic church in Davao where foreign missionaries landed on the shores in the late 19th century, as the exhibit is categorized into four parts hinting on the church’s journey in Davao history.

The first part, titled Raising the Sails recorded the first Catholic settlement in Davao in 1848, led by the expedition of Jose Oyanguren (whose name was later memorialized in Uyanguren Street).  While there is a notion that Davao was unconquered by the Spanish colonialists, the exhibit showed the inroads made by Jesuit missionaries with the Lumad in the provinces of the current Davao region.

^{Jesuit priests are guided by Bagobo natives of Sibulan on their ascent to Mt. Apo, is one of the photos featured in the exhibit. MindaNews photo by TYRONE A. VELEZ}

The second part, Wayfinding Through Uncharted Waters, showed the Catholic community taking root in the American occupation through education.  This was marked with the arrival of nuns from the Religious Virgin Mary (RVM) in 1902 that established the first private Catholic school in Davao in 1905. This was the roots of the University of Immaculate Concepcion.

More congregations arrived after World War II and established schools all over Davao Region. This led to the formation of the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) in 1948, the same year that Ateneo de Davao was established by the Jesuits.

The next two parts of the exhibit showed the growth of the archdiocese from being declared a Prelature in 1949, then becoming a diocese in 1966 and as archdiocese in 1970.

A pivotal role in this growth were the archbishops.  The first archbishop was Clovis Thibault, a Canadian from the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec (PME Fathers) who started their mission in 1937.  The PME Fathers established the St. Francis Religious Major Seminary (REMASE) in 1964 to recruit local clergy.

A collection of Thibault’s materials was shown in the exhibit. Including a transcript and handwritten notes of Clovis’ sermon, which was written in Cebuano.  The PME Fathers were known to adapt to their communities, including learning the local language.

The journey of the other archbishops after Thibault marked significant points of the Catholic Church in Davao history. Archbishop Antonio Mabutas had a pivotal role during Martial Law as he penned pastoral letters condemning human rights abuses. He took part in the Archdiocesean Pastoral Assembly of Davao (APAD) in the 1980s that set the direction of GKK and the formation of the Catholic Lawyers League of Davao.

^{For his section, history of the Archdiocese of Davao in photos from 1948 to 1970. MindaNews photo by TYRONE A. VELEZ}

Archbishop Fernando Capalla was called a Man of Dialogue as one of the conveners of the Mindanao Bishops Ulama Forum (BUF) in 1996 (later renamed as Bishops Ulama Conference) that strengthened interfaith discussions.  Current Archbishop Romulo Valles focuses his ministry in strengthening the Basic Ecclesiastical Communities (BEC).

The exhibit showed the journey of the Catholic Church that has played its pivotal role as shepherd and voice of the people in Davao in the shaping of the city’s history. (Tyrone A. Velez for MindaNews)