Name: Lawren Ira M.

Lanon
Year/Course: 1st year AB Sociology

The Stone Church of Saint Gregory the Great

The school of thought perspective that I chose in my historical narrative is a historicist

point of view. I chose this approach because I think it is suited in the history of Albay Cathedral
Church. I want to know what occurred before, who were the involved personalities, where and
when an event happened. Also, I chose this perspective because I want to accurately visualize the
past by using my found sources. Further, I gathered my sources online. I include three primary
sources and one secondary source. My primary sources came from “Albay Tourism E-data”,
“Albay Province Government Official Website”, and “National Historical Commission.” On the
other hand, I found my secondary source in a blog site called “Orgolyo.” The Albay Cathedral’s
structure has a large belfry that is supported by a separate tower that appears to be able to fit the
church pediment. Apart from its huge belfry and flat frontage, the design and construction of the
said church is called “Partido Baroque.” In January 1997, parts of the church were renovated
from the ceiling to the outer part of the structure. The remodeling consisted of aligning the
architectural design with the Greco-Roman lines of the original structure of the building. The St.
Gregory the Great Cathedral is among the country's oldest Roman Catholic Cathedrals. It is a
well-known landmark and a well-liked tourist spot in Legazpi's Old Albay district.

The word cathedral is from the Greek word “Cathedra'' meaning seat. The seat of the
bishop is found in this church, and that symbolizes the episcopal (bishop) authority in the
diocese. The history of Albay Cathedral started in 1587, when the Franciscans founded a local
mission of Visita Cagsaua called “San Gregorio de Sawangan (Legazpi)”. The first church was
built with nipa and lumber, and it was placed under the patronage of Saint Gregory the Great, the
pope of the Catholic Church from 590 to 604 CE. In 1616, it became a fully-fledged parish. It
was rebuilt in 1635 using wood planks, but a fire destroyed it in 1754. Specifically, before the
middle of the 17th century, the old port town and capital of the province “Ibalon'' was destroyed.
The Spanish government then moved the provincial capitol from “Ibalon'' to “Albay'', but it was
then become open to Dutch, which are the Spanish’s foes. By 1649, the stone church of Albay
was said to have been built like a fortress. Moreover, the emerging town and the church were
ultimately destroyed by the Mount Mayon eruption in 1814. Later, the survivors of the eruption
first built their homes in Taysan and afterwards in Macalaya (Castilla, Sorsogon). It was
eventually decided that Albay would be rebuilt on a new town site, and the chosen place was
Caserio de Taytay (Bagumbayan). This site is marked by the building of a new stone church in
1839, which today survives as the Albay Cathedral. The church was designed by Don Jose Maria
Peñaranda, who was then the Alcalde Mayor of Albay (the equivalent of today’s governor). In
addition, the first stone church was built under Fr. Pedro Romero in 1834, which was burned
again during the Philippine-American War in 1900. In 1945, parts of the church were damaged
during World War II, and was later repaired under Fr. Nicanor Belleza. After being established
from the Nueva Caceres Diocese's borders in 1951, the church became the administrative center
and Cathedral of the Legazpi Diocese.

In conclusion, the long history of St. Gregory Cathedral Church shows the Spanish
influence in Filipino culture, especially in terms of religion. The church has undergone a lot of
challenges and development that contribute to the honor, pride, and faith of Albayanos.
References:
-Albay.gov.ph (2021). Albay Heritage Month Feature: St. Gregory Cathedral of Albay.
https://tinyurl.com/5yk8b99
-Albay Tourism E-Data (No date). Churches and Shrines. https://tinyurl.com/35hcuxba
-Orgolyo.blogspot.com (2015). History of St. Gregory the Great Cathedral.
http://orgolyo.blogspot.com/2015/10/history-of-st-gregory-great-cathedral.html

National Historical
Commission (2017)