Today is Good Friday and also the sixth day of my virtual Visita Iglesia and the church I’m featuring today is the Christ the King Cathedral in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The Christ the King Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Tagum.
The Diocese of Tagum (Dioecesis Tagamna) was established in 1980 but the current structure of Christ the King Cathedral was only finished in 2005. The construction was started in 1993 but it took the diocese 12 years to finish it. The 2-hectare land of the cathedral was donated by the heirs of Dr. Juan M. Gonzalez
I could not find any information about Dr. Juan M. Gonzalez in the Internet. Probably he is a prominent person in Tagum since a city road was named after him.
Christ the King Cathedral is considered the biggest cathedral in Mindanao. I guess that the Catholics in Tagum wanted their cathedral to be big so as to befit their King.
Christ the King Cathedral is of modern architectural style. I was impressed by the first time I saw it because it resembled a European castle battlements. The builders of this cathedral literally built a castle for their King.
On the cathedral’s facade are Christ’s symbols: the crown, and the Greek letters alpha and omega. Also featured at the facade are the golden images of Jesus on His sacred heart and the Virgin Mary on her immaculate heart.
Christ the King Cathedral is both grand and simple. It is grand in its size but simple in its decorations. The cathedral’s door, for instance, is simple.
Inside, Christ the King Cathedral is cavernous with a high ceiling and open walls.
The cathedral’s altar also has the same scheme as the facade.
The altar has battlement, a crown, and the Greek letters alpha and omega. Unlike in the other cathedrals that I visited (i.e. Manila Cathedral, Bangkok Cathedral, Cebu Cathedral), Tagum Cathedral’s altar is very simple with only a big image of the Crucified Lord adorning it.
Above the altar is a triangular stained glass window that depicts the Holy Spirit.
Another glass window located on the facade indicates the image of Christ the King.
Christ the King Cathedral is a far cry from Tagum’s old cathedral, now called as Christ the Eucharistic King Church. The old cathedral may be smaller but its altar looks more ornate because it is adorned with the images of angels.
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| Altar of Tagum’s old cathedral (Source: Christ the Eucharistic King FB page) |
It was the Jesuit missionaries who brought the Gospel to Tagum during the Spanish Period. Their missionary efforts brought many people from the Tagum's native tribe of Mandaya to Christianity. Their conversion is not solely spiritual but also practical since they wished to be protected by the colonial government from the abusive rule of Muslims living along Tagum River.
I think it is the native people of Tagum who are featured as angels at the fountain in front of Christ the King Cathedral.
The angels are holding the bountiful agricultural products of Tagum such as durian, corn, banana, rice, and vegetables.
There are other religious images on the grounds of Christ the King Cathedral such as the scene on Mount Calvary.
At the back of the cathedral is the big image of the Risen Christ and the so-called “largest rosary in the Philippines”.
The Risen Christ was sculpted by the Mindanaoan artist Kublai Millan. Millan's artworks reflects the Philippine indigenous elements so I guess that the indigenous angels in front of the cathedral and Mount Calvary scene were also his works.
The grounds at the back of the Christ the King Cathedral gives visitor a good view of how massive the cathedral is.
The place is also good place for photos since the image of the Resurrected Jesus is one of the iconic spots in Tagum City.
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Prayer to Christ the King
O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations.
We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things.
Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth.
Guard us we pray Most Faithful One.
Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment.
Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.
Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.
We have deserved Your Just Judgment
Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us.
We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray;
May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth.
Amen.
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| (Source: The Catholic Miscellany) |
We are now in the sixth church for our virtual Visita Iglesia so we pray the:
If you missed the earlier stations, I suggest that you visit the churches that we featured earlier in this year’s virtual Visita Iglesia:
Palm Sunday: Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (Mandaluyong)
Holy Monday: Our Lady of Sorrows Church (Pasay)
Holy Tuesday: Holy Cross Church (Noveleta, Cavite)
Holy Wednesday: National Shrine of Saint Jude (Manila)
Maundy Thursday: San Isidro Labrador Church (Pasay)
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References:
1. History from Tagum City website
2. Prayer to Christ the King from My Catholic Life
3. Recalling the Jesuits in Mindanao History from taborasj
4. Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagum from Wikipedia
5. Diocese of Tagum from Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
6. Tagum: More than just a gold city from Sunstar
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