BIRTH OF THE MONTAÑOSA

When the first CICM Missionaries arrived in 1907, they had to report to the Bishop of Vigan, Msgr. Denis Dougherty.

In 1912, due to the immense area of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia, Msgr. Peter Jos Hurth, who succeeded Bishop Dougherty, wrote Rome to propose that an independent ecclesiastical entity be set up for the MONTAÑOSA. But at that time, CICM did not yet feel to work towards that status.

In August 1926, Msgr. Guglielmo Plani, the Apostolic Delegate, discussed with the CICM Provincial Alfred Aldenhuysen this possibility of separating the MISSIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS from the Diocese of Vigan.

The Councilors of the CICM Province were generally in favor and brought this issue to the CICM General Government. At this time, the General Superior had decided against requesting for the separation or refusing if it would be officially proposed.

On November 30, 1928, the CICM Provincial Government sent the same letter to the Apostolic Delegate. Here are the reasons for the separation:

1. The regions form a geographical unit separated by natural boundaries from the surrounding provinces.
2. The tribes of these provinces are totally pagan and entirely different in customs and degree of development from the surrounding ones, but similar to each other.
3. The surrounding provinces, Christian for a long time, are organized into dioceses and parishes. Such organization is not yet possible in the Mountain Provinces.
4. The MOUNTAIN PROVINCES is in need of a special ecclesiastical administration. This appears all the more from the fact that it also has a special civil administration that is totally different from the other provinces.
5. Traveling in these mountainous region is difficult and the expense of undertaking missionary activities is so costly that the Bishop in charge of the other parts of the diocese cannot assume this burden.
6. The priests working among the non-Christians need someone, invested with ecclesiastical authority acquainted with the area, to whom they can address their doubts and problems.
7. Against this erection, it can be argued that it is against political prudence (prudential qui vocatur civilis) as well as against the poverty of the region, but this poverty can precisely be considered as a reason in favor of the erection.
8. CICM, which is entrusted with the care of this area does not request nor refuse the erection.

Then Fr. Maurits de Brabanders sent a personal letter to the Father General to push towards the separation of Montañosa. He deplored the lack of guidance and unity in the area. Not knowing anything about the pagans, the Bishop of Vigan provided no directives and no financial aid. The missionaries were like sailors working hard on a ship that had no captain.

During the CICM General Chapter in 1930, the participants were in favor of the erection of a separate entity and appointed Fr. J. Schipman to head a Committee to examine this matter. They favored the separation and erection of a vicariate rather than a Prefecture. They preferred also the municipalities and districts of Alilem, Sugpon and Suyo to be included and even Nueva Viscaya, provided that an agreement could be reached with Msgr. Jurgens, Bishop of Tuguegarao.

On November 30, 1931, Superior General Daems wrote Cardinal Van Rossum, the Prefect of the Propaganda. He answered the 20 points questionnaire of the Propaganda and provided information on the territory. He gave a realistic description of the miserable situation of the missionaries and a strong plea to a Vicariate rather than a Prefecture.

On December 4, 1931, a new complication cropped up during the dialogue between Bishop Santiago C. Sancho of Vigan and Fr. Quintelier, then, CICM Provincial. The Bishop was not opposed to the separation provided that he could keep Cervantes and Baguio City in his diocese. His preferred reasoning was that “he was afraid to go down in history as a weakling as the first native bishop, who, after having recently ceded a large portion of his diocese to the new Ligayen-Dagupan Diocese, he also allowed Cervantes and Baguio to be taken away.” Since many religious congregations were present in Baguio, he felt that a Bishop was needed to deal with them since a Prefect would lack authority. He threatened to defend his point of view in Rome.

The reading of the CICM Provincial Quintelier was that the Bishop was dragging in Cervantes to camouflage his ambition to retain Baguio City. His objection was that it was like giving CICM a body without a head.

Finally on February 8, 1932, the Congregation of the Propaganda announced that the Apostolic Prefecture of the Montañosa has been erected on July 15, 1931 and was entrusted to CICM. Its boundaries coincided with those of the Province of Montañosa.

When CICM Provincial requested the Bishop of Vigan to set a date for the official promulgation of the Decree of Erection, he declared that he had first to settle certain matters. In fact, he still sent a cable to Rome to plead for the exclusion of Baguio.

At this point, the CICM Provincial felt that it would be better to refuse the Prefecture, if Baguio was not included.

But on May 1933, Rome decided the matter with finality. Baguio remained part of the new Prefecture. Ultimately the Bishop now submitted to the decision and the promulgation was set on May 30, 1933. The Apostolic Delegate subdelegated the Bishop of Vigan to proceed with the promulgation of the decree.

It took 21 years before MONTAÑOSA PREFECTURE was born, almost headless, without the City of Baguio.

STEWARDS OF THE MONTAÑOSA

STEWARDSHIP OF
MSGR. OCTAVIO VANDEWALLE, CICM
1933-1935

On September 10, 1933, Bishop Constant Jurgens, CICM, Bishop of Tuguegarao, installed Msgr. Octavio Vandewalle, CICM, as the first Apostolic Prefect of the Montañosa Prefecture at Baguio City.

Octaaf was born in Heestert, West Flanders, on May 30, 1879. A tall, sturdy man with a daring, enterprising, at times even a pugnacious character. He was referred to as the “fighting priest” of Nueva Viscaya. He died in Torhout on August 25, 1968.

The new Apostolic Prefect most zealously started organizing things in his Prefecture. He wrote drive-letters to potential benefactors, visited mission stations, made plans and requested confreres for appointments and funds from Provincial Quintelier. It did not take long, however, before conflicts occurred between the two authorities. The misunderstandings were mostly about financial matters, appointment policies, and missionary methods.

Less than two years after his appointment, Msgr. Vanderwalle was forced to resign. He still travelled to Rome to plead his case but even there, he was knocking at closed doors.

STEWARDSHIP OF
MSGR. JOSEF BILLIET, CICM
1936-1948

He remained the shepherd of the flock for 12 years. Josef Billiet was born in Zottengem on January 24, 1888. He made great efforts to master Tagalog in which he became quite proficient to the extent that he could bring out the finer nuances of the language and easily quote Tagalog proverbs and expressions. He died on August 12, 1965 in Baguio City.

The years 1941-45 brought a lot of worries and horrible destructions. There was total and partial destruction of 80% of the mission compounds. Notwithstanding all these terrible losses, Msgr. Billiet and the confreres did not wait long before starting up temporary constructions. They mostly made use of recuperated materials still lying around the ruins, the threatening famine in the mountains was contained and the most needed medicines were provided. After the war, an American Army Chaplain, Fr. Duffy wrote, “I think it is no exaggeration to say that, among the officers who know you, no one ranks higher than the Belgian Fathers of the Mountain Province. You have a record among the military men that is unsurpassed. The same among the Filipino guerillas I met.”

On June 27, 1948, he was informed by Rome that Montañosa had become an Apostolic Vicariate and that the younger William Brasseur had been appointed as Apostolic Vicar. At once he put aside all the marks of his dignity and donned a simple black cassock. After some time of reflection, he announced that he decided to stay on in the country notwithstanding tempting offers to return to Europe. He selected Pasig as his residence, where he felt he could still do a lot.

STEWARDSHIP OF
BISHOP WILLIAM BRASSEUR, CICM
1948-1981

He was born a Belgian and died a Filipino.

The church was supported largely with men and money from Europe. He decided that his main job as Bishop was to make himself unnecessary. He set out to develop strong laity among the mountain people. He opened as many high schools in the Vicariate for the education of his people. Therein, he encouraged his missionaries to discern priestly vocations among the students. He sought scholarships for the candidates for the seminary because of their studies to become diocesan priests. Recruitment and formation of the native clergy was his priority, only in the 1970’s he allowed recruitment for the CICM Congregation in this Vicariate.

Aside from his concern for the native clergy, Bishop Brasseur also saw the need of having native women missionaries who are knowledgeable of their culture and are Christianized. This way they are in a better position to evangelize their own people.

So on June 22, 1952, he founded the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Diocesan Congregation. He sought the help of the ICM Sisters in the early beginnings of this congregation with four indigenous women to start with. Hence, the ICMs served as the early formators and servant leaders of the SIHMs until 1964 when the latter were ready to take over the affairs of the congregation. Today, the congregation has a membership of 82 members and has attained its Pontifical Rights serving in 6 local Dioceses/Vicariates and 3 foreign missions.

PASSING ON THE TORCH

In 1971, he saw the need of an Auxiliary Bishop, to help him nourish the people of the vast territory of the Montañosa, and he to prepare him to take his place.

When Bishop William Brasseur was 75 years old, January 12, 1978, he submitted his resignation to Rome. But he was told: “You are still strong, continue for 2 more years.”

In 1981, he retired and Bishop Emiliano Madangeng took over as the 2nd Apostolic Vicar.

Bishop after his retirement became the Chaplain of the Notre Dame Hospital.

After a life devoted in total service to his flock, he was called by the Good Lord on February 2, 1993 at 90 years and was buried in the Baguio Cathedral.

STEWARDSHIP OF
BISHOP EMILIANO MADANGENG
1981-1987

“When I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear.”
1 Cor 2:3

Herein are some highlights:
On care for the clergy, the clergy was his priority. To keep the clergy in good health for them to deliver the needed services in the mission stations. Though funds started to dwindle those difficult years, the priests easily approached Bishop Madangeng for their needs.

On the sacramental life, paramount to him was to continue nourishing the people of God through a fruitful administration of the sacraments, especially the daily Holy Mass.

On Mission Schools, the existing 39 Mission Schools had to go on with their yearly subsidies. Some elementary Mission Schools were on the verge of phasing out. It was painful to let go some of them when there was no choice at all.

Shortly after he took over as Apostolic Vicar, he was asked the question: “What is the Mission Statement of the Vicariate?” – the Bishop said, “We have a Mission but it is not written out.” Preparations to answer the question started but it was for his successor to undertake. After his delicate operation, the Bishop tendered his resignation and Rome accepted his incapacity.

STEWARDSHIP OF
BISHOP ERNESTO SALGADO
1987-1992

“For their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be consecrated.”
Jn 17:19

He was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priesthood on December 23, 1961 and served as a professor and formator to future priests for twenty years at two seminaries dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, namely the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary and the Immaculate Conception School of Theology both in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Appointed co-adjutor Bishop of the former Apostolic Vicariate of the Mt. Provinces on October 17, 1986, he was ordained to the Episcopate on January 15, 1987. On December 18, 1987, he became the third Apostolic Vicar by succession.

On the fifth year of his stewardship, the long standing proposal of creating three separate Apostolic Vicariates from the then Vicariate of Montañosa for pastoral reasons was inevitable. On July 6, 1992, the Apostolic Vicariates of Baguio, Bontoc-Lagawe and Tabuk were born.

Care for the clergy which stands among the priorities in the heart of the Bishop continues to witness apparent expressions such as the construction of a new and more spacious clergy house, better communication systems, better means of transportation, medical and health care for his confreres, endorsement of programs for the ongoing formation of the clergy, full concern and support for seminarians.

CONNECT WITH US

SUPPORT US