I visited the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City, Camarines Sur, which serves as the main center of devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia in the Bicol Region. The basilica is located across the river from the older shrine, which was the original site of the devotion.

The Saint Peter Metropolitan Cathedral in Tuguegarao City was our first church in Cagayan during our Visita Iglesia this Maundy Thursday, following several church visits in Isabela earlier in the day. Located along Rizal Street at the city center, the cathedral stands out with its red-brick façade, a familiar architectural feature in many historic churches across the Cagayan Valley.

The San Pablo de Cabagan Church in San Pablo, Isabela is considered the oldest church in the province, built in 1624 during the Spanish colonial period as part of the early Catholic missions in the Cagayan Valley. The name “de Cabagan” reflects its historical origin, as the town of San Pablo was once under the larger and older jurisdiction of Cabagan during the early Spanish administration.

The National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Aranzazu stands at the center of San Mateo, Rizal. The parish began in 1596 when Augustinian missionaries established the early Christian community under the patronage of Saint Matthew. In 1705, Jesuit priest Juan de Echazabal introduced the devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu, which later became the principal devotion of the town. A church was built on the present site, and the image of the Virgin became central to local religious life

St. Matthias Church, more commonly known as Tumauini Church, stands quietly in Tumauini, Isabela, its red brick façade immediately setting it apart from most churches in the region. Built in 1753 under the guidance of Dominican missionaries and completed in 1805, the church reflects both the persistence of early evangelization efforts in the Cagayan Valley and the craftsmanship that defined ecclesiastical structures of that period. Constructed almost entirely of baked brick, it carries a warm, textured appearance that becomes more pronounced under natural light.

The St. Rose of Lima Parish Church, commonly known as Gamu Church, is one of the long-established Catholic churches in Isabela, located in the municipality of Gamu. Its origins date back to the Spanish colonial period, when Dominican missionaries organized missions across the Cagayan Valley. The church was constructed around 1750 by Martin Fernández, a priest who also laid out the town planning of Gamu, making it one of the early organized settlements in the area.

The Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church is located in Cauayan City in the province of Isabela. The story of the church traces back to September 1739, when Dominican missionaries first arrived in the area and established the settlement that would later be known as Cauayan. By 1741, the mission had grown into a full-fledged parish under Dominican administration, and it was placed under the patronage of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, from whom the church derives its name. This early foundation marked the beginning of Cauayan’s role as a center of faith in Isabela.

The Our Lady of Atocha Parish Church in Alicia, Isabela stands along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Magsaysay. Established by Dominican missionaries in the 18th century, the church reflects the early spread of Catholicism in the region. The present structure was completed and inaugurated in 1849.

Our Visita Iglesia in Isabela began in Santiago City, where we visited the St. James the Apostle Parish Church as our first church of the day. The city itself was named after Saint James, reflecting its long history tied to Spanish-era evangelization, when the area was still known as Pueblo de Carig. The parish was established in 1734.

This was a continuation of our Visita Iglesia which started in Isabela, and in Cagayan, we visited eight churches. Christianity in Cagayan traces its beginnings to the late 16th century, when Spanish expeditions moved northward into the Cagayan Valley and established missions along the banks of the Cagayan River. Early evangelization was first attempted by Augustinian friars, but it was the Dominicans who sustained the work from the 1580s onward, founding missions and organizing communities into towns centered on churches and plazas. Through these efforts, indigenous groups such as the Ibanag and Itawes were introduced to Roman Catholicism, with Lal-lo, then known as Nueva Segovia.

I visited six churches in Isabela as part of our yearly Visita Iglesia this Maundy Thursday, and this year we completed fourteen churches across Isabela and Cagayan. Christianity in Isabela was established during the Spanish colonial period through the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley beginning in the late 16th century, led by Dominican missionaries who organized indigenous communities into pueblos centered on churches. Key areas such as Tumauini, Ilagan, and Cauayan became important ecclesiastical centers, and by the time Isabela was created as a province in 1856, Catholicism was already firmly established