As we joyfully re-dedicate St. Peter, the Apostle Church to the honor and glory of God and for the sanctification of his people, it is fitting that we keep in mind this passage from Ordo dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris:
"A church is a place where the Christian community is gathered to hear the word of God, to offer intercession and praise to him, and above all to celebrate the holy mysteries, and it is the place where the holy sacrament of the Eucharist is kept. Thus it stands as a special kind of image of the Church itself, which is God's temple built from living stones:
We are, therefore, filled with gratitude in the most scientific and extremely beautiful Apostle completed on the 2nd year of Pontificate of Pope Francis, the 8th year of the episcopacy of the Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, D.D., the 2nd year of incumbency of Fr. Augusto Jesus B. Angeles III as parish priest and with the assistance from the Parish Pastoral Council under the leadership of Mrs. Merle C. Fontanilla and Parish Finance Council headed by Mrs. Ofelia Ferrer Herrera.
The newly restored church building is an artistic achievement accomplished through the skills of many craftsmen and the expertise of the following institutions and individuals:
• CBCP Permanent Committee on Cultural Heritage thru Most Rev. Julito Cortez, D.D. for the Recommendations for the clearing and eventual reconstruction of the church
• Architectural Consultants: Fr. Alex Bautista and Architect Jeremy Balagat, a Conservation Architect
• Structural Investigation and Analysis: Engr. Ruel B. Ramirez, MSCE M. ASEP, Structural Engineering Specialist
• Treatment of the Coral Stones/ Walls: Arch. Reynaldo A. Inovero, FUAP, Conservation Architect and Former Chief of the Historic Preservation Division of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
• Historical Research: Abel Cereno Icatlo, Historian and Curator of Provincial Museum
• Liturgical Consultants: Rev. Fr. Julito L. Heraldo and Rev. Fr. Rowel Jose P. Abanto
• Acoustic Design: Engr. Michael Albert Idioma, Sound Engineer
• Light Specialist: Architect Joanna Mauleon
• Hermes Alegre for the breathtaking wall paintings
• Diocesan Commission on Church Construction
The construction of the church was also facilitated through the help of the following persons: Gov. Edgardo Tallado, Robert and Cathy Torres, Benita and Andres Lo, Edson Genilo, Victor and Jessica Varin, Efren Sale, Arcaida Pascual, Engr. Bob Asis, Engr. Maming Cereno, Menardo Del Barrio.But even more than that, the restored church is an accomplishment of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of people, willing to share their time, ideas, and monetary gifts as wonderful stewards of God's gifts to them. It is because of all your generosity that people of the next generations will have a place to gather, to worship, to give thanks, and to become the People of God.
I. June 12-22, 2013
Site Clearing of Debris, and finding of loose decorative elements
Two objects are decorated on the church doors; on the other hand, there are the Hamindang leaves from which INDAN, the name of the town from 1624 to 1946, was taken; and on the other hand, the markerrs which depicts the major periods in the history of Vinzons as a town and as a prish. Conceptulizaed by Fr. Alex Bautista and fabricated by Rolando N. Flores Furniture, the church doors were given as a gift by Captain Gaudencio Morales and Batch of Vinzons Pilot High School.
To give contemplative ambiance to the church, a sacred artwork was places on the ceiling which was also a reflection and an expression of human creativity and perception of the sense of the divine. Having obtained a picture of the ceiling from the archives of University of Sto. Tomas, the ceiling design was an exact copy of the old ceiling by Arch. Emerson A. Reodique, UAP. Ofelia Ferrer Herrera and children funded the construction of the ceiling.
This is a reproduction of the old choir loft. It is constructed through pictures discovered in the archival documentation. The ceilings of the first floor are decorated with centuries old wood. Designed by Architect Jeremy Balagat, the choir loft was constructed through the contribution of the parishioners.
The floor of St. Peter the Apostle Church of Vinzons was once adorned by machuca tiles. To bring back the intricate design of machuca tile was a top priority in restoring the church. Machuca Tile Inc., originally called Mosaicos Machuca, was the oldest tile manufacturing business in the Philippines, dating back to late 1900s. Baldozas mosaicos was the proper term describing the Mediterranean cement tiles, more popular at present as Machuca tiles.
Partly financed by the Vinzonian International, Inc., the pattern was designed by Fr Alex Bautista and Arch Jeremy Balagat. Many parishioners also contributed through the Alay-Sahig drive of the parish.
Designed by Fr. Alex Bautista and Arch. Jeremy Balagat, the stained glass windows are manufactured by KRAUT Enterprises INC, a company fabricating stained glass since 1902. With red as a dominant color to signify the martyrdom of St. Peter, the stained glasses are adorned by purely geometric figures. Through the expertise of Architect Reynaldo A. Inovero, a Conservation Architect and Former Chief of the Historic Preservation Division of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the centuries-old wood recovered during the clearing of the church was re-installed at the ceiling of the windows. The stained glass was partly financed by Efren and Mina de Jesus.
The construction of the retablo was reinterpreted through the help of archival documentation. Pictures given by the parishoners had helped in visualizing the old retablo. Fr. Julito Heraldo’s extensive knowledge of the church history led to the discovery of the church inventory dated 1913 which provided additional details of the retablo particularly the images of the saints enshrined in it.
Designed by Fr. Alex Bautista, the retablo was constructed through the generous donation of Captatin Gaudencio Morales. He also financed the installation of the Italian granite in the sanctuary area.
Although the communion rail has no liturgical function, it was restored due to emotional attachment of the old parishioners. It used to serve as a place where the communicants would kneel down in order to receive the Eucharistic Lord with outmost reverence and devotion. Old pictures had helped in restoring the exact design of the communion rail. This time, however, it will no longer be used liturgically
After six months of Structural Investigation, Ruel B. Ramirez, MSCE M. ASEP, Structural Engineering Specialist, declared that “based on the results of material testing, the strength of the coral stone was affected by fire and was reduced by almost twenty percent. However, with the 20 percent reduction in strength, the overall structure is still safe for occupancy considering the earthquake and wind design based on the requirement of the Building Code.”
Ruel B. Ramirez designed the rafter of the church for free. With help from Robert Torres, the fabrication of trusses and the roofing of the church were accomplished through the contribution of the parishioners in Alay-Bobong and Bingo Para sa Bobong ng Simbahan.
Architect Reynaldo A. Inovero, a Conservation Architect and Former Chief of the Historic Preservation Division of the National Historic Commission of the Philippines, trained our local craftsmen on the treatment of the coral stone. Although the restoration of the four centuries church walls was the most difficult and painstaking task in the reconstruction of the church, it was made possible through the dedication of our workers and the continued financial support of the parishioners.