San Carlos, Pangasinan - Places of Worship - 1587 Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church

1587 Saint Dominic De Guzman Parish Church

The patron saint of the city is Saint Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers; he is credited for performing miracles in the city, among them the minimal damage to the city caused by the return of the Americans to the islands and aided by Filipino troops and local guerrillas during the close of World War II. The parish church built in his honor was once the biggest in Luzon. The parish of San Carlos is the oldest in Pangasinan.

The Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church (F-1587) is part of the Vicariate of St. Dominic, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Malong Street, San Carlos, 2420 Pangasinan, with Catholic population of 114,392. The Patron Feast of St. Dominic Parish is August 8. The Team of Ministers are Rev. Msgr. Alberto T. Arenos, Rev. Fr. Alberto Taminaya, Fr. Reynaldo V. Romero, Rev. Fr. Winston A. Estrada, Rev. Fr. Winston A. Estrada and Rev. Fr. Jimmy F. Quinto, Jr. Dominican missionaries who succeeded the oursted Augustinians, continued the evangelization of the natives, the founding of town and St. Dominic Church.

San Carlos, as Binalatogan became a vicariate in 1588 when its first pastor, Padre Bernardo Navarro de Santa Catalina, O.P. was appointed.

In 1588, Fr. Bernardo de Santa Catalina, OP, became the first Vicar (with Fr. Juan de Castro, OP, Fr. Marcos de San Antonio, and Bro. Juan Deza, OP, as his assistants) of Binalatongan, a vicariate of the Dominican Order in its First Provincial Chapter.

On August 4, 1718, Juan Caragay burned the modest church and convent. "Abagbagan" near the San Juan river became the new site of the Church. In 1763, however, Juan Palaris of Binalatongan destroyed the convent and the church of St. Dominic. The King of Spain, Charles III issued a Decree transfering the site to "Lucban."

Poblacion, the town's "cabecera," became close to the Church (which has small chapels, the "visitas" or missions attached therewith. Binalatongan or San Carlos became the "Mother-house of the Province," of Pangasinan.

In 1770-1773, Padre Cristobal Ausina constructed the Church from ladrillo es:Ladrillo (massive brick, tiles of "apalit"). The present site is where Binalatogan was transferred (1754). The biggest Church in the Philippines those days, the 1789, 1796 and 1799 massive earthquakes destoryed the Church. Padre Alvarez Carrozal erected the Belfry and initiated the Church rehabilitation (1878–90). Rebuilt in 1803, it measured 89 yards long and 22 yards wide (August 8, 1989 NHI Marker, Archbishop Federico G. Limon and unveiled by Dona Conseelo S. Perez and Gov. Rafael M. Colet with Mayor Douglas D. Soriano).

St. Dominic Parish celebrated its 425th Jubilee of Father Celebration since the Dominican Missionaries arrived in Pangasinan on September 1587, and erected the Parish of St. Dominic Parish in San Carlos City (formerly Binalatongan, 425 years old - “Galang tan Dayew (ed Dios) ed Ando lan Ando” (Dn. 3:52), for the Golden (50th) Jubilee Celebration of Lingayen-Dagupan as an Archdiocese in 2013. The canonical Erection of the New Parish of St. Joseph husband of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus in Brgy. Malacañang, San Carlos City was held on 19 March 2012, with Socrates B. Villegas as main celebrant and blessed the St. Dominic Parish New Adoration Chapel.