Philippine Faith & Heritage Tour

Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish (Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental)

It was in the early 1700s that Father Felix Garcia, a Jesuit priest from Butuan, converted the first pagan natives in Gingoog to Christianity. By 1896, the Catholic faith had taken root, and a parish was established with Sta. Rita de Cascia as its patron saint.

 

May 22 is one of the most awaited days of the year in Gingoog, for it is the feast day of their beloved Sta. Rita, whom they regard as the patron saint of the impossible, of the lost, of abused wives, and widows.  The fiesta is a colorful, lively affair featuring a whole day of processions and street parades.

 

Today’s Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish is a massive concrete edifice that boasts a digital church bell in its tower, which rings out classic Catholic hymns throughout the day.