Site of the First Mass

AQUINO, AUSTRIA, CLANOR G., CLANOR P., DICHOSO, LIMPIN, RELEVANTE, RODOLFO
GROUP 1 | BIT301
 Monday

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 First Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta
Who is Antonio Pigafetta?
● He was a native of Vicenza, a town about a hundred kilometers west of
Venice, Italy.
● A famous Italian traveler who studied navigation. He has the most
complete account of Magellan expedition entitle Primo viaggio intorno al
mondo (FIrst Voyage Around the World)

The First Voyage by Antonio Pigafetta was written onboard one of the 5 ships
that was first to circumnavigate the world during an expedition that was lead by
the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan and after his death during the voyage,
by Juan Sebastian Elcano. The expedition started in 1519 and ended in Spain in
1522.
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 First Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta
● Name of the fleet led by Ferdinand Magellan: Armada de Molucca
● Provided by King Charles V
● Included 5 ships:
○ The Trinidad (crew: 55) under Magellan’s command
○ The San Antonio (crew: 60) under Juan de Cartageña
○ The Concepcion (crew: 45) under Gaspar de Quesada
○ The Santiago (crew: 32) under Juan Rodriguez Serrano
○ The Victoria (crew: 43) under Mendoza which carries supplies
provisions

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 First Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta
The Santiago was a caravel,
while the others were rated as
carracks

At the end of the voyage.

Antonio Pigafetta, the author of
the book, was on board the
Victoria; this was the only ship
that was able to return to Spain.

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 First Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta

March 17, 1521

● Originally March 16
● Arrival in Zamal (Samar at present)
● The island was called Humunu (now Homonhon)
● Magellan and his men called it Acquanda da li buoni Segnialli
(“the watering-place of good signs”)
● There are many islands in that district, and therefore they called
it them the archipelago of San Lazaro, as they were discovered on
the Sunday of St. Lazarus
 First Voyage Around the World by Antonio
Pigafetta

April 1,1521
● Originally March 31
● The first mass was held in Mazaua (Limasawa)
● It was attended by Magellan , Raia Colambu (Raja
Kolambu), Raia Siaui (Rajah Siagu),
● Spanish voyagers, and the local islanders
Wednesday
 Site of the First Mass
What is the issue?
● History book states that the first catholic mass was
held in Limasawa Island, Leyte
● Local historians in Butuan believed that the first site
of the catholic mass took place in Mazawa, a place in
Butuan now called Masao.

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 Site of the First Mass
What happened?
On March 31,1521 easter sunday Friar Pedro Valderama
celebrated mass together with Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan and his men.
With the spaniards were the ruler of Mazawa, Rajah
Siaias and his brother Rajah Colambu, the ruler of butuan.
 Site of the First Mass
Afterwards, they planted a cross in the highest hill and
stayed in the area for seven days and helped in the rice
harvest for two days together with more than a hundred
of Rajah’s men.
 Site of the First Mass
Father Joesilo Conalla
(curator of Butuan Dicesan Liturgical Museum)
- Believed that the site of the first mass was Butuan ,
not in Limasawa
- People who attended the mass harvested rice for two
days, meaning that the place was a huge agricultural
area
- Limasawa island not an agricultural area, therefore
there is nothing to harvest there.
 Site of the First Mass
Joelito Monzon Ramirez Jr. - a local historian and writer

● There was no island named limasawa in 1521.

● On that event, pigafetta recorded today’s limasawa as Gatighan Island,

between bohol and panaon south of leyte. Magellan never landed in
Gathigan Island.

● The name Limasawa appeared only in 1667, Historia de mindanao, by

Combes.
 Site of the First Mass
● Local historian and president of the Butuan City Heritage Society
(BCHS) Greg Hontiveros said that the “ Honor ” belongs to the City of
Butuan and not in Leyte.

● He also requested the CBCP to investigate the first mass controversy

since the event is very symbolic and important to the church.
 01
When was the First Mass held?
 02
Who is the person who
documented the First Voyage
around the world and the site of
the first mass?
 03
Where are the two places that
historians debates on the true
location of the first mass?
 04
What is the occasion happened
during the first mass?
 05
Who was the people who
attended the first mass (Give at
least 2?
 CREATED BY SLIDESGO

India icon pack

01. OBJECTIVES 02. METHODOLOGY 03. ANALYSIS 04. CONCLUSIONS

ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY THESIS

 RECAP
● The first mass was held in Mazaua (Limasawa) - April 1,1521 (Originally
March 31).

● History book states that the first catholic mass was held in Limasawa
Island, Leyte.

● Father Joesilo Conalla - Believed that the site of the first mass was Butuan,
not in Limasawa

● Joelito Monzon Ramirez Jr. - a local historian and writerThere was no island
named limasawa in 1521.
 Site of the First Mass
What is the real reason of Magellan
and his men go to an expedition?
The reason why Magellan and his men go with
An expedition because of the mercantilism and
competition against Spain. They are looking
For spices and the intention of expanding
Their territory. They accidentally found our country,
The Philippines.
 Site of the First Mass
SITE OF THE FIRST MASS

Another reason is the so called “3G”. So they say that the colonizers wanted to
colonize a country with the intention of this “3G”. Glory, Gold, and God. In this
topic, we will be focusing on the word GOD. And that’s how Christianity
started in the Philippines. And this year, the Church marks up the 500th year
anniversary mark up since the first mass was held here in the Philippines.
 Site of the First Mass
Magellan’s Cross
According to the Historians,
Magellan’s cross is one of many
evidences they are addressing. It was
said that Magellan commanded his
people to build Magellan’s Cross as an
offer to the Leaders of Limasawa.
 Site of the First Mass
Republic Act no. 2733 - June 19, 1960
“AN ACT TO DECLARE THE SITE IN MAGALLANES, LIMASAWA ISLAND
IN THE PROVINCE OF LEYTE, WHERE THE FIRST MASS IN THE
PHILIPPINES WAS HELD AS A NATIONAL SHRINE, TO PROVIDE FOR
THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND
LANDMARKS THEREAT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.”
 Site of the First Mass
Republic Act no. 2733 - June 19, 1960
On June 19, 1960 — the Philippine Congress enacted a bill [R.A.
No. 2733] declaring Limasawa as the place where Magellan
celebrated the first recorded mass in the Philippines on Easter
Sunday, March 31, 1521.President Carlos P. Garcia did not sign the
law because he was not sure of the fact that the 'Mazaua’ in the
Pigafetta Codex is really Limasawa. Numerous Butuan People don’t
agree on this. As per some Butuan People, they have two grounds
on why they are against the Law.
 Site of the First Mass
Republic Act no. 2733 - June 19, 1960
1. There are Scientist and 2. They were questioning
Historians who found 10 Pigafetta’s Credibility. What is the
Balanghay Boat aged 1600 in assurance that Pigafetta’s Mass
Masao River in 1976. They was the first-ever-mass that was
assume that it was used as help in the Philippines.
Transportation.
 Site of the First Mass
Archives: Civil Archives (1934)
There is one theory that Stand tall among the other evidences and documents. Gil Piamontes
de Alazerna found Archive in Civil Archives. It was said that this is unfolding Magellan’s arrival in
Suluan or known today as Homonhon. It is also indicated here the Negotiation between Portuguese
and our Ancestors, that was called “Garas-Garas”.

OPUS EXCELLENTISIMUS ALFONSUS FAXARDUS TENZAE GOBERNATUM PHILIPINUM INSULARIUM.

DIVERSAE ET VENALES RES. VALDE SPECTABILUM ESSE. GONZALUS RONQUILAE PENALOSAE
GOBERNATUM EMERITUS PHILLIPINARUM INSULAE DENSITAS JAPONICUS,
CHINAE ET MAURORUM. MANILAE ANNO DOMINI 1580.
 Site of the First Mass
Archives: Civil Archives (1934)
Yet, “papunta palang tayo sa exciting part” was popular even before. Historians found the
interesting part where there are English words written in the Letter.

THEY ALSO AGREED TO SIGN A TREATY OF PEACE THAT WAS DONE ON MARCH 19 WHEN MOST OF THE
SPANIARDS DISEMBARKED. MASS WAS CELEBRATED AND LATER A TALL CROSS WAS PLANTED NEAR THE
SHORE GARAS GARAS, INAROYAN, AND THE OTHER CHEIFS SIGNED THE TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP THAT
BEGAN:”IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN.
IN THE ISLAND OF SULUAN THIS 19TH DAY OF MARCH 1521, BEFORE ME, NOTARY AND SCRIBE OF THE EXPEDITION SENT
BY HIS MAJESTY, THE KING OF SPAIN, I, LEON DE ESPELETA. HEARBY TESTIFY.
 CONCLUSION:

● According to the CNN Philippines, the NHCP or National

Historical Commission of the Philippines confirmed that the
first mass took place in Limasawa Island in Leyte. The
request were made in time for the 500th anniversary of the
introduction of Christianity in the country in 2021.

● The NHCP panel examined the Italian and French version of

Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta’s accounts in the
Magellan-Elcano expedition, which showed the coordinates
of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass are closer in Limasawa.
 CONCLUSION

● Some proponents insisted Butuan City in Agusan Del Norte

as the real site of the first Catholic mass in the country, as
evidenced by a monument erected in 1872 in Magallanes
town commemorating the said religious event that
happened there.

● After making trips in Butuan and Limasawa as part of their

research, the NHCP panel found no sufficient evidence that
the capital of Agusan Del Norte hosted the first Catholic
mass in the country.
 CONCLUSION
● The National historical commission also studied the 1985
journal articles of historians Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and
Pablo Pastells, SJ, which revisited Pigafetta’s accounts and
emphasized that Limasawa, not Butuan, as the site of the
first Catholic maass in the country.

● The 1971 expedition of naval historian Samuel Eliot

Morison and Columbian historian Mauricio Obregon and the
accounts of Spanish naval engineer Ignacio Fernandez Vial
and merchant marine captain Jose Luis Ugarte retraced the
Magellan-Elcano voyage and concluded that Limasawa is the
site of the first mass in the country, The NHCP found out in
its study.
 CONCLUSION

● The country’s first Catholic mass was officiated by Father

Pedro Valderama on March 31, 1521, upon orders of the
Portugese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. The Limasawa mass
marked the birth of Roman Catholicism in the country,
which remains as the nation’s dominant religion in the
country up to the present.
 01
Who found the Archives in the
Civil Archives?
 02
What did the R.A. No. 2733
declared?
 03
What does the 3G’s stands for??
 04
Magellan ordered his men to
build this as a gift for the
Leaders of Limasawa?
 05
What did the Historians and
Scientist found in Masao River?
PADAYON!
 REFERENCES
https://upd.edu.ph/limasawa-vs-butuan-the-first-easter-mass/
https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/06/19/21/first-mass-limasawa-homonhon-butuan
https://rcam.org/first-mass-in-philippines-500-years-ago-commemorated-in-limasawa/
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2021-03/philippines-500th-anniversary-first-mass-
jubileecelebrations.html?
fbclid=IwAR20HKEC9IsfIA2_p0RtE90v3_oa09o5Z_dUu67_94Cy1q5o5jMF21zFFzU
https://worldmissionmagazine.com/archives/december-2020/limasawa-site-first-mass-ph
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/8/20/NHCP-affirms-Limasawa-Island-as-site-of-first-
Catholic-mass-in-the-country.html
https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/21477
https://thesplendorofthechurch.com/2020/08/19/limasawa-not-butuan-the-real-site-of-first-holy-mass-i
n-the-philippines-by-national-historical-commission/
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/8/20/NHCP-affirms-Limasawa-Island-as-site-of-first-Catholi
c-mass-in-the-country.html
https://youtu.be/cX7ZBiQNqXg