The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral of Cagayan de Oro

                    

In 1622, Father Agustin de San Pedro and other Spanish priests explored a place along Cagaiang river for an evangelism mission. On a promontory was a native settlement called Himulugan and was headed by Datu Salangsag. At first the natives were not receptive to the missionaries since they were under the protection of Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao and were paying tributes to him. To deal with the issue, the priests convinced the Datu and his followers to move to a new settlement that was safer from attack and harassment from other rival non-Christian natives. They moved to another promontory by the river and established their settlement there. Father Agustin who was also called El Padre de Capitan and the other priests were able to convert the native to Christianity and built the first church with fortification that was made of light materials in 1624. Datu Dabao, with his Manobo warriors, attacked the settlement and the church in 1649. However, El Padre de Capitan and the native villagers were able to repel their enemies and rebuild the church.

In 1778, the church was burned, and Father Pedro de Santa Barbara replaced it with a bigger church in 1779. In honor to the priest who was responsible for the establishment of the church and the village, the priest and the natives called it the Church of Saint Augustine. And consequently, it followed that the patron saint of the church and the place was Saint Augustine of Hippo. In 1831 that church was razed by fire and after that incident not another church was built again. Ten years later in 1841 Father Simon Loscos, with the help of Mayor Don Jose Corrales constructed a stone church that was completed in 1853. Father Ramon Zueco the parish priest of Cagayan brought therein an organ pipe from Manila. In 1888, a wooden cross was erected at the front of the church. 

During the Second World War, the church was destroyed by the bombings. And after the war in 1946, Archbishop James Hayes S.J., the first archbishop of Cagayan, along with the populace started the construction of a new cathedral and convent. Stained glasses from Sacred Heart Chapel of New York were installed in the church. The cathedral that was built is the one that exists today in its present location.

The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral is the seat of Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. It was a former territory of the archdiocese of Cebu and Jaro from 1607 to 1910. Its administration was later transferred to the archdiocese of Zamboanga from 1911 to 1933. After all those years Cagayan was canonically established as an archdiocese.

The church is near some of the city’s major landmarks such as Gaston Park, the old water tower, the city hall, the Ysalina Bridge, and the Cagayan de Oro River. Its architectural style is neo-Gothic with adjacent buildings that facilitate church operations and other activities. There is a large cross in front of its main entrance. A dome in the center of the roof is the recent addition to the church building.  

Today, the Saint Augustine Cathedral is the premier house of worship of thousands of faithful Catholics. It is not only a church but also an institution that is connected to its historic and cultural development.