Information about St. Peter Thelmo Parish

St. Peter Thelmo Parish

Photo by Parokia San Telmo

St. Peter Thelmo Parish sits in the Aparri municipality located in Northern Cagayan, on the northern region of Luzon Island. It was erected in 1604 for the evangelization of the natives residing here. However, it was only in 1682 when the parish was officially inaugurated, having St. Peter Thelmo as its patron saint. 

The original church was constructed near the banks of Cagayan River, but was flooded and was later rebuilt. The church was burned and rebuilt no less than four times. Its current location is where the original structure stood, but because of the World War II bombings, the structure was destroyed to the ground. The Baroque-style church went through an extensive renovation, where the only thing that’s left of the original structure after the war was the bell tower. 

In 2010, Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan promoted the church to an Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. The church is a testimony to the faith and commitment of the people of Aparri, after many destructions and rebuilding throughout centuries. 

Best time to visit

It's best to visit the parish in October as this is when the locals hold an activity called the "Block Rosary." During this activity, devout Catholics from 11 barangays in Aparri simultaneously pray the rosary together.