SITE OF THE FIRST MASS

1. SITE OF THE FIRST
MASS
Presented by: Group 6
Rizza Mae Abaya
Rachell Ann Ragudos
Kyla Catañeda
Janine Delos Reyes

2. Case Study 1: Where Did the First Catholic Mass
Take Place in the Philippines?
• Butuan- has long been believed as the site of the
first Mass.
• The Butuan claim has been based on a rather
elementary reading of primary sources from the
event.

3. Two primary sources in identifying the site
of the first Mass
Francisco Albo - he is a pilot of one of Magellan's ship,
Trinidad. The first source is the log that he kept. He was one
of the 18 survivors who returned with Sebastian Elcano on
the ship Victoria after they circumnavigated the world.
Account - it is the second source and the more complete by
Antonio Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First
Voyage Around the World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a
member of the Magellan expedition and an eyewitness of the
events, particularly, of the first Mass.

4. Primary Source: Albo's Log
Source: Diario 6 derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabe S.
Agustin en el Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao Victoria escrito
por Frandsco Albo, Document no. xxii in Colleción de viag
descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles desde fines del
siglo XV, Ed. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted Buenos Aires
1945, Vols) IV, 191-226. As cited in Miguel A. Bernad "Butuan or
Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A
Reexamination Evidence" 1981, Kinaadonan. A Journal of Southern
Philippines, Vol III. 1-35
1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a
westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land towards
the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they
did not approach it. They found later that its name was
Yunagan.

5. 2. They went instead that same day southwards to another small
island named Suluan, and there they anchored.
3. Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an
uninhabited island of "Gada" where they took in a supply of wood
and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows.
4. From that island they sailed westwards towards a large
island names Seilani that was inhabited and was known
to have gold. (Seilani - or, as Pigafetta calls it, "Ceylon" -
was the island of Leyte.)

6. 5. Sailing southwards along the coast of that
large island of Seilani they turned southwest to a
small island called "Mazava. That a island is also
at a Intitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
6. The people of that island of Mazava were very good.
There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a mountain-
top, and from there they were shown three islands to
the west and southwest, where they were told there
was much gold. "They showed us how the gold" was
gathered, which came in small pieces like peas and
lentils"

7. 7. From mazava they sailed northwards again
towards Seilani.
8. From there they sailed westwards some ten Leagues,
and there they saw three islets, where they dropped
anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest
some 12 leagues, down to a latitude of 10 and one-third
degree. there they entered a channel between two islands,
one of which was called "Matan" and other "Subu

8. 9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward
and anchored at the town ( la villa) of Subu where they
stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into
a peace-pact with the local king.
10. The town of Subu was on east-west direction with the
islands of Suluan and Mazava. But between Mazava and
Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not
go westward directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-
about way.

9. In Albo's account, the location of Mazava fits the
location of the island of Limasawa, at the
southern tip of Leyte, 9°54'N. Also Albo does not
mention the first Mass, but only the planting of
the cross upon a mountain-top from which could
be seen three islands to the west and southwest,
which also fits the southern end of Limasawa.

10. Primary Source: Pigafetta's Testimony on the Route of
Magellan's Expedition
1.March 16, 1521— Magellan sighted the eastern coast of
Samar.
2.March 17, 1521—Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and
150 of his crew, landed on the shores of the Philippine
Archipelago, they are the first European explorer to set foot in
our country.
3. Magellan named the islands “Islas de San Lazaro” because he
“discovered” them on the Feast of Saint Lazarus in 1521.

11. 4.March 18, 1521— a group of locals riding in two boats
investigated the presence of these people in Homonhon.
5. Homonhon Island is an island in the province of Eastern Samar,
Philippines, on the east side of Leyte Gulf.
6.March 22, 1521—Our ancestors return to Homonhon with more
food and drink.

12. 7. Magellan expedition, also known as the Magellan–Elcano
expedition, was the first voyage around the world in recorded
history.
8.Marchh 25, 1521—The expedition leaves Homonhon and sails
across the waters of Hinunangan (Southern Leyte) and of
Gibusong Island (Loreto, Dinagat Islands).

13. 9. Four (4) Island:
•CENALO - misspelling in the italian manuscript, pigafetta calls "
ceilon" and albo calls "seilani" the island of leyte.
•HIUNANGHAN - misspelling of HINUNGHAN, seemed Pigafetta to be
separate island but actually the mainland of leyte.
•HIBUSON - (Pigafetta's Ibusson) an island east of leyte,'s southern tip.
10. Thursday, March 28 - (HOLY THURSDAY) they anchored off an
island.
• MAZAUA - twenty five leagus from the acquada.

14. 11. They remained seven days on Mazaua Island
12. Thursday, April 4- They left Mazaua bound for Cebu
• FIVE (5) ISLAND: - Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan
13. GATIGHAN they sailed at the three island of Camotes Group
• Poro, Pasihan, and Ponson
• BALANGHAI- a thing that excited the administration of the King
Mazaua
14. From Camotes Island they sailed towards "Zubu" (Cebu)
15. Sunday, April 7- they entered the harbor of "Zubu".

15. PRIMARY SOURCE: PIGAFETTA AND SEVEN
DAYS IN MAZAUA
1. Thursday, March 28- "HOLY THURSDAY"
•BOLOTO- small boat
• BALANGHAI- larger boat
2. Friday, March 29 ("HOLY FRIDAY")
Magellan sent his slave interpreter.
• Pigafetta- one of the guest
3. Saturday, March 30 (GOOD FRIDAY)
-Pigafetta and his companion drinking with the
native king and his son.
BALANGHAI

16. 4. Sunday, March 31 (EASTER DAY)
-" Early in the morning of sunday"
-FIRST MASS
5. Sunday, March 31
(AFTERNOON)
-plan to leave mazaua going to zubu
• ZUBU was the port with the most trade

17. 6. Monday April 1 – Magellan sent men ashore to help with
the harvest but no work was done that day because the two
kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
7. Tuesday, april 2 and Wednesday
April 3 - work on the harvest during the next day Tuesday
and wednesday the 2nd and 3rd of april.
8. Thursday april 4 - they leave mazaua bound for cebu, Jesuit
priest Miguel A. bernad in his work butuan or limasawa : the site
of the first mass in the philippines : a reexamination of the
evidence (1981) lay down the argument that in the pigafetta
account

18. The age exploration is a period of competition among
european rules to conquer and colonize lands outside
their original domains initially the goal was to find the
alternative routes by the sea to get the asia the main
source of species, and other commodities existing route
to asia were mainly by land and cost very expensive.