THE SITE OF FIRST MASS

Ferdinand Magellan Voyage Around the World PURPOSE? To

find the Moluccas Island
First claim – Butuan Agusan Del Norte (The first Eucharistic celebration was held near the
mouth of the Agusan River where a brick pillar was mounted to serve as a monument.)
Second claim - Limasawa, Southern Leyte (It was held on Limasawa Southern Leyte on an
Easter Sunday.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 20) – The National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP) sustained findings that the Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte as the
site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass, the first Catholic mass in the country.
The first catholic mass happened on March 31, 1521.
The first mass was officiated by Father Pedro Valderama.
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 to Limasawa (Mazaua).
Account of Francisco Albo - He was one of the pilot in one of the Magellan ship
(TRINIDAD) and he was one of the 18 survivor who accompanied Sebastian Elcano in
going back to Spain. On the 16th day of March (1521) as they sailed in a westernly course
from Ladrones, they saw land towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they
didn't approach it. They found later that its name was Yunagan. They went instead that same
day southwards to another small island named Suluan and there they anchored. They saw
some canoes but they fled to the Spaniards approach. Departing from those 2 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. From that island they sailed
westwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and was known to have
gold. Seilani, as Pigafetta calls it as Ceylon, was known as the Island of Leyte. Sailing
southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island called " Mazava". The people of that island of Mazava we're 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 was much gold. They showed us
how the gold was gathered, which came in small pieces like peas and lentils. From Mazava
they sailed northwards Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in a Northwesternly
direction, ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small islands. From
mazava there they sailed westwards some 10 leagues, and there they saw 3 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 degrees. There they entered a channel between 2 islands, one of
which was called "Matan" and the other "Subu". They sailed down that channel and then
turned westward, anchored at the town (la villa) of Subu where they stayed more days and
obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact the local king.
BLOOD COMPACT
March 29 - a Good Friday, a "kasikasi" (blood compact) between Ferdinand Magellan and
Rajah Kulambu, emissary of the King of Limasawa, an island off the coast of Southern
Leyte, sealed an implicit political pact between Spain and the Philippines.
2. Account of Antonio Pigafetta- He was a famous Italian traveler who studied navigation
and known by the name of Antonio Lambardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
Saturday, March 16, 1521 - Magellans expedition sighted a high land named "Zamal“(now
Marianas Island) which was some 300 leagues westward Ladrones.
Sunday, March 17- day after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on another island which
was uninhabited and which lay" to the right " of the above-mentioned island of “zamal”
Magellan named the entire archipelago the "Islands of Saint Lazarus", the reason being that it was
Sunday in the Lenten Season when the gospel assigned for the Mass and the liturgical office was the
11th chapter of St. John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Monday March 18- In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw about coming
towards them with 9 men in it. And exchange of gifts was affected. Magellan asked for food supplies,
and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in four days. There were 2
springs of water on that island of Homonhon Island (Humunu). They saw there some indications
that there was gold in these islands. Consequently, Magellan renamed the island and called it the
"Watering Place of the Good Omen”.

Friday, March 22- At noon the natives returned. This time they were in 2 boats, and they brought
food supplies. Magellans expedition stayed 8 days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the
Monday of the following week, 25 of March.

March 25- the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical
calendar, this day was the feast day of the Incarnation, also called the feast of the Annunciation
and therefore "Our Ladys Day". On this day, as they were about to weigh anchor, and accident
happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed his narrow escape
from death as grace obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast day.
The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was toward the west southwest,
between 4 islands: namely

Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien

Very probably "Cenalo" is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map
calls"Ceilon" and "Albo" calls "Seilano": namely the island of Leyte. Hiunanghan seemed to
Pigafetta to be a separate island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte (Ceilon).

On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafettas Ibusson) is an island east of Leytes southern tip. Thus, it is
easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing "towards west towards" past those islands. They left
Homonhon said westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southwest passing
between the island of Hibuson on their portside Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then
continued southwest then turning westward to "Mazaua".
March 28

In the morning of Holy Thursday, March 28, they anchored off an island where the previous night
they seen a light or a bonfire. That island lies in a latitude of 9 two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole
(North) and in a longitude of 162 degrees from the line of demarcation. It is 25 leagues from the
Aquada and is called Mazaua.

They remained 7 days on Mazaua Island.

April 4, 1521

They left Mazaua bound for Cebu and guided by their King who sailed on his own boat. All
throughout their route, it took them past five island namely:

1. Ceylon

2. Bohol

3. Canighan

4. Baibai

5. Gatighan

Christians recall the events leading up to Jesus' death by crucifixion and, according to their faith,
his Resurrection.

3. Account of Francisco Combes- The first time that the royal standards of the Faith were seen to
fly in this island (of Mindanao] was when the Archipelago was first discovered by the Admiral
Alonso de Magallanes. He followed a new and difficult route [across the Pacific], entering by the
Strait of Siargao, formed by that island and Leyte, landing at the island of Limasawa which is at the
entrance of that Strait

4. Account of Francisco Collins- On Easter Day, in the territory of Butuan, the first Mass ever
offered in these parts was celebrated and a cross planted. Magellan then took formal possession
of the Islands in the name of the Emperor and of the Crown of Castille.