Welcome to the Town of Sta Catalina in Negros Oriental!

We are delighted to greet you to our charming town, nestled in the heart of Negros Oriental. With 22 Barangays, each brimming with their unique character, we invite you to explore the diverse beauty and warm hospitality our community has to offer.
Mark your calendars for April 25, as we celebrate our vibrant town fiesta. It's a joyous occasion where locals come together to showcase our culture, traditions, and delectable local cuisines. You'll experience the true essence of Sta Catalina's spirit during this festive event. At Sta Catalina, we take pride in fostering a friendly and peaceful environment, making it an ideal destination for visitors seeking relaxation and genuine connections.
Our residents are known for their welcoming nature, always ready to extend a helping hand and share tales about our town's rich history. From picturesque landscapes to hidden gems waiting to be discovered, Sta Catalina offers an array of experiences that will leave you enchanted and inspired. As you immerse yourself in the warmth of our community, we hope you create fond memories and forge lasting bonds.
Whether you're here for a short stay or to make Sta Catalina your home, we're thrilled to have you with us. Once again, a heartfelt welcome to the Town of Sta Catalina.
Let the adventure begin!

Monday, December 29, 2008

History of Sta Catalina

The municipality of Santa Catalina is named after their patron saint, Santa Catalina de Alejandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine. She is a figure claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th Century who, at the age of only 18, is said to have visited the Emperor of the time, who could have been Maximinus II or Maxentius, and to have attempted to convince him of the error of his ways in persecuting Christians (and having succeeded in converting his wife).

According to legend, she also converted many pagans, who were subsequently murdered. The legend of Catherine continues that she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel (an instrument of torture), but that it broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded. Her symbol is the spiked wheel, which became known as the Catherine wheel, and her feast day is celebrated the 25 November in most Orthodox churches.

Ranked with St. Margaret and St. Barbara as one of the fourteen most helpful saints in heaven, she was unceasingly praised by preachers and sung by poets. It is a well known fact that Jacques-Benigne Bossuet dedicated to her one of his most beautiful panegyrics and that Adam of Saint-Victor wrote a magnificent poem in her honour: "Vox Sonora nostri chori". In many places her feast was celebrated with the utmost solemnity, servile work being suppressed and the devotions being attended by great numbers of people. In several dioceses of France it was observed as a Holy Day of obligation up to the beginning of the seventeenth century, the splendour of its ceremonial eclipsing that of the feasts of some of the Apostles. Numberless chapels were placed under her patronage and her statue was found in nearly all churches, representing her according to medieval inconography with a wheel, her instrument of torture.
St. Catherine became the patroness of young maidens and female students. Looked upon as the holiest and most illustrious of the virgins of Christ, it was but natural that she, of all others, should be worthy to watch over the virgins of the cloister and the young women of the world."

The spiked wheel having become emblematic of the saint, wheelwrights and mechanics placed themselves under her patronage. Finally, as according to tradition, she not only remained a virgin by governing her passions and conquered her executioners by wearying their patience, but triumphed in science by closing the mouths of sophists, her intercession was implored by theologians, apologists, pulpit orators, and philosophers. Before studying, writing, or preaching, they besought her to illumine their minds, guide their pens, and impart eloquence to their words. This devotion to St. Catherine which assumed such vast proportions in Europe after the Crusades, received additional eclat in France in the beginning of the fifteenth century, when it was rumoured that she had spoken to Joan of Arc and, together with St. Margaret, had been divinely appointed Joan's adviser..

Article Source: ELGU.ncc.gov.ph, May 31 2006

3 comments:

ness said...

hey,

i'm glad to have found a blogger from sta. catalina! thanks for making this site. daghan kaayong mga taga-sta. who are not in sta anymore but are always glad to hear about sta news.

keep on writing!

CaptainWoHoo said...

hi ness,

thanks for visiting my blog (this is everyone's blog, so if you'd like feel free to contribute here), and I am wanting to keep this blog alive as much as possible, hehe, so keep on coming back...new write ups, new photos will be posted. That's a promise. hehe

Salamat....! asa diay inyo sa sta?

jlbelloso said...

Your story has nothing to do with the history of the town of Sta. Catalina. You should research on how the town came to be, who were responsible for it becoming a town separate from Bayawan, how it evolved from Tolong Viejo, way back during the Spanish times and so forth. You are narrating about the saint, St. Catherine, which has nothing at all to do with the history of the town.

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