Great Island: Studies in the Exploration and Evangelization of Mindanao

The exploration and evangelization of this island involved courage, perseverance, and ingenuity on the part of missionaries and explorers. While some of the essays in this book afford a glimpse at the endeavor, they deal with only a small part of the great enterprise. The essays, each a product of reflection and historical research, deal in turn with the controversy about the site of the first Mass; beginnings of evangelization; construction of the first church; the exploration of the largest river system of the island; the early attempts to climb the highest mountain; and Rizal’s four-year stay in Dapitan.

Published in 2004. Runner-up, 2006 Gintong Aklat Awards, for Social Science.