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Loboc Church

Coordinates:9°38′10″N124°01′52″E/ 9.6361°N 124.0311°E/9.6361; 124.0311
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Loboc Church
San Pedro Apostol Parish Church
  • Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura
  • Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church
Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol y Santuario Diocesano de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura(Spanish)
The church in January 2023, post-restoration following the2013 Bohol earthquake
Loboc Church is located in Visayas
Loboc Church
Loboc Church
Location in theVisayas
Loboc Church is located in Philippines
Loboc Church
Loboc Church
Location in the Philippines
9°38′10″N124°01′52″E/ 9.6361°N 124.0311°E/9.6361; 124.0311
LocationPoblacion,Loboc, Bohol
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
Status
Founded1596(1596)
1602(1602)(as a parish)
Founder(s)Fr. Juan de Torres,SJ
DedicationSaint Peter
Consecrated1734(1734)
Cult(s)presentOur Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationNational Cultural Treasure
DesignatedJuly 31, 2001(2001-07-31)[1]
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleBaroque
Years built
  • 1670–1734 (dst.2013)
  • 2017–2021
GroundbreakingDecember 2017(2017-12)
CompletedMay 16, 2021(2021-05-16)
Specifications
Number oftowers1
Number ofspires2
MaterialsCoralstones
Administration
ProvinceCebu
DioceseTagbilaran(since 1941)
DeanerySt. Peter the Apostle
ParishSt. Peter the Apostle
Clergy
Priest(s)Fr. Al John Miñoza
Assistant priest(s)Fr. Alvin C. Pusta
National Historical Landmarks
Official nameChurch of San Pedro Apostol
DesignatedDecember 12, 1998(1998-12-12)
Legal BasisResolution No. 7, s. 1998[2]
Official nameParish Church of San Pedro and San Pablo of Loboc
DesignatedJuly 31, 2001(2001-07-31)

San Pedro Apostol Parish Church,commonly known asLoboc Churchand alternatively as theDiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura,is aRoman Catholic churchin the municipality ofLoboc, Bohol,Philippines,within the jurisdiction of theDiocese of Tagbilaran.

After theJesuitsestablished the Christian community inBaclayon,they moved to Loboc and established a second Christian settlement in Bohol. The parish was established in 1602, and the present coral stone church was completed in 1734. Because of its strategic location, it became the center of the Jesuit mission in the Bohol area. In 1768, upon the expulsion of the Jesuits, the town was transferred to theAugustinian Recollects.[3]

The church is classified as a National Historical Landmark by theNational Historical Commission of the Philippinesand aNational Cultural Treasureby theNational Museum of the Philippines.

It was severely damaged when a 7.2 magnitudeearthquakestruck Bohol and other parts ofCentral Visayason October 15, 2013. Restoration works began in 2017 and the church was reopened on May 16, 2021.[4]

History

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View from Loboc river

After the establishment of the Jesuit mission in Bohol, Father Juan de Torres,SJ,moved to the community along theLoboc Riverin late 1596 to establish a second mission station.[5]The first church, made of wood, was built by the people of the area on a site called Calvario, Sawang, near the location of the present-day church. It was dedicated under the patronage of SaintMichael the Archangel.[5]Loboc officially became aparish churchin 1602.[5]Due to pirate attacks onBaclayonand the strategic position of Loboc, the Jesuits chose Loboc to become the center of their mission.[5]The Jesuit superior of Bohol later resided in Loboc until the Jesuits' expulsion in 1768.[6]A boarding school for boys, theSeminario de los Indios,was established at Loboc in 1605.[6][7][8]

Fire destroyed the original wooden church in 1638; it was later reconstructed by the Jesuit priest Jose Sanchez.[9]A larger church was built in 1670, on the site of the present day convent.[10]The coral stone church was finished in 1734.[9]After the Jesuits were expelled from the country in May 1768, theAugustinian Recollectsassumed the administration of the parish and the church that November.[9][11]

Historical and cultural designations

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ChurchNHIhistorical marker installed in 1999

On December 12, 1998, Loboc Church was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute, now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.[2]It was also listed as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines on July 31, 2001.[12]

The church complex was a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines, under two distinct categories. The Jesuit Churches of the Philippines nomination includes the churches ofMaragondoninCavite,BaclayoninBoholandGuiuaninEastern Samar.[13]TheBaroque Churches of the Philippines(Extension) nomination, nominates Loboc Church along with the churches ofPatrocinio de MariainBoljoon, Cebu,La Inmaculada ConcepcioninGuiuan, Eastern Samar,San MatiasinTumauini, Isabela,andSan Isidro LabradorinLazi, Siquijor.[14]However, due to its total destruction in 2013, it was removed from the roster of nominated sites.[15]

2013 earthquake, restoration, and contemporary history

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Main article:2013 Bohol earthquake
The damaged middle section of the church after the earthquake

On October 15, 2013, astrong earthquakeheavily damaged the church and several other churches designated asNational Cultural Treasures.[16]The church suffered major damage to its structure, particularly its façade and tower, which both partially collapsed.[17]

While waiting for the complete restoration and rehabilitation of the old church, an alternate church was opened on October 12, 2014.[18]

Restoration works began in 2017. After more than seven years since the earthquake, theNational Museum of the Philippinesturned over the restored church on May 16, 2021,Ascension Sunday[a],the same day the church was reopened.[4]

On May 24, 2021, the church was declared as the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura, the same day that it was also affiliated with thePapal Basilica of Saint Mary MajorinRome.Plenary indulgenceswere also granted for pilgrims visiting the church.[19]

Architecture

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Thick walls of the church

The church is built along the banks of theLoboc River.The coral stone church follows acruciformplan, with a sunken pyramidal roof on itscrossing.As a church built by the Jesuits, exterior walls of the church have the Jesuit insignia and icons of an angel's wing and head.[9]Major renovations were undertaken by Augustinian priest Father Aquilino Bon, including the addition of aporticoto the façade (1863–1866) and re-roofing with tiles (1873).[9]Father José Sánchez,OAR,added stone buttresses to the walls (1891–1893) and side porticoes (1895–1896).[9]Because of frequent flooding, its wooden flooring was changed to cement tiles in 1895[20]and was elevated in 1969.[21]

Interior

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Centralnaveof the church in 2023

The interior of the church is adorned with ceiling paintings by Canuto Avila and his sons, Ricardo and Ray Francia, created from May 1926 to July 1927, and retouched by Cris Naparota in 1995.[21]A mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe, secondary patron of Loboc, painted by Max Aya-ay in 1930[11]at the center of thenavedepicts the Virgin saving Loboc from floods.[21]The church also has a separatecantileveredorgan loft, hosting a large pipe organ believed to be connected with Father Diego Cera, maker of theLas Piñas Bamboo organ.[21]

Façade

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The inner baroque façade, which is part of the 1734 church built by the Jesuits, is decorated withpilasters,capitals,blind nichesandvolutes.[21][22]It is patterned after theSan Ignacio Church in Intramuros,with two levels, a triangular pediment, and two narrow octagonal bell towers on each side.[23]The neoclassical portico houses niches forSaint PeterandSaint Paul.[22]Along the pediment is a woodenbas-reliefongalvanized ironof thepapal tiaraover crossed keys (the symbol of Saint Peter) on the center and medallions carrying the icons of the Augustinians and Saint Peter on both ends.[9]

Altars

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The church has fiveretablos(reredos). The centralretablo(orretablo mayor) at the altar houses images of Saint Peter, the patron, paired with Saint Paul on the uppermost niche. On the lowest level are images ofOur Lady of Guadalupe,a secondary patron, in the center. Also on the lowest level were statues ofSaint Lucy,patron against typhoons andSaint Francis Xavier,patron against floods and alligators. Both Saint Lucy and Saint Francis were elected patrons in 1697.[20]Behind the walls of theretablo mayorare the remains of the former Jesuit altarpiece, a bas-relief ofSaint Ignatius Loyolaand St Francis Xavier dressed as a pilgrim.[20]Hidden by the main altar, is a bas relief of San Ignacio and San Francisco Xavier done in stucco (reminders that this was once a Jesuit church).[3]

Epistleretablo
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Interior of the church showing thepulpit,epistleretabloand ceiling paintings

On the right side of the altar are tworetablos.The larger altar on the right side currently houses the image of St. Francis Xavier as preacher on the topmost level. On the middle level of the same retablo are images ofSaint Vincent Ferrerin the center, andSaint AugustineandSaint Monicaon the left and right niches, respectively. The lowest level contains images of theNuestra Señora de la Consolacionin the center,Saint Anneto the right andSaint Thérèse of Lisieux(originallySt Joachim) on the left.[24]The smaller altar has two levels of baroque and neoclassical style, respectively, with images of the crucified Christ on the lower level and theHoly Infanton the upper.[24]The tomb of Father Aquilino Bon and other Recollect priests who served Loboc are also on this side of the church.[24]The remains of Jesuit priest Alonso de Humanes were formerly interred in this area before the transfer of his remains to San Ignacio inIntramuros.[24][25]An apocryphal account tells of a fire in a former Loboc church stopping at the foot of Humanes' tomb;[25]this story spread across the people of the Loboc and nearby towns, which drew pilgrims to light candles in memory of Humanes.[25][26]

Gospelretablo
[edit]

On the left side of the altar are also tworetablos.The larger altar, which is a twin of the altar opposite it, houses an image of an unidentified saint on the topmost level, presumably Michael the Archangel, and the crucified Christ (originallyMadonna and Child) in the center,Saint Anthony of Paduaon the middle-left, andSaint Nicholas of Tolentinoon the middle-right niches.[25]The original images on the lowest level have been replaced. The smaller retablo, also of the same style, houses the images ofSaint Josephwith thechild Jesus,andSt Isidore the Laboreron the lower and upper level, respectively.[25]In thesacristyis anotherretablo,with a crucifix in its central niche.[25]On the doorframes of the sacristy are two bas-reliefs depicting Saint Ignatius and the first Jesuits before Mary and the child Jesus and of St. Ignatius holding a book (instucco).[10][25]

Outbuildings

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Outbuildings of Loboc Church
Convent
Bell tower
Adoration chapel (formerly mortuary chapel)

Sacristy and Convent

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Theconvent,which was built around 1854, was used as the central residence of Jesuit missionaries in Bohol.[11]It is built with a rare type ofbahay na batoarchitecture. It was built parallel to thetranseptand was an unusual three-storey structure, with a two-storey outdoor gallery (called avolada) and thick walls.[10]It is the only convent in the Philippines with three storeys.[27]An extension perpendicular to the convent was built in the middle of the 19th century.[10]The convent was also adorned with paintings on its walls and ceilings, and with colored glass on its windows andcorniceson the kitchen. The roof was replaced with galvanized iron in 1888.[10]The third floor of the convent is now used as an ecclesiastical museum (known as Loboc Museum), containing several religious artifacts, such as a 1786 silvermissaland 18th century woodenSanto Niño.[10]

Belltower

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A detached four-storeybell towerwas built near the riverbanks by the first Augustinian Recollect priest of Loboc.[9][28]It has seven bells, with the 1863 bell being the oldest and the 1937 bell, named for Father Cayetano Bastes, being the largest.[28]It also has a large woodenratchet,installed in 1899, used during Holy Week, and a clock made by the Altonaga Company, installed in 1893.[28]

Mortuary chapel

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A hexagonalmortuaryis located on the left side of the façade. It was built by Father Bon between 1867 and 1868.[9]Inside is a baroqueretablo,similar to the altars inside the church. It is now used as an adoration chapel.[28]

See also

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Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^While theFeast of the Ascensionis traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, some countries including the Philippinescelebrate it on the following Sunday.

References

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  1. ^"Nat'l Museum turns over restored Loboc Church".Bohol Chronicle.May 17, 2017.RetrievedMay 8,2023.
  2. ^ab"Resolution No. 7, s. 1998 Declaring the church of San Pedro Apostol in Loboc, Bohol as a National Historical Landmark"(PDF).National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 18, 2014.RetrievedOctober 15,2014.
  3. ^ab"Loboc Church".bohol-philippines.RetrievedDecember 10,2018.
  4. ^ab"Loboc church reopens 7 years after Bohol quake".May 18, 2021.
  5. ^abcdJose 2001,p. 68
  6. ^abJavellana 1988,p. 90
  7. ^Jose 2001,pp. 68–69
  8. ^O'Malley 1999,p. 429
  9. ^abcdefghiJose 2001,p. 69
  10. ^abcdefJose 2001,p. 74
  11. ^abcJavellana 1988,p. 92
  12. ^Alba, Reinerio (September 29, 2003)."The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches".National Commission for Culture and the Arts.Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2014.RetrievedDecember 29,2014.
  13. ^"Jesuit Churches of the Philippines".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
  14. ^"Baroque churches of the Philippines (Extension)".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
  15. ^"3 damaged Visayas churches removed from World Heritage tentative list".GMA News Online.August 13, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 3,2015.
  16. ^Luces, Kim (October 15, 2013)."From treasure to rubble: Heritage churches before and after the Bohol quake".GMA News Online.RetrievedSeptember 4,2014.
  17. ^Bolhayon-Mananghaya, Ma. Joycelyn."A Technical Assessment of Bohol churches damaged by the 15 October 2013 Bohol Earthquake".National Commission for Culture and the Arts.RetrievedSeptember 4,2014.
  18. ^Refran, Saleema (October 12, 2014)."Alternate church na gagamitin habang inaayos ang Loboc Church, binuksan".GMA News Online(in Filipino).RetrievedOctober 14,2014.
  19. ^Luci-Atienza, Charissa (May 23, 2021)."'Everything is grace!': Loboc Church now officially affiliated to Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome ".Manila Bulletin.RetrievedJune 10,2023.
  20. ^abcJose 2001,p. 71
  21. ^abcdeJose 2001,p. 70
  22. ^abJapan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage. (2014).Survey Report on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Republic of the Philippines.Tokyo, Japan.
  23. ^Javellana 1988,p. 93
  24. ^abcdJose 2001,p. 72
  25. ^abcdefgJose 2001,p. 73
  26. ^Javellana 1988,p. 91
  27. ^Reinerio, Alba (September 29, 2003)."The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches".National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 14,2014.
  28. ^abcdJose 2001,p. 75

Bibliography

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