Santa Catalina Parish Church/ Simbahan ng Santa Catalina/ The Church of Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur)

The Church of Santa Catalina:

The Church of Santa Catalina

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Santa Catalina

 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral/ Katedral ng Dumaguete/ The Cathedral of Dumaguete (Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental)

The Cathedral of Dumaguete:

The Cathedral of Dumaguete

About the Church:

The town was formerly under the spiritual care of the parish of Tanjay until it was founded as a parish in 1620. Its parochial administration included the island of Siquijor and all the southeastern part of Negros from Sibulan to Bayawan. The parish was first entrusted to the secular clergy with Fr. Juan de Roa y Herreras as its first parish priest from 1620 until 1623. A Spanish diocesan priest Fr. Jose Fernandez de Septien built a strong church.

The Augustinian Recollects took over the administration of the parish in 1855 with Fr. Antonio Ubeda as the first Recollect parish priest until 1856. More Recollects came to administer the parish. Famous among them was Fr. Antonio Moreno, parish priest in 1860-1866. He was considered as “a very zealous and active Recollect missionary.” Among others he embellished the church with precious ornaments, constructed two beautiful and spacious schools made of concrete materials. He started the construction of the cemetery, which was left unfinished because of his untimely demised on October 12, 1866. Father Mariano Bernad succeeded him as parish priest for sixteen years (1866-1867, 1879-1891, and 1894-1897). He was preoccupied with many concerns of the parish. He introduced many improvements in the church and cemetery, completed the portico of the church, and changed the roof of the church to galvanized iron, and tiles for the flooring. He provided the parish with good quality and enough liturgical vestments and vessels and vestment for the patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria. The many streets, principal avenues, bridges and culverts of the city were even attributed to him, but his greatest work was his fruitful evangelization of the people of Dumaguete. The devotion to St. Joseph and perpetual adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were two famous devotions introduced by Fr. Bernad. His election as Prior Provincial in 1891 cut short his missionary activities in Dumaguete. But soon after his term expired as prior provincial, he returned to Dumaguete and remained there until 1897. Father Juan Felix de la Encarnacion changed the flooring with fine and special wood and redesigned the beautiful tabernacle during his term as parish priest in 1867 until 1879.

When the Revolution broke out in 1898, the Recollects left the parish to the care of the secular clergy. They only resumed the administration of the parish when the last Filipino clergy died in 1890. Father Calixto Gaspar was the first Recollect to arrive in Dumaguete after the war. Father Francisco Ortuoste was the parish priest from 1925 until 1931 who completed the construction of the belfry, just a few meters away from the church. Finally, the Recollects turned over the administration of the parish to the secular clergy in 1954. Father Alejandro Oses was the last Recollect parish priest of Dumaguete from 1949 to 1954.
The parish church of St. Catherine of Alexandria became a cathedral when Dumaguete was erected as a diocese in 1955.

Source: Dennis Madrigal (ed.) Handurawan Visita Iglesia Negros y Recoletos (2006), p. 68.

How to get to the Cathedral: the easiest way to get to the Cathedral is by tricycle. Just hail a tricycle and just say to take you to the Cathedral.

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Cathedral of Dumaguete

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church (Gerona, Tarlac)

The Church of Gerona:

The Church of Gerona

Other Pictures of the Church:

Saint Catherine Parish Church / Simbahan ni Santa Catalina / Church of Arayat (Arayat, Pampanga)

The Church of Arayat:

Church of Arayat – Santa Catalina / Saint Catherine

About the Church: Sta. Catalina Church was built in honor of St Catherine of Alexandria. Fr. Jose Torres had the present church restored in 1858. This was continued during the term of Fr. Juan Tarrero and completed under the supervision of Fr. Urbano Beduya in 1892. Several renovations have been conducted since then. The church measures 70 meters long and 16 meters wide, 12 meters high and was done in three-level Renaissance style facade.

Other Sites to Visit: Churches of Pampanga

Other Pictures of the Church:

Church of Arayat – Santa Catalina / Saint Catherine

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church/ Simbahan ng Carcar/ The Church of Carcar (Carcar, Cebu)

The Church of Carcar:

The Church of Carcar (2013)

The Church of Carcar (2011)

About the Church:

The church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Carcar, Cebu is already 124 years old and is among the great wonder and treasure of the town. It is not clear in the history records as to who built the church but it must be observed that the Augustinian friars were in charge of the parishes from San Nicolas up to Tañon and from then on.

Fr. Antonio Maglano became the parish priest of Carcar on October 16, 1858, he began the construction of the present day church a year later. The construction lasted for six years since it was left unfinished by the succeeding friars. At that time St. Catherine’s already had three naves. The style was patterned after the “mujedar” in Spain, comprising of two bells. With an onion-shaped tip. Nine years later, Fr. Manuel Rubio Fernandez from Asturias, Spain became the parish priest and continued the construction which was finished after two years.

St. Catherine’s Church holds unprecedented history. Inspired by the Graeco-Roman style, with strong Muslim influence, the church is made of masonry with one main nave and two aisles. The nave measures 68 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 12 meters high. The main entrance has a double arch design inviting attention in the massive rectangular façade. The twin bell towers of solid geometric pylons, act as buttresses but are integrated as part of the façade. The twin bell towers end up at the third level in the minaret shape common to Muslim mosques.

The only embellishments that have been provided are the geometric flora on the spandrels, the blind rose window below the upper recessed arch and the carved Augustinian symbol above it. The simplicity of the design of the facade is countered by the complex pattern of the upper-story of the Muslim like bell tower and the Baroque pediment. It is noticeable that all the twelve apostles were carved in white except for Judas, which was done in black. (Sourced from www.etravelpilipinas.com)

My Visit to the Church: I have been to CarCar Church twice or thrice and everytime the Church was closed but last January 2014 it was open! They were doing some restoration / Renovation works on the Church and the doors were open. What I saw inside made my trip to Cebu WORTH it. The Church was not just Impressive outside but was equally beautiful and impressive inside. The ceiling boasted of lovely paintings. At the top of the Old Main Altar was a Beautiful painting of the Holy Family and just below it is a statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. On each pillar of the Church is a Station of the cross and above the stations of the cross are Angels holding lights.

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Carcar (2013)

The Church of Carcar (2011)