Cainta Church

Cainta Church
Cainta Church
Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Light
Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Lumen (Spanish)
Simbahan ng Caintâ (Filipino)
	Church facade in 2021
	Cainta Church Location in Luzon Cainta Church Location in the Philippines
	14°34′41″N121°06′56″E / 14.5780°N 121.1155°E
Location	A. Bonifacio Ave., San Andrés, Cainta, Rizal
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Active
Founded	1760
Founder(s)	Jesuits
Consecrated	February 25, 1968
Architecture
Functional status	Diocesan shrine and parish church
Heritage designation	Marked Historical Structure
Designated	2007
Architect(s)	Gaspar Marco (first church); Galo Ocampo (reconstructed church)
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Baroque, Renaissance revival
Groundbreaking	1707 (first church); 1966 (reconstructed church)
Completed	1716 (first church); 1968 (reconstructed church)
Demolished	1899 (first church)
Specifications
Capacity	2,500 people
Length	144 feet (44 m) (first church); 223 feet (68 m) (reconstructed church)
Width	48 feet (15 m) (first church); 138 feet (42 m) (reconstructed church)
Height	36 feet (11 m) (first church); 34.4 feet (10.50 m) (reconstructed church)
Number of domes	One (first church); None (reconstructed church)
Number of spires	One
Materials	Stone and reinforced concrete
Bells	5
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Manila
Diocese	Diocese of Antipolo
Parish	Our Lady of Light
Clergy
Priest in charge	Aly A. Barcinal
Laity
Servers' guild	Cofradia de la Madre Santissima del Lumen

Last updated September 17, 2024

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Light, commonly known as Cainta Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church located along Andres Bonifacio Avenue in Barangay San Andres, Cainta, Rizal, in the Philippines. The church also operates a neighboring school, Cainta Catholic College. From its time of erection as a parish in 1760 until 1983, it belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila. It was placed under the newly created Diocese of Antipolo in 1983, which is now headed by Ruperto C. Santos. It belongs to the Vicariate of Our Lady of Light.

On December 6, 2017, Pope Francis granted the papal bull of canonical coronation towards its enshrined Marian image and it was crowned on December 1, 2018. The venerated image is a destroyed Sicilian painting from 1727, recreated by Philippine national artist Fernando Amorsolo due to the burning of the original relic during the Filipino-American war in 1899. It is the first Marian image in Philippine history to be pontifically crowned as an artistic painting.^{[ citation needed ]} On the same day as its canonical coronation, the parish church was consecrated and elevated into a Diocesan Shrine.

History

The original church of Cainta was first constructed in stone by Father Gaspar Marco, a Jesuit priest, in 1707. The shrine at the time was under the patronage of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The construction of the stone church was designed by Juan de Salazar, and was completed during the time of Joaquin Sanchez in 1716 while he was still the parish priest.^[1]

In 1727, a painting of Our Lady of Light was brought in from the Kingdom of Sicily and was chosen as the new patroness of the church. By 1760, the church was officially declared a separate parish.^[2]

On February 23, 1853, an earthquake damaged the church building. Both its roof and one wall collapsed while the walls of the parish rectory or convent sustained cracks.^[1]

By 1884 the parish had been named Our Lady of Light (Virgen ng Caliuanagan or Madre Santissima del Lumen in Tagalog and Spanish languages), as attested in the August 5, 1884, letter by the pastor of Cainta Don Mariano de San Juan to the Archbishop of Manila, Pedro Payo.^[3]

Filipino-American War

During the Filipino-American War in March 1899, the church and parish rectory of Cainta were burned down including the venerated Marian image within. Stones from the church walls were later used to build roads. The only mark left of its Jesuit beginning was attached at the top portion of the church's façade – the monogram of the Holy Name of Jesus "IHS" (Latin: Iesus Hominum Salvator). The church was left in ruins for 67 years without any significant restoration.^[1]

Reconstruction

By the mid-1960s, Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Rufino Santos, instructed the director of the National Museum of the Philippines, Galo Ocampo, to study the possibility of reconstructing the church on its original site. On February 15, 1965, Santos gave permission for the church's reconstruction, which began on June 10, 1966.^[4] The facade was kept untouched.^[1]

The reconstruction was halted when one of the beams collapsed. Further study was conducted to determine if it could withstand earthquakes. The reconstruction resumed on June 15, 1967, and completed after one year.^[1]

Filipino National Artist Fernando Amorsolo was commissioned to create a replica of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Devotees today consider Amorsolo's replica the Philippine version of the original painting of Our Lady of Light in Palermo, Italy. The restoration and reconstruction of the parish was completed and was blessed by Cardinal Santos on February 25, 1968.

In 1975, the administration of the parish was turned over by the CICM Missionaries to the Archdiocese of Manila, with Alfredo Santa Ana as its first diocesan parish priest.

The church was the sole parish in the entire municipality of Cainta until 1998, when the community of Brookside Subdivision was granted a parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 2002, three new independent parishes were erected in villages along Imelda Avenue. Parts of Barangay San Andres were later given to newly established parishes, namely San Andres Apostol in Greenwoods Executive Village (2009) and Saint Francis of Assisi in Cambridge, Floodway (2011). More parishes were canonically established: the Parish of St. Joseph the Worker (2015) in Greenland, and recently St. Oscar Romero Quasi-Parish (2019) in Marick Subdivision.

In 2007, the Cainta Church was declared a historical site by the National Historical Institute (NHI) – now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) – for its significant role during the Philippines-American War. On December 1 that year, the newly renovated altar and the new historical marker of the church were blessed. An episcopal coronation was held on December 1, 2012, coinciding with the parish fiesta, and performed by the local bishop with the assistance of former ambassador to the Vatican, Henrietta De Villa.

Architectural features

The original church, including the sacristy and rectory, was made of stone and limestone (calycanto) while the roof was tiled. It measured approximately 144 feet (44 m) long, 48 feet (15 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) high. It had a dome (media naranja), transepts (crucero), and five buttresses (contrafuertos). The nave's spacious presbytery had windows and skylight (claraboya). The belfry had four bells, two of which were small bells rung by rotation (esquitas). The baptistery with an arched ceiling was situated at the bottom of the belfry. Flooring was made of wood. It also had a choir loft, communion rail, pulpit and three doors. Five retablos were found inside the church. The original picture of the Our Lady of Light was enshrined at the central niche.^[1]

The sacristy measured approximately 27 feet (8.2 m) long, 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 18 feet (5.5 m) high. On the other hand, the parish rectory measured approximately 120 feet (37 m) long, 48 feet (15 m) wide and 24 feet (7.3 m) high. The rectory had a kitchen, two brick chimneys, four rooms and offices.^[1]

The larger reconstructed church measures 223 feet (68 m) long, with transept width 138 feet (42 m) wide, and with walls 34.4 feet (10.50 m) high. It has a main door and four lateral doors. There are separate chapels for the Blessed Sacrament and for Our Lady of Light and Saint Andrew, both enshrined at the sides of the sanctuary.^[1] The bell tower, which is attached to the church building, has arched windows.^[5]

Marian image

The devotion to Our Lady of Light was introduced in Cainta in 1727. The original picture brought by the Jesuits had a gilded frame and crest and was enshrined in one of the side altars (colacerales). It was transferred to the main altar ( retablo mayor ) before 1853. Two faithful copies of the original picture exist. The first was an 1801 print given to those who gave donations to the Virgin Mary with bottom inscription:

Verdadero retrato de Nuestra Señora Reina del Universo – María Santísima – Madre de Lumen que se venera en la Iglesia de Cainta en su propia capilla a solicitud y expensa de ciertos devotos de esta gran Señora en el año de 1801. (English: True image of Our Lady Mary, Queen of the Universe, Most Holy Mother of Light that is venerated in the Church of Cainta in her own chapel, upon the commission and expense of certain devotees of this Great Lady in the year 1801).^[6]

The second faithful copy is a charcoal painting by Mariano Javier of Cainta, painted in 1857. Presently, it is under the care of the family of Flora Javier-Buenviaje.^[6]

The present painting of the Our Lady of Light was painted using oil on canvas by the renowned National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. Over time, the painting had developed some discolorations and acquired dirt and insect excrement. Specialists were consulted who recommended conservation. Conservation procedures were done in four months by Carmina Silverio, a conservator and restorer of painting and sculptures.

The feast day of the venerated image is celebrated annually on December 1, after the feast of Saint Andrew. Her secondary feast is observed on Thursday after Pentecost Sunday.

Clergy

Name	Years serving	Present assignment
Alfredo M. Sta. Ana	1975 – 1987	Deceased
Mariano T. Balbago Jr.	1987 – 1997	St. Joseph Catholic Church, Beltsville, Maryland
Generoso A. Mediarito	1997 – 2006	Diocesan shrine and parish of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Antipolo
Arnel F. Lagarejos	2006 – 2013	relieved
Neil Vincent M. Tacbas	2013 – 2016	St. John Paul II Minor Seminary, Antipolo
Nolly C. Buco	2016 – 2019	Auxiliary bishop and vicar general of the Diocese of Antipolo, parish priest, diocesan shrine and parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Marikina
Aly A. Barcinal	2019 – present

Gallery

Side wall
Church transept
Apex of the transept pediment
Inside the church, showing the bays (right portion)

Related Research Articles

Our Lady of China, the Great Mother, also known as Our Lady of Donglü, is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a reputed Marian apparition in Donglü, China in 1900.

Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga also known as the Virgin of a Thousand Miracles is a Roman Catholic Marian title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1667 by a Spanish soldier during a night storm when he watched over the gates of Porta Vaga, later on the next day the icon was discovered in the seashore of Cañacao bay. The Virgin of Soledad is a venerated Marian icon associated to the Our Lady of Solitude. The province of Cavite and the city of Cavite consider her as its patroness.

Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba is a Marian title, a venerated Marian icon and image associated to the Our Lady of Sorrows, The town of Pakil in the province of Laguna considers her as its patroness.

Our Lady of Manaoag is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Manaoag, Pangasinan, the Philippines. The sacred statue is referred to as Apo Baket in the native language of local devotees.

The Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is a Roman Catholic parish church and national shrine in the Diocese of Malolos in the Philippines. It serves as a Philippine apostolate of Our Lady of Fatima in Fátima, Portugal, which is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The shrine is located near the Our Lady of Fatima University campus in Marulas, Valenzuela City in Metro Manila, Philippines. The shrine is one of the three major pilgrimage sites in the Diocese of Malolos, with the National Shrine of St. Anne in Hagonoy and the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Marilao as the other sites.

Our Lady of Piat is a 16th-century Roman Catholic icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined in a minor basilca situated in Piat, Cagayan, Philippines. It is the town's and the province's patroness and is one of the most venerated Marian images of Mary in the Philippines, referred to as the "Mother of Cagayan".

The Our Lady of Guidance is a 16th-century image of the Blessed Virgin Mary depicted as the Immaculate Conception and widely venerated by Filipinos. The wooden Black Madonna is considered the oldest extant Marian statue in the Philippines. Locally venerated as patroness of navigators and travelers, the image is enshrined at the Ermita Church in the city of Manila.

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, also known as Our Lady of Antipolo and the Virgin of Antipolo, is a seventeenth-century Roman Catholic wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as venerated in the Philippines. This Black Madonna is enshrined in Antipolo Cathedral in the Sierra Madre mountains east of Metro Manila.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – La Naval de Manila is a venerated title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the same image in the Philippines. Pious believers believe that the Virgin's intercession under this title helped to defeat the invading forces of the Protestant Dutch Republic during the Battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646.

Our Lady of the Good Event of Parañaque (Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso de Parañaque; Filipino: Ina ng Mabuting Pangyayari ng Parañaque is the name of a statue of the Madonna and Child enshrined in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Parañaque, Philippines. The original Spanish name is often incorrectly rendered in English as Our Lady of Good Success due to the superficial similarity between the Spanish word "suceso" and the English false friend "success."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Peter of Alcantara Parish Church (Pakil)</span> Roman Catholic church in Laguna, Philippines

The St. Peter of Alcantara Parish Church, designated as the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba, is a Roman Catholic church in Pakil, Laguna, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo and enshrines the Our Lady of Turumba painting.

The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, also known as the Our Lady of the Pillar Church or simply the Santa Cruz Parish, is a Mission Revival Roman Catholic parish church in the district of Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. It was built when the arrabal (suburb) of Santa Cruz was established by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. The church had undergone many repairs and reconstruction, with the last reconstruction done in the 1950s.

The International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, popularly known as the Antipolo Cathedral and alternatively known as the Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antipolo, Philippines. It enshrines a venerated Black Madonna image of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, and serves as the seat of the Bishop of Antipolo.

Sampaloc Church or the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto is a Roman Catholic Church located along Figueras Street in the district of Sampaloc in the City of Manila. The church is named after and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her pilgrimage site in Loreto, Italy where tradition states as the site where the Mary's house was relocated.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church, also known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan and Namacpacan Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Luna, La Union, Philippines under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Fernando de La Union. Once called Luna Church, its titular is Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Built in 1690, it is also known as the shrine for the image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Namacpacan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Aranzazu</span> Patroness of San Mateo, Rizal

Our Lady of Aránzazu and is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our Lady of Consolation or Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in the Catholic Church.

The National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Mercy is a Roman Catholic church under the Diocese of Novaliches in the Philippines. It is the oldest parish in the diocese, established in 1856 by the Augustinian missionaries from Spain.

The Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang, is a 20th-century Roman Catholic icon enshrined in the town of Gamu in the province of Isabela, Philippines. It is considered to be one of the most venerated Marian images in northern Philippines. The statue was Episcopally Crowned by the Most Rev. Carmine Rocco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines on 26 May 1973. As closing of the Diocesan Marian Congress of that same year. The Coronation was held at St. Ferdinand College, beside the St. Ferdinand Cathedral in Ilagan, Isabela.

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, commonly known as the Church of Marikina, is a Roman Catholic church in Marikina, the Philippines. The church enshrines one of several images of the Madonna and Child venerated as miraculous, which has received a Pontifical decree of coronation.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Delos Reyes, Michael (2007). Parroquia de Cainta.
↑ "Cainta to hold episcopal coronation of Our Lady of Light; Pasig to inaugurate diocesan museum". Philippine Daily Inquirer . November 24, 2012.
↑ Darang, Josephine (November 25, 2012). "Cainta to hold episcopal coronation of Our Lady of Light; Pasig to inaugurate diocesan museum". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved October 28, 2014.
↑ "Cainta Church 01.jpg (historical marker). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved on October 26, 2014.
↑ Arch. Alarcon, Norma (1998). Philippine Architecture During the Pre-Spanish and Spanish Periods. Beato Angelico Building, España, Manila: UST Publishing House. pp. 121–122. ISBN 971-506-040-4.
1 2 Delos Reyes, Michael (2007). Devotion to Our Lady of Light.

Other sources

External links

Media related to Our Lady of Light Parish Church (Cainta, Rizal) at Wikimedia Commons
Cainta Church on Facebook

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[:3-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Delos Reyes, Michael (2007). Parroquia de Cainta.

[2] "Cainta to hold episcopal coronation of Our Lady of Light; Pasig to inaugurate diocesan museum". Philippine Daily Inquirer . November 24, 2012.

[3] Darang, Josephine (November 25, 2012). "Cainta to hold episcopal coronation of Our Lady of Light; Pasig to inaugurate diocesan museum". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved October 28, 2014.

[4] "Cainta Church 01.jpg (historical marker). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved on October 26, 2014.

[:1-5] Arch. Alarcon, Norma (1998). Philippine Architecture During the Pre-Spanish and Spanish Periods. Beato Angelico Building, España, Manila: UST Publishing House. pp. 121–122. ISBN 971-506-040-4.

[:4-6] 1 2 Delos Reyes, Michael (2007). Devotion to Our Lady of Light.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Marian images in the Philippines
National Capital Region	La Naval de Manila (1907) Nuestra Señora de Balintawak (1925) Peñafráncia de Manila (1985) Inmaculada Concepción de Malabón (1986) Desamparados de Manila (1991) Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian (1991) Consolación de Manila (2000) Buen Suceso de Parañaque (2000) Desamparados de Mariquina (2005) Inmaculada Concepción de Pasig (2008) Del Pilar de Manila (2017) De la Rosa de Macati (2019) Del Carmen de Quezon (2020) Lourdes de Manila (2020) De La Merced de Novaliches (2021) Auxiliadora de Parañaque (2022) Desamparados de Muntinlupa (2023) National Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima (2024) Fatima de Marikina (2024)
Ilocos Region	Santísimo Rosario de Manáoag (1926) Caridad de Bantay (1956) Milagrosa de Namacpacan (1959) Auxiliadora de San Fabian (2018) Milagrosa de Badoc (2018)
Cagayan Valley	Visitacion de Píat (1954)
Central Luzon	Remedios de Pampanga (1956) Santissimo Rosario de Orani (1959) Divina Pastora de Gapan (1964) Inmaculada Concepción de Malolos (2012) Del Pilar de Morong (2018) Purisima Concepción de Bulacan (2020) De la Merced de la Ciudad de Tarlac (2023)
Calabarzon	Nuestra Señora de Maulawin (1910) Paz y Buen Viaje (1926) Caysásay de Taál (1954) Del Pilar de Imus (2012) Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje de Noveleta (2015) Aranzazu de San Mateo (2017) Virgen de la Luz (2018) Soledad de Porta Vaga (2018) Dolores de Quezon (2020) Santísimo Rosario de Cardona (2022) Inmaculada Concepción de Ciudad de Batangas (2022) Dolores de Turumba (2023)
Bicol Region	Peñafráncia de Naga (1924) Salvacion de Joroan (1976) Candelaria de Paracale (2012) Del Pilar de Libmanan (2015)
Western Visayas	Candelaria de Jaro (1981)
Central Visayas	De la Regla (1954) Guadalupe de Cebú (2006) Patrocinio de Maria de Boljoon (2022) Asuncion de Dauis (2023)
Eastern Visayas	Santisimo Rosario de Ubanon (1995) Asunción de Maasin (2022)
Saintsportal Catholicismportal Category