A former visita of Lumban, the parish church of Pagsanjan was founded on November 12, 1687, by Franciscan missionary Father Agustin de la Magdalena as its first pastor (parish priest).[3][4] The first church was originally made of light materials like bamboo, nipa and wood in 1688 by natives of Pagsanjan under forced labor.[2][5] A larger and more solid church constructed from adobe with a red-tiled roof was built in 1690 with the help of Chinese Miguel Guan Co and chief alguacil alferez Alonzo Garcia to replace the original church.[2][5]
Further renovations were conducted from 1847 to 1852 under Father Joaquin de Coria, who engineered the stone belfry and Romanesque dome.[5] In 1872, the church added a transept under the direction of Father Serafin Linares and Father Cipriano Bac.[2]
The church was heavily damaged by American and Filipino military bombers on March 15, 1945, during World War II.[2] A replica of the church was constructed over its ruins, without the original dome, with the help of Manila Pagsanjenos under the leadership of Engr. German Yia and Dr. Rosendo Llamas.[2] Serious restoration efforts after the war took place in 1965 under Lipa Archbishop Alejandro Olalia. On April 6, 1969, Bishop Pedro Bantigue blessed the rebuilt church and consecrated the main altar.[4] Due to the devotion of the people of Pagsanjan and nearby towns, the Diocese of San Pablo declared Pagsanjan Church as the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2012. Under the term of Monsignor Castillo from 2013 to the present, further renovations were carried out, including the church patio and construction of the choir loft and church gate.
Features
Church interior in 2023
The facade of Pagsanjan church is a three-level early Renaissance styled facade with a semicircular arched main entrance, choir loft window and a three-story bell tower.[1] A side chapel near the altar houses an image of San Juan Diego, a replica of the tilma of the Our Lady of Guadalupe and a stone relic from Tepeyac Hill, Mexico City in 1531, the site of the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The chapel is also a mini-museum containing liturgical vestments of Pagsanjeño priests.
Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Within the church of Pagsanjan, two images of the town patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe, can be found. The original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was donated by Father Agustin when the parish was first established. The image was given to him as a gift from rich and pious Mexican families; it was installed at the main altar on December 12, 1688.[2][4] However, the original image was destroyed during the American and Filipino military bombings of 1945. In 1958, Mexican Catholics contributed a life-sized image of Our Lady of Guadalupe sculpted by Ramon Barretto of Toluca, which can be seen in the church today.[2][6] The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe placed on the main altar was sculpted by Maximo Vicente of Manila.[2]
Laguna, officially the Province of Laguna, is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz while its largest city is the City of Calamba and the province is situated southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna hugs the southern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. As of the 2020 census, the province's total population is 3,382,193. It is the seventh richest province in the country in 2016.
Pagsanjan, officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,327 people.
Gregorio Fernandez Zaide was a Filipino historian, author and politician from the town of Pagsanjan, Laguna in the Philippines. A multi-awarded author, Zaide wrote 67 books and more than 500 articles about history, he is known as the "Dean of Filipino Historiographers." He was one of the founders of the International Association of Historians of Asia (IAHA), and president of the Philippine Historical Association for three terms. As a politician, he served as the mayor of his hometown of Pagsanjan from 1971 to 1975.
The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church, also known as Guadalupe Church, is a Baroque Roman Catholic church in Makati City, Philippines. The parish church and its adjacent monastery are currently administered by the Augustinian friars of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu. The territory of the parish covers San Carlos Seminary, the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila and Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary. The church also has an adjacent seminary, the Monasterio de Guadalupe, which admits young professionals for priestly and religious vocation. The current parish priest is Rev. Fr. Aimark P. Asor, OSA.
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Mary Magdalene, commonly known as Kawit Church, is the parish church of the municipality of Kawit, Cavite in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Imus. The Roman Catholic church is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, construction of the present church was started in 1737. The church, named after Jesus' disciple Mary Magdalene, was last restored in 1990 by the citizens of Kawit.
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Pagsanjan Arch also known as Puerto Real or Arco Real is a historic town gate of Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippines built from 1878 to 1880 under the supervision of Fray Cipriano Bac. The arch was built by the people of Pagsanjan to express gratitude to their patroness, the Our Lady of Guadalupe, from protecting the town from bandits in 1877.
Saint John the Baptist Parish Church, commonly known as Liliw Church or Lilio Church, is one of the Roman Catholic churches in Liliw, Laguna, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo. Its feast is celebrated every August 29 known as the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. The church is known for its red bricked façade and baroque style architecture.
The Saint James the Apostle Parish Church, commonly known as Church of Paete, is the only Roman Catholic church in Paete, Laguna, Philippines. Its patron saint is James the Apostle and his feast is celebrated every July 25. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo. The church is known for its huge and exquisite collection of images depicting the Passion of Christ, its century-old paintings and wooden images of saints.
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The Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Parish Church, informally known as Mabitac Church, is a Roman Catholic church located above Calvary or Kalbaryo Hill in Mabitac, Laguna, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo. Its church is known for having a staircase of 126 steps, a panoramic view of the town of Sta. Maria and Laguna lake, and the festivity of the Three Kings every January 6, a re-enactment of the Magi's journey.
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Candelaria, commonly known as Silang Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church in the municipality of Silang, in the province of Cavite, Philippines under the Diocese of Imus. Its titular is the Our Lady of Candelaria. The church is known for its Spanish colonial architectural style and the rococo-influenced retablos. It is the oldest existing stone church in the province of Cavite, having been completed in 1639.
Nuestra Señora de los Angeles Parish Church, commonly known as Santa Maria Church, is the only Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Santa Maria, Laguna, Philippines under the Diocese of San Pablo. Its titular is the Our Lady of Angels whose feast is celebrated every August 2.
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.
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