Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church (Santa Rosa, Laguna)

Santa Rosa Church
Saint Rose of Lima Parish Church Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church
Parokya ni Santa Rosa de Lima (Filipino)
Church façade in 2020
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14°18′50″N121°06′41″E / 14.313945°N 121.111412°E / 14.313945; 121.111412
Location	F. Gomez Street, Kanluran, Santa Rosa, Laguna
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.facebook.com/ParokyaniSantaRosadeLima/
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1792
Dedication	Rose of Lima
Consecrated	August 4, 1812
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Baroque
Specifications
Materials	Solid adobe stones with lime and mortar mixed with albumin
Administration
Subdivision	Vicariate of Sta. Rosa de Lima [1]
Metropolis	Manila
Archdiocese	Manila
Diocese	San Pablo
Deanery	Sta. Rosa de Lima
Clergy
Priest(s)	Mario P. Rivera
Assistant priest(s)	Rodolfo C. Carabuena Modelo N. Del Valle Eduardo Garcia Jose Francis A. Calo

Saint Rose of Lima Parish Church, also known as Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Santa Rosa, Laguna, and the Philippines. Established in 1792, it is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo and is the second oldest named parish dedicated to Saint Rose of Lima in the Philippines. ^[2]

Fr. Mario P. Rivera serves as the current parish priest. ^[3]

History

Church interior in 2020

The Saint Rose of Lima Parish was established in 1792 with the arrival of Spanish Catholic priest Francisco Favie. Both the church and the convent were completed within 12 years, and the parish was blessed on August 4, 1812.^{[ citation needed ]}

The first Mass was held on August 30, 1812 in honor of the patron saint,⁣⁣ Rose of Lima with Francisco Favie, the first parish priest.

In 1796, Spanish friars built the present church with the labor of Chinese workers who became ancestors of old Chinese families in Santa Rosa, including the Lijaucos and the Tiongcos. The old convent was used as the main building of the old Canossa School.

Instead of "Bucol," the residents chose "Santa Rosa" in honor of the patron saint, Rose of Lima. The original structure remains standing, with the facade only retained next to the Old Government Building and is known as Museo de Santa Rosa.

Features

Bells

Church bell tower

The church has eight big bells that toll with sounds heard in distant barrios. Each bell is identified with a saint:

• Santa Rosa de Lima (the biggest bell)
• Santa Barbara
• Santissimo Sacramento
• San Juan Bautista
• San Jose
• Santa Catalina
• Santo Domingo de Guzman
• Niño Jesus

The patron's name, the name of the manufacturer and his address, the priest then serving as curate, the year of casting, and the name of the donor (if any) are engraved on the bell.

Clock of the old façade

The church has a clock measuring 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) in diameter that chimes every quarter-hour. It was destroyed during a dogfight between the United States Air Force and the Imperial Japanese air forces, dismantling with it the statues of saints. The statues included those the church uses in processions during Holy Week, which included two belfries, one on the left and one on the right.^{[ sentence fragment ]}

Paintings

An image of King David on the ceiling of the choir loft

Mariano Perlas Sr., an indigenous Santa Rosa painter in the early 20th century, was inspired to paint the church's ceiling by Andres Tejedor (Oct. 1916 – Feb. 1926), a Spanish priest of the Dominican Order. The paintings were quite popular between 1923 and 1960. Saint Roch, the four evangelists, the Coronation, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin were among the paintings.

During Agustin Reyes's tenure from 1957 to 1966, the paintings were removed when the ceiling was repainted during the renovation in 1960. This was necessary because some of the artwork had been damaged by bats or the passage of time. The two remaining paintings on the ceiling of the choir loft, also known as the "Koro," depict the patron saints of Christian music: Holy King David with his harp and Saint Cecilia at the piano. These artworks are the only remnants of over a dozen original paintings.

When Benito Pagsuyuin was the parish priest, some paintings that were decaying or fading in the sacristy were assembled, and Pedro Rivera had them repainted. They were framed and displayed at the back of the church.

References

1. "Vicariate of Sta. Rosa de Lima". Diocese of San Pablo. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
2. "Home". St Rose of Lima Church. February 2, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
3. "SANTA ROSA DE LIMA PARISH". sta.rosadelimaparish.tripod.com. Retrieved April 20, 2019.

External links

• Media related to Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church of Santa Rosa at Wikimedia Commons
• Santa Rosa de Lima Parish
• Parokya ni Santa Rosa de Lima on Facebook