Sunday, August 21, 2016

Pagbilao Church

St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church or more popularly known as Pagbilao Church is located in Pagbilao, Quezon Province just 4-6 hours away from Manila.

Facade of Pagbilao Church

The church was established by the Franciscan Parish of Pagbilao in 1685 and the first chapel made of bamboo and cogon was erected in 1688 under the administration of Fr. Cristobal Mortanchez.
 


The church was transferred to its present location in 1730 with Sta. Catalina de Alexandria as its Patron Saint and Fr. Francisco Xavier de Toledo was named as the Parish Priest. The construction of the stone church began in 1845 under the administration of Fr. Victorino Peralija and it was completed in 1877 together with the two-story convent and belfry.



In the liberation of  1945, the church and convent were destroyed leaving the facade heavily damaged. American warplanes bombed the complex on the report that the Japanese were hiding inside the church. Only the belfry has survived and the church was reconstructed under the supervision of Fr. Vicente Urlanda in 1954 and stood still until now.


How to get here:
  •  Ride a bus bound to Lucena in Buendia or Cubao terminal.
  • Get off Lucena Grand Terminal and ride a jeep going to Pagbilao.
  • Ask the driver to drop you off the Pagbilao Church.