Patrocinio de Sta. Maria Church is a historic Roman Catholic church, a Marian church, a National Historical Landmark, and a National Cultural Treasure in Boljoon, a town in southeastern side of the province of Cebu, Philippines.
The church (Patronage of Santa. Maria in direct translation) is also known as Patrocinio de la Nuestra Señora (Patronage of Our Lady), Patrocinio de la Santisima Virgen (Patronage of the Blessed Virgin), or Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio de Maria Church (Our Lady of the Patronage of Mary).
Table of Contents
History
In the past, Boljoon Chuch’s mother parish was Carcar Church and on October 31, 1690, it became a parish.
It was one of several churches founded by the Augustinians and mentioned to have existed in 1599, and it would be turned over to the friars of Society of Jesuits in 1737 until they were expelled. Thus, Augustinians returned as its administrators some years later.
An earlier church, thought to be either the first or the second house of worship built, was burned during a destructive raid by sea bandits in 1782.
Building the present-day coral stone church began by Fr. Miguel Otero. Works continued during the tenure of Fr. Manuel Cordero in 1794 and were completed in 1841.
In the 19th century, the church had put up a pipe organ. The NHI marker stated that completion was done much later, during the tenure of Father Leandro Moran from 1920 to 1948. He was also the last Augustinian parish priest before the church was turned over to the secular clergy.
Boljoon Chuch is considered one of the oldest churches built by the Augustinian missionaries, one of Cebu’s oldest original stone churches, and one of the very few existing buildings erected during Spanish colonial times that has clay tile roof or tejas.
The church, parochial records, its inventory of artifacts, and surrounding area have been subject to archeological and academic researches. Excavations in the plaza revealed burial grounds, internment practices, and various tools and ornaments from 16th to 17th century.
The Augustinian friars turned over the spiritual care of the parish to the diocesan clergy in 1948, with Fr. Leandro Moran, OSA as the last Augustinian parish priest.
Its roof was likewise considered for an architectural study. Moreover, it was featured in the 2018 issue of Philippine stamps among other known Spanish colonial churches.
The old image of the patron, Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio, was granted pontifical coronation by the Vatican in 2022, one of only four holy statues and one of only three Marian icons given the same honor in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
The list includes Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu, Nuestra Señora De Regla, and Santo Niño de Cebu.
A restoration project was undertaken to repair the damages the church sustained from an earthquake on October 15, 2013. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines funded the endeavor.
Heritage
The complex where the church is located holds several proud heritage distinctions. It is a National Historical Landmark which was declared by the National Historical Institute on December 15, 1999, and
National Historical Institute declared the church as National Historical Landmark on December 15, 1999 and installed the heritage marker on June 25, 2000. A year after, it was declared the first National Cultural Treasure, bestowed by National Museum of the Philippines in 2001, in Cebu.
The second one, and the only other, is the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
Moreover, it was included in a list submitted by the country to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to be considered as a world heritage site. It is also included in the list of Baroque Churches of the Philippines (extension).
Architecture
The facade of the church is divided into three sections vertically by four rectilinear pilasters and decorative molding horizontally, giving rise to two stories and the triangular gable. The outermost pilasters are topped with finials.
In the ground level, the puerta mayor is an arch entrance. On either side are reliefs. In the upper register, above the puerta mayor is the niche of the Blessed Virgin under which is a coat of arms. Flanking the niche are two open arch windows.
The pediment is largely unadorned. Twin pilasters with a lintel divides the pediment into four geometric shapes: a square, two flanking right triangles, and an isosceles triangle on top. The acroterion is a short spire with a cross. The bell tower is located in the epistle side, roofed with red clay tiles. The interiors of the church are a marvel, particularly the paintings on the ceiling. They were done by an artist named Mariano Villareal before the war.
Celebration
Boljoon Church is dedicated to Patrocinio de Sta. Maria. The feast is held every November in a celebration called Bolho Festival (Festival of Abundant Water).
Services
Baptism is scheduled weekly at 9:30 in the morning during Sundays.
The Museum of Boljoon Church is open from Wednesdays to Sundays.
The parish office is opened from 8:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon from Tuesday to Sunday.
Holy Hour and confession schedule is at 6:00 in the evening every first Friday.
Dawn Rosary is held at 4:30 in the morning every first Saturday.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Patrocinio de Sta. Maria Church in Boljoon, Cebu from November 18, 2024 to November 24, 2024. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Boljoon.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 9:00-10:00 AM (First Monday - Cemetery Mass)
Tuesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Thursday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Friday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM (Second Saturday in honor of Patrocinio de Maria)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 10:00-11:00 AM (Cebuano)
- 1:00-2:00 PM (Funeral Mass)
- 4:00-5:00 PM (English - Children's Mass)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Patrocinio de Sta. Maria Church in Boljoon, Cebu |
| Address | Natalio Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion, Boljoon, Cebu 6024 |
| Country | Philippines |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1599 |
| Age | 425 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District III – Southeast Cebu |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. John Mary Vianney |
| Patron | Patronage of Sta. Maria |
| Feast day | Second Saturday of November |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | National Historical Landmark, National Cultural Treasure |
| Completed | 1841 |
| Age since completed | 183 years |
| Style | Filipino Baroque |
Nearby Churches
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Oslob, Cebu
- St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Santander, Cebu
- St. Joseph the Carpenter Church in Oslob, Cebu
References
- Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu. Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Inc. and University of San Carlos Press. 2010. ISBN 978-9715390187.
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Elizaga, Troy. The Formation of Towns and Parishes in Cebu, Philippines. Retrieved via Academia on June 21, 2022
- Tocino, Kevin (August 3, 2018) Boljoon Church: A Future UNESCO World Heritage Site. Y101FM. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Cebu’s Patrocinio de Maria image granted pontifical coronation. Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. February 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Baroña, Franco Jose (February 22, 2022). Vatican authorizes coronation of Cebu’s Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio. The Manila Times. July 1, 2022
- Manalo, Ino (2016). Reading Boljoon: From Records to Retablo. Philippine Quarterly of Culture & Society Vol. 44, 1 & 2: 92-182. University of San Carlos Publications. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Bersales, Jose Eleazar R. and de Leon, Alexandra (2011). The Archaeology of an Augustinian Frontier Mission: A Report on the Fifth Phase of Excavations at the Boljoon Parish Church, Cebu. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society Vol. 39, No. 3/4 (September/December 2011), pp. 185-213 (29 pages) University of San Carlos Publications. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Codilla, Marian Z. (November 21, 2014). Potential Unesco honor for Boljoon. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Dado, Arnulfo F. (November 11, 2021). The Patrocinio de Maria Church in Boljoon, Cebu. National Museum of the Philippines. Retrieved June 21, 2022
- Luna, Markel Cesar A. The Structural Significance of the Multi-Inclined Roofs of Philippine Spanish-Colonial Structures. University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Architecture. Retrieved via Academia on June 22, 2022
- Simbahan ng Boljoon. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved June 22, 2022
- Rehab on Cebu pre-colonial church near completion. SunStar. March 14, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2022
- RP Issues of 2018: National Heritage Month: Philippine Colonial Churches. Philippine Stamps.Net. Retrieved June 23, 2022
- List of National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Properties of the Philippines. Official Gazette. Retrieved July 17, 2022
- De Guzman, Sara Soliven (June 2, 2014). Boljoon – a national treasure worth saving. Philippine Star. Retrieved July 17, 2022
- Oaminal, Clarence Paul (December 28, 2017). The Vicariate of Southern Cebu. The Freeman. Retrieved July 19, 2022
- Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension). World Heritage Convention: UNESCO. Retrieved October 26, 2022
- Niña Mae C. Oliverio. Augustinian friars support calls for return of missing Boljoon pulpit panels. Cebu Daily News. February 27, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024