| Masinloc Church | |
|---|---|
| Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Andres | |
Pandiyosesis na Dambana at Parokya ni San Andres (Filipino) | |
 Churchfacade | |
.svg)  Masinloc Church Location in the Philippines Show map of Philippines | |
| 15°32′16″N119°56′56″E / 15.537684°N 119.948892°E /15.537684; 119.948892 | |
| Location | Zambales |
| Country | Philippines |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | San Andres Parish Church |
| Status | Diocesan shrine andparish |
| Founded | 1607 |
| Founder(s) | Father Andrés del Espíritu Santo (Augustinian Recollects) |
| Dedication | SaintAndrew the Apostle |
| Dedicated | 1607, 2007 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | National Cultural treasure |
| Designated | 2001 |
| Architectural type | Church building |
| Style | Earthquake Baroque |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Width | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Materials | Coral stone, cement, steel |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | San Fernando |
| Diocese | Iba |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Most Rev. Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D. |
| Bishop(s) | Most Rev. Bartolome G. Santos Jr., D.D. |
| Rector | Rev. Fr. John Remel M. Mara |
| Vicar(s) | Rev. Fr. Virgilio A. Monje (Guest Priest), Rev. Fr.Tejay Samson (2020–2022), Rev. Fr. Paulo D. Linis (2022–present), Rev. Manuel A. Ebuengan(2023-2024) |
TheDiocesan Shrine and Parish of San Andres, commonly known asMasinloc Church, is an 18th-centuryBaroqueRoman Catholicchurch located at Brgy. South Poblacion,Masinloc,Zambales,Philippines. The parish church, dedicated toSaint Andrew the Apostle, is under the jurisdiction of theDiocese of Iba. The church structure, a standout amongSpanish-era churches in theCentral Luzon region for having been built withcoral stone instead ofadobe stone, was declared aNational Cultural Treasure by theNational Museum of the Philippines along with 25 other Spanish-era churches in 2001.[1]
The parish ofMasinloc had its beginnings as amission founded by theAugustinian Recollects in 1607, making it the first Christian church in the province.[2] It was founded by Father Andrés del Espíritu Santo with the guidance of Father Rodrigo de San Miguel, then vicar of the mission inMariveles,Bataan, who urged the head of the religious group to set up a mission in the present-day site location of the town which was then abundant with plants locally referred to ashinloc.[3] The original commune established by the Spanish friars is now barrios Bani and Tugui. For the majority of its early history, the church became the center of evangelization throughout northern Zambales, even being named by a Recollect chronicler as "La Mejor Iglesia y El Mejor Convento" (The best church and the best convent) inZambales.[3] Throughout theSpanish colonial rule of the Philippines, the parish of Masinloc was administered by theAugustinian Recollects (1607–1679; 1713–1902) and theDominicans (1679–1713).[3] The parish was also administered by theColumban Fathers (1951–2000).[4]
In 2021, the church was declared as one of the "Jubilee Churches" of Zambales in celebration of the500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines.[5] In the same year, the parish was declared as a diocesan shrine, making it the first diocesan shrine to be declared in honor ofSaint Andrew the Apostle in the Philippines, and the third diocesan shrine in theDiocese of Iba. The elevation of the parish took place on November 30, 2021, in a Mass presided by Bishop Bartolome G. Santos Jr., during the 414th religious fiesta of the parish and town.[6]
The exact date of construction of the present coral stone church cannot be accurately traced, although some records tell that a certain Father Francisco de San Guillermo requested the construction of a church and convent in 1616 using materials that were also used in the construction of a fortification. Some sources suggest the date of the construction of the present structure to be as early as 1713, when the Augustinian Recollects returned toZambales, from their mission inMindoro. Another, more reliable, source suggests that the construction likely began around 1745.[3] By the mid-18th century, majorearthquakes brought damage to the church structure, leaving it unused for a few decades. In 1825, during the administration of Father Gregorio Miguel Jiménez, the church andconvent were rehabilitated.[3] By 1836, repair works done by Father Jiménez were continued byFather José de Aranguren; (later on, Father Aranguren would be installed as the Archbishop ofManila in 1846).[7] From 1875 to 1877, major repairs on the church roof were executed. Father Juan Ortíz commissioned architect Felipe Vera to replace the tile roof withnipa. Later on, Father Agustín Pérez had the thatched roof replaced withgalvanized iron sheets. Father Pérez also built thebell tower in 1882 to 1883. A strong earthquake damaged the church during the administration of the Columban missionaries in 1970. A year after, Father Donald Dudea made major repairs to the damaged structure including the addition of the newbelfry and several repairs on thefaçade. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake on December 12, 1999, damaged the church, particularly cracking a part of the façade. Restoration efforts were established soon after in time for the 400th jubilee of the parish.[4]
Thefaçade of the church is predominantly anEarthquake Baroque style withNeo-classic features. The front is divided into the triangularpediment, two horizontal sections and three vertical ones with an extended left portion forming the bell tower. It features saints’niches on the first level, rectangular windows on the second, and an elaborately carved niche of the town's patron saint and carving of geometric shapes andmedallions on the pediment.Triglyphs decorate thearchitrave between the second level and the pediment, giving the church a classical appearance. Thebelfry is designed like a circular template surmounted with a lantern and a cross.[8]
The church was officially declared by theNational Museum of the Philippines as aNational Cultural Treasure on July 31, 2001. A church or structure can be declared a National Cultural Treasure if most of its features (both exterior and interior) from pre-1898 are still intact and if it showcases examples of local artistic style and technique. By 2003, various cultural and historical institutions in the Philippines like theNational Commission on Culture and the Arts spearheaded the restoration of 26 churches declared as National Cultural Treasures.[1]
A 400-year traditional war dance, known as thebinabayani (aSambal word which means "bravery"), re-enacts the war between the nativeAetas and Christians, and tells the story of how Masinloc came to be. Many versions of the story exist, but the most popular story tells of a fisherman who saw an image floating along the shore on top of a bell. When the image reached Masinloc, it refused to move any further. The townspeople tried to lift the image, but to their dismay, the image was too heavy to move. An elder suggested performing a war dance between the Aetas and Christians, and miraculously, the image became light enough to be brought to shore. The earliest recorded telling of this story was by Capt. Florentino Elicaño in 1621.[9] It is believed that the dance promises a bountiful harvest, and ensures a clear sunny day throughout the fiesta. Today, the dance is performed in front of the image during November 2 to mark the beginning of the fiesta season, November 21 to mark the beginning of the Novena Masses, November 29 during the "bisperas" (eve) of the fiesta, and November 30 during the feast day ofSaint Andrew the Apostle. Thebinabayani also accompanies the image during land and fluvial processions throughout the fiesta celebration.
A 12-versed traditional song is also sung throughout the fiesta season, titled "Lilicot conan Patron Ama San Andres", which narrates themartyrdom of Saint Andrew and his patronage to the town ofMasinloc.
Media related toDiocesan Shrine and Parish of San Andres (Masinloc, Zambales) at Wikimedia CommonsDioecesis Ibanae | |||||||
| Territories |  | ||||||
| Ordinaries |
| ||||||
| Cathedral | |||||||
| Shrine |
| ||||||
| Parishes |
| ||||||
.svg)
