Pinaglabanan Church

St. John the Baptist Church
St. John the Baptist Parish
Pinaglabanan Church
Parokya ni San Juan Bautista

The church's eastern façade and Centennial Belfry
14°36′18″N 121°01′41″E / 14.6049°N 121.0281°E / 14.6049; 121.0281Coordinates: 14°36′18″N 121°01′41″E / 14.6049°N 121.0281°E / 14.6049; 121.0281
Location 140 Pinaglabanan St., San Juan, Metro Manila
Country  Philippines
Denomination Roman Catholicism
Website http://sjbppinaglabanan.com
History
Founded 15 July 1894
Founder(s) Rev. Fr. Roman Pérez, OFM
Dedication John the Baptist
Cult(s) present Our Lady of Perpetual Help
John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Cultural Property
Designated 1974
Architect(s) Luis Arellano
Architectural type Neo-Romanesque
Groundbreaking 1896
Specifications
Number of spires 1
Bells 1
Administration
Parish St. John the Baptist Parish
Archdiocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila
Metropolis Manila
Diocese Manila
Province Manila
Clergy
Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle
Vicar(s) Rev. Msgr. Nestor C. Cerbo P.C.
Assistant priest(s) Rev. Fr. Herbert John B. Camacho

The St. John the Baptist Parish (colloquially, Pinaglabanan Church; Filipino: Parokya nI San Juan Bautista), is a 19th-century Roman Catholic church in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines.[1]

Name

The church derives its name from John the Baptist, to whom it is dedicated. He is both the patron saint and namesake of the city, which has the ceremonial name of "San Juan del Monte" (Saint John of the Mountain), owing to the area's hilly terrain.

The edifice is also known colloquially as the "Pinaglabanan Church", as it is several metres from the Pinaglabanan Shrine. The area near the church and shrine received the name "Pinaglabanan" (Tagalog for "battleground") as the Katipunan engaged the Spanish Empire in the Battle of San Juan del Monte, marking the start of the 1896 Philippine Revolution.

History

Establishment

Although the parish was established on 15 July 1894, the construction of the first church happened a year after, under the supervision of architect Luis Arellano and the financial support of Mariano Artiaga. A Franciscan, Fr. Roman Pérez, OFM served as the first parish priest from 1894 until 1897.[2]

The newly built church then enshrined a centuries-old image of John the Baptist, after whom the town is named.[3]

Revolution against Spain

On 30 August 1896, the Battle of San Juan del Monte between Filipino and Spanish troops occurred on the tract of land fronting the newly built church. The battle, which was one of the first in the Philippine Revolution, is commemorated annually at the shrine and park that stands today at the site.[1]

Renovations

The high altar within the western sanctuary of the church. A freestanding altar stands before it on a platform that extends into the main nave.

Ramón J. Fernández spearheaded repairs to the church, which was damaged in the Revolution. When Fr. Fernando Antiporda was parish priest in 1951, the church was renovated and expanded under the supervision of architect Otilio A. Arellano, grandson of the original architect, Luis Arellano. The younger Arellano notably preserved the original façade and nave of the structure.[1] With the expansion, the church acquired two additional front doors.[2]

Expansion

In 1975, Fr. Severino Casas built two mortuary chapels in the church compound. Changes in 1983 included the lengthening of the nave and the removal of the choir loft above the main door, as well as the installation of the crucifix above a new altar. The retablo (reredos) was preserved, while the antique image of St. John the Baptist—which was previously at the top-centre of the retablo—was moved to the Saint Joseph Chapel.[2]

A rectory, social hall, and crypt were built in 1987 on the location of the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto built in 1955. A year later, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel was built, only to be demolished to make way for the Holy Child Parochial School (now the St. John the Baptist Catholic School). A smaller, air-conditioned Adoration Chapel at the ground floor of the school near the church's southern entrance was finished in 2009.[2]

Declaration as Historical Landmark

The St. John the Baptist Church was declared as a historical landmark through San Juan Municipal Council Resolution, Ordinance No. 63 Series of 1989.[2]

On 15 May 1994, the Feast of the Ascension, Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Archbishop of Manila, blessed and inaugurated the new San Juan Centennial Belfry, built to commemorate the church's hundredth anniversary. Architects Renato Berroya and Arsenio Topacio designed the structure, which matches the façade,[4] and houses the church bell that dates to 1896.[2]

Present day

The current parish priest of St. John the Baptist is Mnsgr. Nestor Cerbo succeeding the late Rev. Fr. Francisco M. Ungria Jr. who died in February 22, 2015. During the Year of Faith from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013, Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle declared the church as one of the five pilgrim churches in Metro Manila.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Old Churches". City of San Juan, Historic City of Excellence. San Juan City Government. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Parish History". St. John the Baptist Parish. St. John the Baptist Parish. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "San Juan Tourist Attractions". It’s More Fun In The Philippines. Department of Tourism. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "San Juan City Landmarks: Pinaglabanan Church". Surprises from the Heart of the Metro. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. ↑ ""Year of Faith" Pilgrim Churches". Yahoo News Philippines. Manila Bulletin. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
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