Pagbilao Church

Pagbilao Church
(St.Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church)

N13°58.314´ E121° 41.204´ Elev: 29m

The St. Catherine Parish was established by Franciscan Missionaries in 1685 who landed at a site now called Dinaungang-Pari. It had its beginnings in Barangay Binahaan where a church made of bamboo with cogon grass thatch roof was built in 1688, administered by Fr.Cristobal Mortanchez. In 1730, the church was moved to its present location with St.Catherine of Alexandria as Patron Saint, and Fr. Francisco Xavier de Toledo was the Parish Priest.

Building of the present stone church began in 1845 under the administration of Fr.Victorino Peralija; And was completed including the bell tower and two-story convent in 1877 under the administration of Fr.Eugenio Gomez. As an aftermath of World War II, it was destroyed during the Liberation in 1945 when American airplanes dropped bombs with the "intelligence report" that Japanese soldiers were still hiding inside the church. The convent and the church were destroyed. Fortunately the bell tower survived while the facade was heavily damaged. Repairs were done in 1954 under the Administration of Fr. Vicente Urlanda.

Subsequent repairs and additions changed the appearance of the church. The photos below partly inspired the design of the rebuilding of the second floor of the parish rectory, which has not been rebuilt for so many years after it was destroyed during the war. These photos show how the church and the rectory looked like before the War. Mr. Owen Batocabe, a mighty tenor in one of the church choirs, has kept these photos which he said were owned by his amama (grandfather):

Old photos taken September 1941, three months before the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the country

How to get there?
St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church is not easy to miss. Located just in front of the Municipal Building at the center of Pagbilao, it is found on the left side of Rizal Street (National Road) when you are facing the direction to Bicol. Of course, it would be to your right side when you are facing the other direction. Pagbilao is nine kilometers east of the provincial capital Lucena City. Further to the west beyond the mountain is the town of Atimonan. Padre Burgos is further southwest along the sea coast. Tayabas is in the northeast via a picturisque road amidst coconut trees while Mauban is farther up north by turning right at a junction before Tayabas. Links to WaypointsDotPH are placed at lower part of this page where you may see a Map and more photos of this feature. You may click those after reading thru this page.


A New Look
In 2003, many parts of the ceiling, including the choir loft, of the St.Catherine Church were found to be pestered with termites. This prompted the parish to dismantle the ceiling for repairs. At first, only the ceiling was to be repaired. But a total renovation was done when contributions and pledges poured in. Not only was the ceiling replaced but the intierior of the church was totally refurbished. The facade was also made to look closely similar to the original appearance using "adobe" blocks. The old photos above were brought out of the "baul" at the time final completion is being done. Hence, these were very useful in the final design. Here are the before and after photos:

St. Catherine Church facade in 2002 prior to renovation	St. Catherine Church interior in 2002
St. Catherine Church facade in 2005. Note the new stained-glass windows	St. Catherine Church interior in 2004

The renovation would not have been possible without the whole-hearted support, monetary and spiritual, from individuals, companies, anonymous donors from here and abroad. While we have enough space to mention all those names, I am just afraid to inadvertently omit any one of them. Hence, let it be known that it was the Parish Council for Economic Affairs (PCEA) with able support from the Friends of St. Catherine of Alexandria (FOSCA) who pooled their efforts to solicit from numerous donors resulting to the success of this project. But worth mentioning are the two men who devoted their valuable time - time that is priceless and irreplaceable. Mr. Boy Orgas who supervised the works and Pagbilao's artist Mr. Pabs Glodoviza. The two painstakingly thought of innovations to design and renovate the church. While the project looks complete, the pledges are not yet complete. May the God's grace and blessings come unto you, brothers and sisters. 
 
The Parish Rectory Project

painting by Darius Have you or your family been chosen to be a member of the 294 Club? The parish rectory or "bahay-pari" has not been restored since the church was rebuilt in the 1950s after it was destroyed during the Liberation. During the time of Msgr. Dennis Imperial, what started as a simple repair of termite-infested ceiling has led into a majestic renovation and restoration of the "old look" of the Church. Time goes by, the improvements would be continuing. Please call the Parish Office (+63 42 731 1279) to know how you can help.

See Parish Rectory (Bahay-Pari) progress photos at Yahoo! Photos

See Pagbilao Church feature at WaypointsDotPH

See Pagbilao Church Vicinity Map at WaypointsDotPH

See Pagbilao Church's artist Pabs Glodiviza's website

Photos and Narratives by 

Engr. Gerry B. Lontok ©2004