Abucay Church
| Abucay Church | |
|---|---|
| |
| Priest(s) | Fr. Milver R. Cruz |
The Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church (
Saint Dominic of Guzman.[1] The parish is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga.[2]
Since June 5, 2023, its parish priest is Fr. Milver R. Cruz.
The church housed one of the earliest printing presses in the Philippines, established in 1608 by Father Francisco Blancas de San Jose,
Tomas Pinpin who used the facility to print books in Spanish and Tagalog.[3][4] The church was also a witness to the massacre of hundreds of Filipinos and Spaniards by the Dutch Invaders on June 23, 1647.[5] These pieces of the church's history were inscribed on a historical marker installed by the National Historical Committee (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) in 1939.[6]
History
Parish church history
The church structure was erected by Father Geronimo de Belen in the early 1600s after the establishment of the Dominican mission in
Batavia, a former Dutch colony. The current church was significantly damaged by an earthquake on September 16, 1852.[1][7] Major changes were made into the structure before the Second World War, as stated in a medallion placed on top of the church's main portal with the inscription "Mayo de 1925 ".[8]
Abucay Printing Press
The Spanish religious missionaries to the Philippines did not bring with them equipment for mass production of books and manuscripts. Instead, they employed the knowledge of the Chinese in the country to construct the first printing press. This first printing press used
Tomas Pinpin, a local of Abucay, is recognized as the first Filipino printer. Among Pinpin's publications was a manual teaching Tagalog speakers the Spanish language. This manual was printed by Diego Talaghay (believed to be his assistant) when Pinpin was appointed as shop manager.[9]
Architecture
The two-level
fenestrations on the second level, and the saint's niche on the center of the pediment are all topped by triangular pediments, each with a pair of decorative brackets to support it. Four urn-like finials top the second-level cornice. The triangular pediment, with its top lined with balusters, undulates down to its base. To the right of the church rises the five-tiered bell tower, with each of its storey defined by decorative balusters and ornamented with semicircular arched windows.[8]
See also
- Education in the Philippines during Spanish rule
- Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga
- Balanga Cathedral
References
- ^ a b "1st Abucay Catholic Church". Provincial Government of Bataan. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Vicariate of Saint Dominic of Guzman". Diocese of Balanga. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ ISBN 1851096809.
- ^ ISBN 9789719477402.
- ^ "Municipality of Abucay". Official Website of the Province of Bataan. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ISBN 9715380611.
- ^ "Bataan at a Glance". Official Website of the Province of Bataan. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9789710724338.
- ^ "Who is Tomas Pinpin?". Philippine Center for Print Excellence Foundation, Inc. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
External links
Media related to Abucay Church at Wikimedia Commons- Abucay Church on Facebook
