The Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Our Lady of Patronage of Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
dedicated to the Our Lady of Patrocinio in the municipality of
Boljoon
Boljoon, officially the Municipality of Boljoon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Boljoon; tgl, Bayan ng Boljoon), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,525 people.
Geography
...
,
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
, Philippines, under the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Archdiocese of Cebu (more formally the Archdiocese of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Cebu; ; ; ; ) is a Roman Rite archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic Church in the cou ...
.
It has been declared a
National Cultural Treasure
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
by the
National Museum of the Philippines
The National Museum of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas}) is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines including ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological, and vis ...
and a National Historical Landmark by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It is also under consideration for the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
Sites of the Philippines as a member of the
Baroque Churches of the Philippines
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. The churches are also considered as national cultural treas ...
(Extension).
Church history
Boljoon (also spelled ''Boljo-on'') began as a small Christian settlement named Nabulho.
It became a ''visita'' or
chapel of ease of Sialo in 1599, with the small chapel being dedicated to the patronage of the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
. It was elevated to a parish on October 31, 1690, by Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the
Augustinians, as a result of the increasing number of Christians in the area. The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692.
By 1732, the Augustinians proposed to leave Boljoon owing to a shortage of priests;
they eventually left on September 27, 1737. Administration of Boljoon was later transferred to the
Jesuits
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
. The Augustinians regained Boljoon in 1747, under an arrangement by which they ceded the settlements of Liloan, Cotcot, and Maraling to the Jesuits.
Architectural history
In 1782, earlier buildings in Boljoon were destroyed by pirates.
The present church was built by Augustinian priest Father Ambrosio Otero in 1783.
Construction of the church was continued by Father Manuel Cordero in 1794 and completed by Father Julián Bermejo.
Father Bermejo also built other structures as part of Boljoon's defense network, such as the watchtowers and blockhouse. The church was later restored by Father Leandro Morán, the last Augustinian priest of Boljoon, who served from 1920 to 1948.
The following year, the
Archdiocese of Cebu
The Archdiocese of Cebu (more formally the Archdiocese of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Cebu; ; ; ; ) is a Roman Rite archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic Church in the cou ...
took charge of Boljoon.
Father Zacarias Suñer was appointed as the first secular parish priest of Boljoon in 1958.
In 2007, restoration work was performed through the Boljoon Heritage Foundation, with funding from the Cebu Provincial Government.
Historical and cultural designations
The church was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the
National Historical Institute
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritag ...
in 1999,
and it was listed as a
National Cultural Treasure
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
by the
National Museum of the Philippines
The National Museum of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas}) is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines including ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological, and vis ...
in 2001.
It is the only church in Cebu listed as a National Cultural Treasure. It is also a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines under the ''
Baroque Churches of the Philippines
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. The churches are also considered as national cultural treas ...
(Extension)'' nomination, along with the
San Pedro Apóstol Parish Church in
Loboc, Bohol
Loboc, officially the Municipality of Loboc ( ceb, Munisipalidad sa Loboc; tgl, Bayan ng Loboc), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,418 people.
Located ea ...
,
La Inmaculada Concepción in
Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Guiuan ( giˌwan; war, Bungto han Guiuan, fil, Bayan ng Guiuan), officially the Municipality of Guiuan, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. It constitutes the southeastern extremity of Samar Island and ...
,
San Matías in
Tumauini, Isabela
Tumauini, officially the Municipality of Tumauini ( ibg, Ili nat Tumauini; ilo, Ili ti Tumauini; tl, Bayan ng Tumauini), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
, and
San Isidro Labrador
Isidore the Labourer, also known as Isidore the Farmer ( es, San Isidro Labrador) (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, ...
in
Lazi, Siquijor.
Church features
The church is a
fortress church
A fortress church (german: Kirchenburg) is a particular type of church that, in addition to its religious functions is also used by the local population as a retreat and defensive position, similar to a refuge castle. A fortress church usually imp ...
, built of
coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
stones and located on a hill near the sea. It originally served as a watchtower for
Moro raids.
The church is known for its original
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
roof tiles and its distinct folk art or Filipino
Baroque style seen predominantly on its choir screen and pulpit.
Twenty-eight
pillars
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
support the thick walls made of
mortar and
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
.
Its ceiling paintings are the work of Miguel Villareal, a native of Boljoon. The three gates and the walls of the church are made of
coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
stones and were constructed from 1802 to 1808 under the auspices of Father Bermejo.
Altar
![Retable de l'église de Boljoon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Retable_de_l%27%C3%A9glise_de_Boljoon_.jpg)
The main
retablo
A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...
is in pseudo-
baroque rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
with gold leaf highlights and
polychrome
Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors.
Ancient Egypt
Colossal statu ...
accents.
Located on the central
niche
Niche may refer to:
Science
*Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development
*Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species
*Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
of the main altar is the image of Boljoon's patron, Our Lady of Patrocinio, brought by Father Bartolome de Garcia from Spain in 1599. A side chapel located on the left side of the church is also dedicated to the patron.
Bell tower
The rectangular
bell tower used to have seven bells. The tower's ground floor was used as a prison cell, probably for pirates as can be assumed from the drawings of ships on the walls.
Church complex
Adjoining buildings were also built as part of the church complex and fortification.
Convent
The first floor of the church
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
houses a museum containing liturgical objects such as record books, images of saints, vestments and other relics.
Church plaza
The church plaza, locally called ''Muraya'', is mainly used for large church activities. It is believed to be a former burial ground and site of an early Hispanic burial site.
Archaeological excavations undertaken by the
University of San Carlos revealed several burial sites, antique jars and dishes, a necklace and a gold earring. The gold earring, the first archaeological find of its kind in a Philippine burial site, is probably worn by a person of high status and may have indicated "wealth, influence or great power".
Blockhouse
![Boljoon Blockhouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Boljoon_Blockhouse.jpg)
Also called the ''fortress'' or ''Dakong Balay'' (''Big House''), the quadrangular
blockhouse was first built by Father Julian Bermejo when he came to Boljoon in 1808.
[ The blockhouse served as an artillery store and as the main fortress in the church complex. It is a two-story structure with a tile-covered ]parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
, built of coral stone with a tiled roof. Today it serves as a bell tower.
Cemetery
The first burials in Boljoon's cemetery probably occurred in the 1760s. It was closed when a public cemetery was opened. Its gates might have been built in the 1700s, or in 1783 when the present church was constructed. Consisting of coral stones, the cemetery has a symmetrical stone arch gateway with a three-layer pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedim ...
, finials on both sides of the two-lower layers and a stone relief of a human skeleton on top.[ The walls are also adorned with a relief of a human skull and bones.]
Ilihan Watchtower ruins
A former square watchtower made out of coral stone stands on the Bohol coast. It is said to have been constructed by Father Bermejo as part of the church's massive fortification efforts.
References
External links
{{World Heritage Sites in the Philippines
National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines
Roman Catholic churches in Cebu
Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines
National Historical Landmarks of the Philippines
Baroque architecture in the Philippines
World Heritage Tentative List for the Philippines
Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu