Visita Iglesia: St. Michael the Archangel, Oas
St. Michael the Archangel
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Tags: albay churches, architecture, visita iglesia
St. Michael the Archangel Church | Photo by Arnel Constantino
The St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church in Oas was founded in 1605 by Franciscan missionaries. Fray Marcos de Lisboa was its first pastor. The first Oas church was made of wood and cogon grass. In 1825, a bigger church with a rectory was built out of volcanic rocks and bricks. The construction of the new church was supervised by Fray Francisco de Anunciacion O. Peñaranda.
P. Fray Marcos de Lisboa compiled “Vocabulario de la Lengua Bicol”, the first Bicol Dictionary published posthumously in Sampaloc, 1754, from his manuscript. He resided in the Bikol region for nine years from 1602 to 1611 and was “Definidor y Ministro” of the town of Nabua (1602), administrator of the town of Oas (1605), and Vicario Provincial of the Province of Camarines (1609-1611).
The first structural foundation of the church was made of wood and cogon grass. In 1866, the church and the rectory was damaged in a fire. Later that same year, the church was rebuilt under the supervision of Fray Francisco de Aragones. A transept was added to the church by Fray Santos Herrijon who served as pastor from 1873 to 1878. In 1884, a strong earthquake and a subsequent typhoon demolished the church and the rectory.
Oas in 1847 | Painting by Jose Honorato Lozano | Courtesy of Oasnon.org
Another strong typhoon in 1947 damaged the church and it had to be rebuilt. Fr. Luis Dimarumba spearheaded efforts to repair the church edifice. In 1997, under the dynamic leadership of Msgr. Rolando Diokno, the Oaseños finally realized their dream of coming together for worship in a beautifully renovated church. On May 8, 1997, the fiesta of the patron saint was celebrated with the blessing and inauguration of the renovated church building.
The Oas Church before renovation
Traditionally, Oas celebrates its town fiesta on May 8, but the parish observes another feast on September 29 according to the church calendar. On this day, the newly established Himoloan festival is held, showcasing the religious traditions of Oas and the spirit of oneness and Alay Kapwa – aid to the neighbor in need.
Source: The St. Michael the Archangel Parish History, Oasnon… Forever
Map of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Oas:
6 Responses to Visita Iglesia: St. Michael the Archangel, Oas
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Climbing Up to Mayon’s Base Camp
Climbing up to the summit of the Philippines’s most active volcano is truly an experience of a lifetime. Climbing up to the level close to the summit or an area commonly referred to as the knife’s edge is for the intermediate-expert climber or for one who is very fit. It normally takes two days and one night to reach the summit and it is essential that one have a competent and knowledgeable local guide.
Maybe you would like to add that:
P. Fray Marcos de Lisboa compiled “Vocabulario de la Lengua Bicol”, the first Bicol Dictionary published posthumously in Sampaloc, 1754, from his manuscript.
He resided in the Bikol region for nine years from 1602 to 1611 and was “Definidor y Ministro” of the town of Nabua (1602), administrator of the town of Oas (1605), and Vicario Provincial of the Province of Camarines (1609-1611).
I am a great fan of your Visita Iglesia series. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of it.
There is a beautiful frieze on top of the main entrance of the church in Malinao
There used to be painted ceilings in Guinobatan…
Thank you very much for the additional information and for appreciating the posts, Sir Dennis! I’m only relying on information found on the internet. If I had the luxury of time I’d like to do more research and personally visit these churches. Again, many thanks!
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Magandang gabi.. gusto sana malaman ng father ko (Mauro Oralin) if meron email add ang Oas Parish Church sa kadahilan po meron syang gustong itanong tungkol sa kanyang Kumpil (conformation). ipinganak po xa ng 1955. if mayrun po kayong email add paki send nalang po sa email ko…
Thank you very much po.