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Saint Gregory the Great Parish Church

(Majayjay)
The San Gregorio Magno Parish Church (Filipino:
Simbahan ng Parokya ni San Gregorio Magno; Spanish:
Iglesia Parroquial de San Gregorio Magno), also known
as Majayjay Church and St. Gregory the Great Parish
Church, is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in
the Philippines located in the municipality of Majayjay
in Laguna. It is recognized by the National Museum
as a National Cultural Treasure (Level 1).[1] The current
parish priest is Father Robin A. Dagala.[2]

red tiles and prime lumber. On completion in 1730, the


church became the biggest in the Philippines[4]
A century later, the stone church was destroyed by typhoon and was repaired in 1839, 1842 and 1848.[11] The
roof was replaced with galvanized iron in 1892 under
the supervision of Father Gregorio Platero. During the
American occupation, the church served as headquarters
of the American army. Due to damage brought about
by the Spanish and American revolution, the church was
again repaired in 1912.[12]

In 1954, the church was placed under the governments


rehabilitation program with the help of the National Conservation Society of the Philippines. In 2001, it was deMajayjay served as the site of early Catholicism in clared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National
Laguna.[3] The Augustinians rst came in 1568. Along Museum.
with ve Augustinian priests and Juan de Salcedo,
nephew of Miguel Lpez de Legazpi, they started to evangelize the sceptical townsmen led by Gat Yantok.[4] In
2 Features
1571, the Franciscans established a mission town with
Don Gaspar Osorio, Agustn Osorio, Juan Osorio, Juan
[4]
de Mendoza, Ventura Mag-olop, Aman Lingasan and The Romanesque church of Majayjay is 60 metres (200
[5]
Martn Siasip. The rst church was constructed by lo- ft) long, 17 metres (56 ft) wide and 16.5 metres (54 ft)
cals in 1575 near the May-it river and was made of nipa meters high. Its faade has three levels, each level scaled
and bamboo and was later burned in 1576.[6] In 1578, proportionally and topped by a triangular pediment with
[13]
Franciscans Fathers Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa a circular window. The central nave consists of a huge
[7]
started to evangelize the town. A church, still of nipa wooden door of the main portal, choir loft windows and
and bamboo, was built that same year under the patron- saints niche. The interior contains a retablo mayor and
age of Saint Gregory the Great.[8] Due to the lack of reli- four other minor retablos with intricate designs. The oor
gious men, the rst parish priest of Majajay, Father Anto- is tiled with azulejo and the walls have been preserved
nio Nombela was only assigned in 1594.[7] Under his pas- with some alterations. The ve-storey square belltower
[11]
torship, a long robe worn by wives to the church, called with a conical roof and ballustrated windows on each
[9]
polygonal
level
is
connected
to the langit-langitan, a catlambn was rst used in the Philippines. In 1599, the
walk
above
the
ceiling
which
leads to the crossing over
Superior Gobierno authorized the construction of a stone
[1]
transept.
The
belfry
has
arched
windows each with
the
church. While awaiting its construction, the makeshift
[8]
a
bell
trimmed
with
nials
and
a
large
antique bell on
church was burned in 1606. Majayjay also served as
[13]
top.
It
also
has
a
large
side
door
on
the
right side of
inrmary for the old religious men until 1606 before it
[10]
the
church.
was transferred to Lumban. Construction of the stone
church began in 1616 and was completed in 1649 with Today, the church contains antique images of santos, relithe help of Maestro de Campo Don Buenaventura de quaries and century-old liturgical objects.
Mendoza.[11] The church was again partially burned in
1660.[8] Rehabilitation started in 1711 and nished in
1730 by 14,000 people on forced labor and a rehabili- 2.1 Convent
tation cost of $26,000 by Father Jose de Puertollano.[8]
Instead of rebuilding the church, Father Puertollano de- The huge convent (also convento) of the church, which
cided to sandwich the ruins between two layers of brick provides a good view of Laguna de bay, is one of the best
resulting in an unusual wall thickness of 3 metres (9.8 preserved convento in the country and is the earliest surft).[11] It took 19 years for the people of Majayjay to viving example of its kind.[5][8] It houses a small museum
complete the church which was made of adobe stone with of old parish documents and ecclesiastical silver. A small

History

EXTERNAL LINKS

portion of the church was converted into the present-day [10] Huerta 1865, p. 144
Liceo de Majayjay, a Catholic school under the supervision of the local parish and the Diocesan Catholic School [11] Bells of St. Francis. OFM Philippines Archives. Order
of Friar Minors in the Philippines. Retrieved 25 NovemSystem of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo.
ber 2014.

Chapel of Nuestra Seora de la


Porteria

[12] Lagunas old churches await pilgrims. Philippines Daily


Inquirer. March 24, 2005.
[13] Majayjay Church : St Gregory the Great. April 1, 2014.
Retrieved June 20, 2014.
[14] Tourist Attractions in Laguna - Religious. Department
of Tourism. Retrieved June 20, 2014.

5 Bibliography

Chapel of Nuestra Seora de la Porteria, also known as Ermita

The chapel of Nuestra Seora de la Porteria (Our Lady of


the Gate) also known as the Ermita chapel was originally
constructed as a tribunal during the Spanish period. The
image of the Nuestra Seora de la Porteria, which was
brought to Majayjay by Spanish missionaries in 1759, was
enshrined in the former court building in 1760.[8][14]

Huerta, Felix de (1865). Estado geogrco, topogrco, estadstico, histrico-religioso: de la santa y


apostlica provincia de S. Gregorio Magno, de religiosos Menores descalzos de la regular y ms estrecha
observancia de N.S.P.S. Francisco, en las Islas Filipinas: comprende el nmero de religiosos, conventos, pueblos, situacin de estos, aos de su fundacin,
tributos, almas, producciones, industrias, cosas y casos especiales de su administracin espiritual, en el
archipilago lipino, desde su fundacin en el ao
de 1577 hasta el de 1865 [Geographical, topographical, statistical, historical and religious state of the
holy and apostolic province of S. Gregorio Magno]
(in Spanish). Binondo: Imprenta de M. Sanchez y
Ca.

6 External links
4

Notes

[1] Alba, Reinerio (September 29, 2003). The Restoration


of 26 Philippine Churches. National Commission for
Culture and the Arts. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
[2] General Reshue: Diocese of San Pablo. The Roman
Catholic Diocese of San Pablo. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
[3] Majayjay, Lagunas cradle of Christianization ve centuries hence. October 17, 2012. Retrieved June 20,
2014.
[4] Trozado, Pablo (September 26, 2010). Majayjays 280year-old angel in stone. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
[5] Towns and Cities - Majayjay. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
[6] Huerta 1865, p. 126
[7] Huerta 1865, p. 125
[8] Huerta 1865, p. 127
[9] Huerta 1865, p. 130

Media related to Saint Gregory the Great Parish Church


of Majayjay at Wikimedia Commons

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

Saint Gregory the Great Parish Church (Majayjay) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint%20Gregory%20the%20Great%


20Parish%20Church%20(Majayjay)?oldid=641331316 Contributors: Ipigott, Yobot, Antiqueight, BG19bot, RioHondo, Byralaal and Carlojoseph14

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