Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church

Saint Rose of Lima Parish Church, also known as Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Santa Rosa, Laguna, and the Philippines. Established in 1792, it is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo and is the second oldest named parish dedicated to Saint Rose of Lima in the Philippines. Fr. Mario P. Rivera serves as the current parish priest. History The Saint Rose of Lima Parish was established in 1792 with the arrival of Spanish Catholic priest Francisco Favie. Both the church and the convent were completed within 12 years, and the parish was blessed on August 4, 1812. The inaugural Mass, celebrated by Fr. Francisco Favie, was held on 30 August 1812 in honor of Saint Rose of Lima. In 1796, Spanish friars built the present church with the labor of Chinese workers who became ancestors of old Chinese families in Santa Rosa, including the Lijaucos and the Tiongcos. The old convent was used as the main building of the old Canossa School. Instead of "Bucol", the residents chose "Santa Rosa" in honor of the patron saint, Rose of Lima. The original structure remains standing, with the facade only retained next to the Old Government Building, and is known as Museo de Santa Rosa. Features Bells The church tower contains eight bells ranging from 32 cm to 85 cm in diameter. Each bell bears inscriptions of its patron saint and year of casting. Santa Rosa de Lima (the biggest bell) Santa Barbara Santissimo Sacramento San Juan Bautista San Jose Santa Catalina Santo Domingo de Guzman Niño Jesus The patron's name, the name of the manufacturer and his address, the priest then serving as curate, the year of casting, and the name of the donor (if any) are engraved on the bell. Clock of the old façade The church has a clock measuring 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) in diameter that chimes every quarter-hour. It was destroyed during a dogfight between the United States Air Force and the Imperial Japanese air forces, dismantling with it the statues of saints. The display comprised the statues used in the church's Holy Week processions, flanked by two belfries — one on each side. Paintings Mariano Perlas Sr., an indigenous Santa Rosa painter in the early 20th century, was inspired to paint the church's ceiling by Andres Tejedor (Oct. 1916 – Feb. 1926), a Spanish priest of the Dominican Order. The paintings were quite popular between 1923 and 1960. Saint Roch, the four evangelists, the Coronation, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin were among the paintings. During Agustin Reyes's tenure from 1957 to 1966, the paintings were removed when the ceiling was repainted during the renovation in 1960. This was necessary because some of the artwork had been damaged by bats or the passage of time. The two remaining paintings on the ceiling of the choir loft, also known as the "Koro," depict the patron saints of Christian music: Holy King David with his harp and Saint Cecilia at the piano. These two are the only ones remaining from over a dozen original paintings. When Benito Pagsuyuin was the parish priest, some paintings that were decaying or fading in the sacristy were assembled, and Pedro Rivera had them repainted. They were framed and displayed at the back of the church. References External links Media related to Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church of Santa Rosa at Wikimedia Commons Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Parokya ni Santa Rosa de Lima on Facebook