# Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church (Santa Rosa, Laguna)

Saint Rose of Lima Parish Church, also known as Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Santa Rosa, Laguna, 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 together with Fr. Michael Loza as Parochial Vicar.

## History

The Saint Rose of Lima Parish was built in the year 1792 with the arrival of Spanish Catholic priest, Francisco Favie. Both the church and the convent were completed within 12 years. It was blessed on August 4, 1812.
The first Mass was held on August 30, 1812, in honor of the patron saint,⁣⁣ Rose of Lima, with Francisco Favie, the first parish priest.
In 1796, Spanish friars built the present church building with labor from China who later became descendants of the old Chinese families in Santa Rosa including the Lijauco's and the Tiongco's. The old convent was used as the main building of the old Canossa School.
Instead of "Bucol," the residents chose to name the town "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 has eight big bells that toll with sounds heard in distant barrios. Each bell is identified with a saint:
* 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, including those the church uses in processions during Holy Week, which included two belfries, one on the left and one on the right.

### 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. It was 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 artworks are the only remnants of the more than 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 part of the church.