Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Catherine of Alexandria is a National Cultural Treasure and Catholic church of Graeco-Roman architecture built in Carcar City, a southern town of the province of Cebu, Philippines.
It is a heritage church with a Level II marker installed. It is also known Santa Catalina de Alejandria Church or simply Carcar Church.
Table of Contents
History
Augustinian friars established the parish of Carcar in their council on May 23, 1599, and thus it is regarded as one of the oldest parishes erected in Cebu.
Previously, its church was located in a place called Sialo, the present-day barrio of Valladolid. It was transferred to its current site due to numerous destructive attacks by the sea pirates during the Spanish conquest. The new location was called Kabkar after a tree, and in later years up to the present it became known as Carcar
Its establishment was confirmed on June 9, 1601 by the senior church authorities of the Augustinian order, however no priests were assigned until 1607 when Fr. Juan de Ricobayo began his tenure. This would mean that it remained a visita until then. In three years, its minister was given voting powers and in 1611, it was placed under San Nicolas (Cebu City).
By April 29, 1617, it became an independent parish. It is noted in historical records that the parish was called Carcar starting in 1620, and Sialo was no longer used to refer to it. It once had a large jurisdiction, counting the visitas in the southern part of Cebu such as Argao, Dalaguete, and Sibonga.
Carcar Church was built in 1860 by Fr. Antonio Manglano. It is believed that this is the second or third church that was built; the first few religious structures were destroyed by Moro raiders. On the other hand, the convent was finished by Fr. Manuel Rubio Fernandez in 1875.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) undertook much needed repairs to address the damages the church sustained during the earthquake on October 15, 2013.
Heritage
A Level II heritage marker was installed in 2017 by NHCP. And on September 25, 2017, NHCP finished the restoration project. A marker was installed as well to commemorate the completion.
Additionally, Carcar Church was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2019. The unveiling of the marker was conducted in time for the annual fiesta in November 2023.
Architecture
Carcar church is constructed on a hilltop, a strategic location where it could be easily defended, enemies approaching from the sea could be quickly spied, and townspeople could seek refuge in times of attacks. Built with thick walls and tall bell towers, it functions as an early warning system, a fortress, and protection for its people during perilous times.
In various occasions, it is described as mudejar in influence. Yet Reuben Cañete stated that it is built in the tradition of Austrian Baroque, pointing out its distinctive onion dome roof and color scheme as proofs. Its facade is made of three horizontal panels, the uppermost level is a pair of belfries flanking the pediment. The pediment contains a festoon, a rose window containing a Baroque clock, and on the fascia are reliefs of three cherubs. The belfries have open pointed arch windows, and they are topped with bulbous red roof in the Islamic style.
In the middle of its lower registers is a blind recessed arch containing the Augustinian symbol, a niche of Sto. Niño, a cross, twin decorative scrolls and crockets, an emblem, and the massive arch puerta mayor. Flanking the main entrance on each side is part of the side aisles of the main nave made of open arches and wide entablature.
In the interiors, the church has a choirloft in the Gothic Revival style. The ceiling on the nave is much higher than the side aisles, with arch windows dominating the clerestory and an arcade supported by rectilinear posts. Atop each post is a bust figure of a putto, and at their base are headstones that are marked with the names of deceased and prominent townsfolk.
The ceiling was painted with ornamental motifs of panels of rosettes and squares, a work attributed to famous Cebuano artist Canuto Avila in the 1920s. Both the paintings and a procession of angels carrying candlestick by each post were completed within the term of Fr. Anastasio Nuñez del Corro.
Above the side aisles, the wooden ceilings are a field of light blue. They are decorated decorated by oblique squares containing rosette motifs in white. A pulpit faces the transept of the church, its flight of stairs winding around a post.
Celebration
Carcar Church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The feast day is celebrated every November 25 in the yearly Kabkaban Festival, which was started in 2005.
Services
The parish office is open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Carcar, Cebu from June 9, 2025 to June 15, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Carcar City.
Monday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 5:30 PM
Tuesday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 5:30 PM
Wednesday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 5:30 PM
Thursday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 5:30 PM
Friday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 5:30 PM
Saturday
- 6:00 AM (FB Live)
- 6:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday
- 4:30-5:30 AM
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM (Facebook Live)
- 10:00-11:00 AM
- 3:00-4:00 PM
- 5:00-6:00 PM
- 7:00-8:00 PM (English - Facebook Live)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Carcar, Cebu |
| Other Names | Santa Catalina de Alejandria Church, Carcar Church |
| Address | Poblacion, Carcar 6019 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (032) 236 2422 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1599 |
| Age | 426 years |
| Status | Archdiocesan shrine |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District III – Southeast Cebu |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Catherine of Alexandria |
| Patron | St. Catherine of Alexandria |
| Feast day | November 25 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Heritage Church, National Cultural Treasure |
| Completed | 1875 |
| Age since completed | 150 years |
| Builder | Fr. Antonio Manglano, Fr. Manuel Rubio Fernandez |
| Style | Graeco-Roman |
Nearby Churches
- Archbishop Teofilo Camomot Shrine
- Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church in Ocaña, Carcar City, Cebu
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaplaincy in Sangat, San Fernando, Cebu
- San Agustin de Hippo Parish Church in Magsico, San Fernando, Cebu
- San Isidro Labrador Church in San Fernando, Cebu
- San Isidro Labrador Parish Church in Calidngan, Carcar City, Cebu
- San Jose Church in Rosario, Aloguinsan, Cebu
- San Roque Parish Church in Valladolid, Carcar City, Cebu
- San Vicente Ferrer Chapel in San Fernando, Cebu
- Theotokos Archdiocesan Shrine in Perrelos Hill, Carcar City, Cebu
References
- Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu. Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Inc. and University of San Carlos Press. 2010. ISBN 978-9715390187.
- Elizaga, Troy. The Formation of Towns and Parishes in Cebu, Philippines. Retrieved via Academia on June 24, 2022
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved June 24, 2022
- Inso, Futch Anthony (November 22, 2020). Carcar lays down rules for celebrating city’s fiesta. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved June 24, 2022
- Sabanpan-Yu, Hope (December 2007). Cebuano Food Festivals: A Matter of Taste. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society , December 2007, Vol. 35, No. 4 pp. 384-392. University of San Carlos Publications. Retrieved June 15, 2022
- Simbahan ng Carcar. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved June 25, 2022
- Rehab on Cebu pre-colonial church near completion. Sunstar. March 14, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2022
- Cañete, Reuben. St. Catherine’s Church in Carcar, Cebu—a noble church on the hill. BluPrint. April 2, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2022
- Carcar – St. Catherine of Alexandria Church. Augustinian Churches. September 24, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2022
- Caescent No-ot Magsumbol. Cultural treasure markers for three churches pending. The Philippine Star. December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023