St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church in Baao, Camarines Sur

St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church is a Roman Catholic located in Baao, Camarines Sur, Philippines.

Table of Contents

History

The name Baao is often understood to have been derived from the local word referring to turtle. On April 3, 1574, the settlement was made into an encomienda by Guido de Lavezares under Antonio Granado. Its church was founded during the time Catholic martyr-saint Fr. Pedro Bautista y Belasquez stayed in the Philippines (1584-1593). This could be the time the Franciscan missionaries first sowed the seeds of faith among the natives in 1590.

In 1656, Baao was a visita of Bula and 1704, the town seceded from Bula. An early church was constructed in 1684. It was situated where the rivers of Langday and Bahay meet, which was also the previous location of the pueblo. Unfortunately, it did not survive from a typhoon that struck in 1706.

Another church was also built in 1720 but it was destroyed in 1731. That year, the pueblo was transferred from Binanuaanan to the present location. In 1793, Fr. Domingo Palencia was the appointed the first parish priest although it would be in 1800 that it separated formally from Bula Parish.

The church sustained damages in the aftermath of an earthquake in 1811. Repairs were undertaken in 1850, while the belfry was reconstructed in 1848.

The Philippines Historical Committee declared Baao Church a Level II heritage church and installed a historical marker in 1939.

Architecture

The facade of the church is flanked by twin bell towers. A portico of interconnected gables cover the three entrance doors. Above, on the roof of the portico, is the huge image of the patron along with four statues, while the wall behind the saint is decorated with pilasters (ornamented with Ionic capital and angel busts) and pierced with arch windows depicting St. Peter and St. Paul. On the pediment is a bas relief of Divina Pastora (the Blessed Virgin holding the Holy Child in one hand and a staff in another, and surrounded by a pair of lambs).

The bell towers are pierced with arches and capped with a dome.

Celebration

The feast day of St. Bartholomew the Apostle is August 24 and the town celebrates the Kamuy-an Festival.

Mass schedule

Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church in Baao, Camarines Sur 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 Baao.

Monday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:15-6:15 PM (English)

Tuesday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:15-6:15 PM (English)

Wednesday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:15-6:15 PM (English)

Thursday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:15-6:15 PM (English)

Friday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:15-6:15 PM (English)

Saturday

5:30-6:30 AM (Bicol)
5:00-6:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday

4:30-5:30 AM (Bicol)
6:30-7:30 AM (Bicol)
8:00-9:00 AM (English)
10:30-11:30 AM (English)
4:00-5:00 PM (Bicol)
5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
7:00-8:00 PM (English)

Church information

Details
Name	St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church in Baao, Camarines Sur
Address	Baao, Camarines Sur 4432
Country	Philippines
Facebook	www.facebook.com
Religion
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Established	1590
Age	435 years
Status	Parish
Declared as parish	1793
Age as parish	232 years
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres
Vicariate	Vicariate of St. Bartholomew
Patron	St. Barthomolew the Apostle
Feast day	August 24
Architecture
Heritage	Heritage church
Tower	2

Nearby Churches

References

Parishes. Archdiocese of Caceres. Retrieved June 12, 2024
Church of Baao. National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines. August 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2024
Luis G. Dato and Rev. Eladio Palcis. History of the Church of Baao. Luis G. Dato. Retrieved June 12, 2024
Local Government Profile. Municipal Government of Baao. Retrieved June 12, 2024
BULA: A VIEW OF THE PAST THROUGH THE BAMBOO TRAIL. Municipal Government of Bula. Retrieved June 15, 2024