Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church is a Roman Catholic church in Talaga, Argao, a southern town in the province of Cebu, Philippines. It is under the patronage of St. Thomas of Villanueva.
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History
St. Thomas of Villanueva Church in Talaga was a daughter parish of the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel Church. Talaga is a southern village in the municipality of Argao, Cebu. It was constructed through the initiative of Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo, the first Filipino bishop of Cebu, in 1921.
It was one of the churches in Cebu that sustained heavy damages in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette in December 2021.
Architecture
The church sits on a hilltop a few meters from the main road. The facade features vertically a central section bordered by church towers. The main entrance is an archway, above which are three arch apertures where the patron saint is enshrined in the middle. The pediment is a half-quatrefoil and it surrounds a barbed quatrefoil opening. In its apex is the figure of Jesus. Above the pediment is a three-bodied steeple with chamfered corners and crowned with a cross.
Flanking the entrance are arches of multi-colored glass windows. On their roofs are balustrades, octagonal cupola-shaped roof lanterns, domes and spires. The nave walls are pierced with arch openings and barbed quatrefoil windows in the clerestory.
Celebration
The feast of St. Thomas of Villanueva is every September 22nd.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Argao, 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 Argao.
Monday
- 9:00-10:00 AM
Tuesday
- No mass schedule found.
Wednesday
- No mass schedule found.
Thursday
- No mass schedule found.
Friday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (FB Live)
- 10:00-11:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM (FB Live)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Argao, Cebu |
| Address | Talaga, Argao, 6021, Cebu |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (032) 407 2116 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Founder | Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo |
| Established | June 25, 1922 |
| Age | 103 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District III – Southeast Cebu |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of San Antonio de Padua |
| Patron | St. Thomas of Villanueva |
| Feast day | September 22 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1921 |
| Age since completed | 104 years |
Nearby Churches
- Archdiocesan Shrine of San Miguel Arcangel Church in Argao, Cebu
- Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church in Sibonga, Cebu
- Our Lady of Divine Grace in Sibonga, Cebu
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Colawin, Argao, Cebu
- San Isidro Labrador Parish, Cansuje, Argao, Cebu
References
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved July 11, 2022
- Taguchi, Yasunari Ramon Suarez (April 14, 2019). The Churches of Cebu South. The Freeman
- Maria Jane Paredes. Rowing in the same direction: How the Archdiocese of Cebu answered challenges of Odette. Cebu Caritas. April 15, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022