St. Francis of Assisi Church is an old Roman Catholic Church located in the municipality of Siquijor, Siquijor, Philippines. It is the first and oldest parish founded in the province and from which other churches in this island-province were founded. It is also known by its namesake, Siquijor Church.
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History
Siquijor was known as Katugasan because of the abundance of molave trees. It was called Isla de Fuego (Island of Fire) by Spanish colonizers when they saw the island lit by fireflies.
The mother parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church was St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Dumaguete. It separated when it was established by the secular clergy as an independent parish on February 1, 1781. The church existed prior to that time, with one source stating that the order that granted parochial status was given as early as 1780.
Augustinian Recollects assumed the administration of the parish starting in 1794; the Recollect friars also established other colonial-era churches in the island except the one in Enrique Villanueva.
Construction of the stone church began with Fr. Jose Fernandez de Septien and continued by Fr. Alonso de los Dolores between 1795 and 1831. It housed an organ (musical instrument) since the olden days that was restored by Fr. Francisco Gomez, and in July 1882 had half a dozen of its church bells “baptized”, that is named and blessed.
Other noteworthy structures include its grotto, seafront fortification, and belfry that is erected apart from the church and that also functions as a watch tower.
According historian Regalado Trota Jose, churches and other colonial-era structures in Siquijor are the last frontier in the Philippines with structures that preserved the construction technique called wattle-and-daub, otherwise known as tabique pampango. This technique can be gleaned from the pediment of the church’s baptistry.
Heritage
National Historical Institute installed a Level II marker designating Siquijor Church as a heritage church on May 19, 1984.
Architecture
The facade of the church is characterized by its simplicity and bounded by solid pilasters that culminate in pyramidal peaks. The National Historical Institute heritage marker is installed in the epistle side of the facade. The church’s arched entrance is flanked by pilasters that terminate at the foot of the niche, which is right above the doorway and contains the image of the patron. Flanking and above the niche are arch window openings of tracery and glass panes. Its gable rises to an apex with a pedestal on which a cross stands. The interior has barrel vaulted ceiling and the church is covered in red corrugated metal sheet roofing.
Celebration
The feast of St. Francis of Assisi is held every October 4th in a celebration called Dilaab Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Siquijor, Siquijor 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 Siquijor.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Tuesday
- No mass schedule found.
Wednesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Only first Friday of the month)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Other Fridays of the month)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Francis of Assisi Church in Siquijor, Siquijor |
| Other Names | Siquijor Church |
| Address | Poblacion, Siquijor, 6225 Siquijor |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | 0997 598 3194 |
| st.francisofassisisiquijor@gmail.com | |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Established | 1780 |
| Age | 245 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Dumaguete |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Paul |
| Patron | St. Francis of Assisi Church in Siquijor, Siquijor |
| Feast day | October 4 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Heritage Church |
| Completed | 1831 |
| Age since completed | 194 years |
| Builder | Fr. Jose Fernandez de Septien, Fr. Alonso de los Dolores |
Nearby Churches
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor
- Our Lady of Providence Church in Maria, Siquijor
- San Agustin Church in San Juan, Siquijor
- San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi, Siquijor
- San Vicente Ferrer Church in Larena, Siquijor
- Santa Barbara Church in Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor
References
- Cuesta, A. M. (2020). Augustinian Recollect History of Siquijor (1794-1898). Philippine Social Science Journal, 2(2), 173-178. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v2i2.87. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Sembrano, Edgar Allan (November 14, 2016). Siquijor’s healing sights: Churches made of ancient ‘tabique pampango’. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Simbahan ng Siquijor. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Siquijor Church. Filipinas Heritage Library. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Beltran, Jill (September 26, 2012). October 4 declared a holiday in Siquijor for ‘Dilaab Festival’. Sunstar. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Jose, Regalado Trota (2002). Why did Padre Mariano Gomes Choose San Caralampio? A Preliminary Investigation into Holy Names and Bells? Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society , March/June 2002, Vol. 30, No. 1/2, SPECIAL ISSUE: SAINTS AND FIESTAS (March/June 2002), pp. 1-64. University of San Carlos Publications. Retrieved July 16, 2022
- Sembrano, Edgar Allan M. (November 14, 2016). Siquijor’s healing sights: Churches made of ancient ‘tabique pampango’. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 16, 2022
- Siquijor Island. Panublion. Ateneo de Manila University. Retrieved from original post November 28, 2022