St. Anthony the Abbot Church is a Roman Catholic church that is located in the town of Carmen in Bohol, Philippines. It is also called Parokya ni San Antonio Abad, San Antonio Abad Church, or simply Carmen Church.
Table of Contents
History
During the time of Spanish colonization, Bilar was the matriz of the church of Carmen. Carmen became a separate parish on September 9, 1874 by virtue of the Superior Approval on February 1, 1874 and was under the administration of the Augustinian Recollects until 1898.
The town was established earlier in 1868. Previously called Ymbalaya, its name is derived either from Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Carmen) or from a name of one of its townsfolk.
Carmen church used to be made of wood, and another was built beginning in 1887 and completed in the 1890s. Although much of the present-day church was built in the 1920s, remnants of the Spanish-era structure may have survived such as the coral stone at the base of the facade and some walls.
The church sustained damages when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Cebu and Bohol on October 15, 2013. Recent footage reveal that it has since been repaired.
Heritage
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared Carmen Church as a Level II heritage church and installed a historical marker on January 16, 2018.
Architecture
Its portico is bounded by the area right in front of the entrance door, like a porte-cochere. It is unlike most churches in Bohol where the portico occupies the whole length of and is aligned with the church’s facade. Piers on plinths support its arched openings and on top is a balustraded parapet.
The entrance door is ornate with panels of floriated carvings, one of the very few found in Bohol. The facade is recessed, decorated by pilasters and horizontal bands separating the ground level and pediment. The pediment is dominated by an arch containing a rose window and two rectilinear windows, flanking it are rose windows with intersecting ridges. The gable is adorned with white arcade trim and tapering cornices. Atop is an octagonal belfry pierced by open arches with balustrade and capped with a dome.
The rest of the facade are twin arched windows on either side aisles whose roofs are elevated lower than the pediment.
Celebration
The feast day of St. Anthony the Abbot every January 17th.
Services
Baptism is held every 11:00 in the morning every weekend. Weddings are scheduled every Thursday during the 6:00 morning mass and can be arranged for Saturday schedule at 8:00 in the morning.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Anthony the Abbot Church in Carmen, Bohol from July 7, 2025 to July 13, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Carmen.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Wednesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Anticipated Mass - For Senior Citizens)
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Anticipated Mass - For Minors accompanied by adults)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 2:00-3:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
- 4:00-5:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
- 6:00-7:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM (FB Live - Broadcast at 103.9 DYDL FM)
- 10:00-11:00 AM
- 2:00-3:00 PM
- 4:00-5:00 PM
- 6:00-7:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Anthony the Abbot Church in Carmen, Bohol |
| Other Names | Parokya ni San Antonio Abad, San Antonio Abad Church, or simply Carmen Church. |
| Address | Loay Interior Road, Carmen, Bohol |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (038) 525-9118 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1874 |
| Age | 151 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Talibon |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Anthony the Abbot |
| Patron | St. Anthony the Abbot |
| Feast day | January 17 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Heritage church |
| Completed | 1920 |
| Age since completed | 105 years |
Nearby Churches
- Immaculate Conception Church in Sierra Bullones, Bohol
- Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Chaplaincy in Buenavista, Carmen, Bohol
- San Isidro Labrador Church in Abachanan, Sierra Bullones, Bohol
- San Pedro Calungsod Church in Nueva Vida Este, Carmen, Bohol
- St. Isidore the Laborer Church in Pilar, Bohol
- St. Joseph Church in Bugsoc, Sierra Bullones, Bohol
- Virgen del Pilar Church in Pilar, Bohol
References
- Jose, Regalado Trota (2001). Visita Iglesia Bohol: A Guide to Historic Churches. National Commission on Culture and the Arts. Manila, Philippines. ISBN 9718140166, 978-9718140161
- Oaminal, Clarence Paul (March 5, 2018). The Vicariate of Southern Bohol. The Freeman. Retrieved June 27, 2022
- St. Anthony de Abbot Parish Church. Rappler. October 16, 2013. Retrieved via Facebook on June 27, 2022
- Simbahan ng Carmen. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. November 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2023