Most Holy Trinity Church is an old Roman Catholic church and a National Historical Landmark located in Loay, a town in the southern part of Bohol, Philippines. It is also referred La Santisima Trinidad Parish Church or Loay Church.
Table of Contents
History
The town of Loay used to be a settlement called Barrio Santisima Trinidad. Its church’s mother parish was Loboc until in 1799 when it became a parish.
Jesuit missionaries were the first to take charge of its administration, and later they were replaced by the Augustinian Recollect friars up to 1898. The church along with the convent were a few properties that were not razed to the ground by American invaders in 1901.
Its building was completed in 1822. Others were later additions such as the convent (1838), pipe organ (1841), and portico (1889). The bell tower standing separate from the church was erected during the tenure of Fr. Carlos Ubeda in 1865.
The church was damaged in the aftermath of an earthquake on October 15, 2013. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) allocated funds towards its restoration. The project culminated in a turn-over rite on October 15, 2017.
Heritage
The National Historical Institute (NHI) declared Loay Church as a National Historical Landmark on August 18, 2003. A marker was installed in 2004.
Moreover, it was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2013.
Architecture
The octagonal bell tower is in the epistle flank of the church and capped with a dome. It is massive and made up of three levels. The ground level is plain, adorned by a circular window on each side, and an engaged column in each edge. The upper register is an alternating wall and arched window. The uppermost level is pierced by open arches in all sides.
The facade rises to up to two stories with four Ionic pilasters and terminates in a pediment. It is a portico made of an arcade of three equal arches in the front and a larger arch opening on either sides. Its upper level has rectilinear windows with sparsely decorated entablature. The pediment has a rose window in the center and an apex of statues. Another prominent feature are the buttresses that slope down from the gospel side of the church.
The interior of the church is decorated with paintings on the ceiling by Cebuano artist Raymundo Francia completed on June 15, 1927.
Celebration
The feast day of the Blessed Trinity is held first Sunday after the Pentecost. The town of Loay celebrates the Sambat Mascara Y Regatta Festival in honor of the secondary patron, St. Francis Xavier.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Most Holy Trinity Church in Loay, 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 Loay.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Sunday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Most Holy Trinity Church in Loay, Bohol |
| Other Names | La Santisima Trinidad Church, Loay Church |
| Address | National Rd, Poblacion, 6303 Loay, Bohol |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (038) 538-9158, 501-1145 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Established | 1799 |
| Age | 226 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Tagbilaran |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of Saint Peter the Apostle |
| Patron | Most Holy Trinity, St. Francis Xavier |
| Feast day | First Sunday after the Pentecost |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | National Historical Landmark (2004), National Cultural Treasure (2013) |
| Completed | 1822 |
| Age since completed | 203 years |
Nearby Churches
- Immaculate Conception Church in Concepcion, Loay, Bohol
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Quinoguitan, Loboc, Bohol
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sevilla, Bohol
- San Isidro Labrador Church in Bilar, Bohol
- San Pedro Apostol Church in Loboc, Bohol
- St. Anthony of Padua Church in Sikatuna, Bohol
- St. James the Greater Church in Batuan, 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
- Jose, Regalado Trota (April 4, 2015). Bohol Churches. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Oaminal, Clarence Paul (March 5, 2018). The Vicariate of Southern Bohol. The Freeman. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Lita, Reynaldo. Catholic Churches in the Visayas and the Earthquake of 15 October 2013. Philippine Studies: Historical & Ethnographic Viewpoints, Vol. 64, No. 3/4, Special Double Issue: Disasters in History (Sept-Dec 2016), pp. 625-640. Ateneo de Manila University. Retrieved Juney 26, 2022
- Simbahan ng Santisima Trinidad ng Loay. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Turn-over Ceremony of the Completely Restored Holy Trinity Church in Loay, Bohol. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. October 13, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Loay Church (Bohol). Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 20, 2013. Retrieved via PressReader on June 26, 2022
- Lizaso, Nick J. (February 4, 2021). Bohol: A well-rounded cultural destination. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Loay Church. Filipinas Heritage Library. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- National Museum of the Philippines – Bohol. April 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2023