San Pedro Apostol Church is an old Roman Catholic church, a diocesan shrine, a National Historical Landmark, and a National Cultural Treasure located in Loboc, Bohol, Philippines. Its name is St. Peter the Apostle Parish – Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora Guadalupe de Extremadura.
It is otherwise known as Loboc Church, Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church, and Parroquia de San Pedro Apóstol.
Table of Contents
History
Loboc was a mission station established by Fr. Juan de Torres, a friar of Society of Jesus in 1596. It was considered a parish in 1602, the year that its oldest parochial documents are dated and what is written in an inscription found on a convent wall.
Later, it became a residence of the Jesuits, chosen for its inland location and thus less likely to be attacked by seaborne pillagers and easier to be protected when assailed.
Fr. Alonso de Humanes, believed to be a saintly figure, was buried in the church. Miracles attributed to him spread and the church became a pilgrimage site.
An early church, as well as a training school for boys called “Seminario de los Indios“, was believed to be made of light materials. It didn’t survive when a fire hit in 1638.
The completion of the present church is placed to be in 1734 as opposed to oral tradition passed on that it was built a century earlier. Augustinian Recollects replaced the Jesuit mission in Bohol in 1768 and built the bell tower, convent (1854), portico and mortuary chapel (1858, within the term of Fr. Aquilino Bon, OAR), and the buttresses (1884, under the administration of Fr. Jose Sanchez and succeeding Recollect friars).
The church was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1998. Two years later, it was declared a National Cultural Treasure by National Museum of the Philippines.
Loboc Church was heavily damaged due to an earthquake on October 15, 2013. The next year, the overflowing of Loboc River from typhoon Seniang caused further damage.
The National Museum of the Philippines funded and undertook the restoration project that began in 2017 and completed on May 16, 2021. The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone provided additional funding for its restoration.
It was once included in the Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage under Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension), but it was removed in 2014.
Its status was elevated into a diocesan shrine of its second patroness, Nuestra Señora Guadalupe de Extremadura, on May 24, 2021.
Heritage
The National Historical Institute (NHI) installed a heritage marker in 1999.
Architecture
A two-level portico with a pediment runs along the whole length of the church’s original facade. Pilasters define its five vertical sections and moldings its horizontal levels. The ground level is an arcade of three arches alternated with a wall surface, on which a relief can be found, and either sides are likewise pierced with an arch. The upper register on the other hand is a series of three arched windows, the central one flanked by two niches containing statues. The pediment is triangular and can be considered to be divided into two levels, the lower one partitioned further into five parts and the upper into three. A rose window pierces the central section of the lower pediment, flanked by cartouches which are in turn flanked by smaller rose windows. The upper portion of the pediment contains a high relief of the emblem of the papacy flanked by blind rose windows.
An octagonal tower protrudes from either side of the facade. They are topped with a pyramidal roof. The walls of the nave are supported by buttresses that slope diagonally from the wall to the ground.
Celebration
The feast of St. Peter is held every June 29th. Moreover, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is held every May 24th in a celebration called Bolibong Kingking Festival.
Services
The parish office is open every day except Tuesday from 9:00 until 11:00 in the morning and 2:00 until 5:00 in the afternoon. It is closed on holidays.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of San Pedro Apostol Church in Loboc, Bohol from May 12, 2025 to May 18, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Loboc.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Wednesday
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Anticpated Mass - English)
Sunday
- 5:00-6:00 AM
- 6:30-7:30 AM
- 8:30-9:30 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Pedro Apostol Church in Loboc, Bohol |
| Other Names | Loboc Church, Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church, Parroquia de San Pedro Apóstol |
| Address | Poblacion, Loboc, Bohol 6316 |
| Country | Philippines |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1602 |
| Age | 423 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Tagbilaran |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of Saint Peter the Apostle |
| Feast day | June 29 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | National Historical Landmark, National Cultural Treasure |
| Completed | 1734 |
| Age since completed | 291 years |
Nearby Churches
- Immaculate Conception Church in Concepcion, Loay, Bohol
- Most Holy Trinity Church in 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
- 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 25, 2022
- Oaminal, Clarence Paul (March 5, 2018). The Vicariate of Southern Bohol. The Freeman. Retrieved June 25, 2022
- Udtohan, Leo. (May 18, 2021). Loboc church reopens 7 years after Bohol quake. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Javellana, Rene. Angels and Gargoyles of Loboc Church. Philippine Studies, First Quarter 1988, Vol. 36, No. 1 (First Quarter 1988), pp. 88-97. Ateneo de Manila University. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Church of San Pedro Apostol (Loboc Church). National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Loboc Church. Filipinas Heritage Library. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- May. Tourism Office of the Province of Bohol. Retrieved June 26, 2022
- Edgar Allan Sembrano. Bohol, Samar churches removed from Unesco World Heritage nomination. Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 4, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2023