Libmanan Cathedral, also called St. James the Greater Parish, is the ecclesiastical seat of the Diocese of Libmanan. It is located in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
After the Franciscans erected Quipayo Parish in 1578, they proceeded to preach to the natives of other villages. During their third mission, they founded a church in Libmanan as a visita (chapel of ease) of Quipayo in 1586. It was established during the tenure of Fray Pedro Bautista y Belasquez OFM who met a martyr’s death in Japan in 1597. The pueblo was established earlier in 1574.
A church made of stone and brick is thought to be the third church built by the Franciscans. It was completed in 1730 during the time of Fray Pascual dela Cruz, OFM.
On January 12, 1989, Most Reverend Leonardo Legaspi who was the Dominican Archbishop of Caceres sent a letter to Pope John Paul II to carve out a prelature to divide the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The pope released the papal bull Philippinis in insulis on December 9, 1989 that created the Prelature of Libmanan. The prelature was canonically erected. On March 19, 1990, with Reverend Fr. Prospero Nale Arellano was appointed the first bishop-prelate.
In August 2005, Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Franco declared that the Prelature was ripe to become a diocese. On November 3, 2008, documents endorsing Libmanan for diocesan status was submitted to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, where it was approved unanimously on January 24, 2009. On March 18, 2009, the Apostolic Nuncio relayed the message that the pope approved the request.
Finally, the Diocese of Libmanan was canonically erected on March 25, 2009 with Bishop Jose Roas as the first head of the diocese.
Architecture
Little of the Franciscan-era church remains in the present-day house of worship. An overhang is fixed over the entrance door which is flanked by side doors. The facade is of brick and concrete, and it is hollowed by arch windows and a big oculus. Two holy figures are installed above the entryway.
Celebration
The feast day of St. James the Greater is July 25.
Services
The following devotions are observed weekly
- Monday (Souls in Purgatory)
- Tuesday (Holy Face)
- Wednesday (Perpetual Help)
- Thursday (St. James the Greater)
- Friday (Sacred Heart & Divine Mercy)
- Saturday (Mary and Eucharist)
Holy Hour and Confession is at 5:00 AM every Saturday.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Libmanan Cathedral from May 19, 2025 to May 25, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Libmanan.
Monday
- 5:45-6:45 AM
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Tuesday
- 5:45-6:45 AM
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Wednesday
- 5:45-6:45 AM
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Thursday
- 5:45-6:45 AM
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Friday
- 5:45-6:45 AM
- 5:15-6:15 PM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Anticipated Mass | 1st Saturday - San Juan | 2nd Saturday - Patatag | 3rd Saturday - Puro Batia | 4th Saturday - Mantalisay)
Sunday
- 4:30-5:30 AM
- 6:30-7:30 AM (Parish | Ibid)
- 8:00-9:00 AM (Parish | Labao)
- 5:00-6:00 PM (Parish | Concepcion)
- 7:00-8:00 PM (Tagalog/English)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Libmanan Cathedral |
| Address | Libmanan, Camarines Sur 4407 |
| Country | Philippines |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1586 |
| Age | 439 years |
| Status | Cathedral, Parish |
| Declared as cathedral | March 25, 2009 |
| Declared as prelature | March 19, 1990 |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres |
| Diocese | Diocese of Libmanan |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. James |
| Patron | St. James the Great |
| Feast day | July 25 |
References
- Parish Priests and Administrators. Diocese of Libmanan. Retrieved July 1, 2024
- The Journey That Was. Diocese of Libmanan. Retrieved July 1, 2024
- The Passage: From a Prelature to a Diocese. Diocese of Libmanan. Retrieved July 1, 2024
- History of Santiago Apostol Parish ( part 1 of four segments). Libmanan Historico Cultural Society. Retrieved July 1, 2024