Holy Cross Church, also called Nabua Church after the town, is a 17th-century Roman Catholic and heritage church located in Nabua, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
The old name of the town was Lupa, and it was renamed Nabua after the local word of coconut during colonial period. Franciscan missionaries Fr. Pablo de Jesus and Fr. Bartolome Ruiz erected a church in 1578. They also led in unifying the settlements in Lupa, Antacodos, Sabang, and Binoyoan.
The first house of place that the missionaries built caught fire in 1610. The next church that the community erected was struck and damaged by a typhoon the next year. It was rebuilt from 1630 to 1656.
The present-day church was constructed in 1700. Through the years, it suffered damages from natural disasters such as a typhoon in 1875 and was eventually repaired three years later. The bell tower was damaged in the aftermath of an earthquake in 1850 and it was rebuilt in 1894.
The Philippine Historical Committee declared the Nabua Church as a heritage church and installed a historical marker in 1939.
Architecture
The church has a deep-red brick exterior and a height of up to four levels. Its front wall has mighty pilasters with finials at their peaks. The main portal is flanked by arch windows, which are also seen piercing the upper sweep of the wall. The bell tower is attached to the church in the epistle side.
Celebration
The feast day of the Holy Cross is May 3 and the town celebrates the Boa-Boahan Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Holy Cross Church in Nabua, Camarines Sur 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 Nabua.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
Sunday
- 4:30-5:30 AM (Bicol)
- 6:30-7:30 AM (Bicol)
- 8:30-9:30 AM (Bicol)
- 10:30-11:30 AM (English)
- 4:30-5:30 PM (Bicol)
- 5:30-6:30 PM (Bicol)
- 7:00-8:00 PM (English)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Holy Cross Church in Nabua, Camarines Sur |
| Address | Nabua, Camarines Sur 4434 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (054) 288 3762 |
| holycrossparishnabuacamariness@gmail.com | |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1578 |
| Age | 447 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of Holy Cross |
| Patron | Holy Cross |
| Feast day | May 3 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Level II Heritage Church |
Nearby Churches
- Holy Trinity Church in Bato, Camarines Sur
- Nuestra Senora de Katipanan Church in Paloyon, Nabua, Camarines Sur
- St. Dominic of Guzman Church in Sto. Domingo, Nabua, Camarines Sur
- St. Joseph Church in Palsong, Bula, Camarines Sur
- St. Jude Thaddeus Church in San Miguel, Bato, Camarines Sur
References
- Parishes. Archdiocese of Caceres. Retrieved June 5, 2024
- History. Municipal Government of Nabua. Retrieved June 5, 2024
- Church of Nabua. National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines. August 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2024