St. Thomas of Villanova Church, also called Dao Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Dao, Capiz, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
The old name of Dao was Divingding. Its church, whose patron saint was Saint Augustine, was one of the first established by the Augustinians in the island and it was placed as a visita of Santa Monica Church in Panay, Capiz along with the church in Ipiong, the present-day St. Lawrence the Deacon Church of Panitan. In 1596, it was annexed to Dumalag.
It became a parish placed under the patronage of St. Thomas of Villanova through a decree issued by Governor General Pedro A. Salazar on February 29, 1836.
Church-building began during the term of Fr. Augustin Alvarez and started in 1865.
The municipality of Dao has declared the Dao Church as a cultural property pursuant to Municipal Ordinance No. 2016-003 in 2016.
Architecture
The pediment is plain and its size is dwarfed by the thick walls of the facade. Made of coral stones, the facade is decorated by four pairs of engaged columns. Entrance can be made through one of three arch portals, above each of which is an aperture. Its cornice is decorated by grooved stone bars (in the tradition of triglyphs, except that they are made with four vertical grooves) alternated with metopes, an adornment that can also be seen in the tower.
The bell tower, attached to the church in the epistle side, has an arch niche of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Atop is the octagonal belfry with a pyramidal roof.
Celebration
The feast of St. Thomas of Villanova is September 22.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Dao, Capiz 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 Dao.
Monday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Tuesday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Wednesday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Thursday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Friday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Saturday
- 6:30-7:30 AM
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 9:00-10:00 AM
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Dao, Capiz |
| Address | Dao, Capiz 5810 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Parish |
| Declared as parish | February 29, 1836 |
| Age as parish | 189 years |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Thomas of Villanova |
| Patron | St. Thomas of Villanova |
| Feast day | September 22 |
| Architecture | |
| Tower | 1 |
Nearby Churches
- San Antonio de Padua Church in Cuartero, Capiz
- St. Blaise Church in Malonoy, Dao, Capiz
- St. Damien of Molokai Mission Station in Maindang, Cuartero, Capiz
- St. John the Baptist Church in Sigma, Capiz
- St. Pedro Calungsod Mission Station in Mianay, Sigma, Capiz
- Sta. Maria de la Cabeza Mission Station in Mangoso, Sigma, Capiz
References
- Archdiocese of Capiz. Retrieved March 1, 2024
- Paul Dumol, PhD, Grace Concepcion, PhD, and E.J. Ofilada (August 15, 2020). Research Update: Foundation Dates for “The Pueblos of Panay”. Center for Research and Communication. Retrieved March 1, 2024
- Noel Vincent B. Abalajon. The Considerad in the Religious Tradition of Panay. Philippiniana Sacra. Vol. XLVI. No. 1316, pages 110-156. January – April 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2024