St. Martin of Tours Church is a 19th-century Roman Catholic church located in Dumalag, Capiz, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
When the natives cleared and made a settlement in Dumalag, they called the place Ayombong. During Hispanic times, it became one of the first centers of Catholicism in the province as the Augustinian friars came in 1578. However, their mission was confronted with many challenges including the lack of friars and they left it unattended for some time.
The Augustinians reinvigorated their mission station in Dumalag in 1590 and established a church as a visita of Ibajay or Hamtic. Fr. Sebastian Mendez was appointed as its minister on May 4, 1596. Meanwhile, the town was organized a year earlier and renamed Dumalag in 1613 (another account stated 1631).
Yet again, the friars gave up its administration and it was turned over to the diocesan clergy. On May 17, 1614, through an unwavering campaign of the friars, it was given back to the Augustinians and they assigned Fr. Lucas de Atienza to lead its flock and placed St. Martin of Tours as its patron saint.
A church and a convent were in existence in the 17th century. A church was erected under the supervision of Fr. Agustin Duran in 1833. In 1873, the present-day church was built during the term of Fr. Angel Abasolo. It was damaged from the havoc caused by a typhoon two years later and a massive earthquake in 1948. Reconstruction commenced in the 1950s under the supervision of Fr. Jesus N. Frantilla.
Architecture
Renovations were carried out in the 21st century in conformance to architectural designs of sacred spaces specifically those built by the Augustinians during colonial times and to preserve its heritage value. The church is an amalgam of colonial-era building practices and materials as well as contemporary construction.
On October 8, 2017, the church was dedicated by Archbishop Jose F. Advincula Jr.
The church is laid out in a cruciform shape. A massive dome topped with a pyramidal roof, cupola, and a cross rises over its crossing. The facade is relatively decoration-free, except for six pilasters and arch openings including the niche of a Marian figure in the pediment and at its topmost part is where statue of the patron is installed. The octagonal bell tower of a quadrangular base is attached to the main edifice in the gospel side and capped with a dome roof.
Celebration
The feast of St. Martin of Tours is November 11.
Services
The parish is open 8:00-11:30 AM and 2:00-5:00 PM daily except Tuesday, Sunday, and holidays.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Martin of Tours Church in Dumalag, Capiz 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 Dumalag.
Monday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Tuesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Wednesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Thursday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Friday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Saturday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Sunday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM
- 9:30-10:30 AM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Martin of Tours Church in Dumalag, Capiz |
| Address | Dumalag, Capiz 5813 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (036) 6581142 |
| smtpdumalag@gmail.com | |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1590 |
| Age | 435 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Martin of Tours |
| Patron | St. Martin of Tours |
| Feast day | November 11 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1873 |
| Age since completed | 152 years |
| Tower | 1 |
Nearby Churches
- Nuestra Señora De La Consolacion Quasi-Parish in Consolacion, Dumalag, Capiz
- Our Lady of Fatima Church in Dacuton, Dumarao, Capiz
- Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Tinaytayan, Dumarao, Capiz
- Our Lady of the Snows Parish Church in Dumarao, Capiz
- San Julian de Cuenca Mission Station in San Julian, Tapaz, Capiz
- San Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Station in Duran, Dumalag, Capiz
- St. Andre Bessette Mission Station in Taft, Tapaz, Capiz
- St. Jerome Church in Tapaz, Capiz
- St. Juan Diego Mission Station in Cristina, Tapaz, Capiz
- St. Nicholas of Myra Church in Tapaz, Capiz
- St. Vigilius Mission Station in San Roque, Dumalag, Capiz
- St. Zita Mission Station in Bungsuan, Dumarao, Capiz
References
- Archdiocese of Capiz. Retrieved March 4, 2024
- Dumalag, Parish of St. Martin of Tours. The News Today. Mar 18, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2024
- Brief History of Dumalag. Retrieved March 4, 2024
- Ted Fullona. The Fall and Rise of Dumalagnons. FSDPI. December 12, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 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 4, 2024