San Francisco Javier Church is a Roman Catholic Church that is located in Alegria, southwestern town of the island of Cebu, Philippines. It is also referred to as Alegria Church. Its patron is St. Francis Xavier.
Table of Contents
History
Historically, Alegria was a part of the neighboring municipality of Samboan. It used to be called Tubod (Spring) owing to a water spring that’s popular among locals and visitors alike. Its name is derived from a Spanish word which means happy, merry, etc.
In 1857, Alegria officially was established as a town. On March 4 of the same year, San Fransisco Javier Church was declared a parish.
Architecture
The church is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary to Asia. It is made of stone and cement. The quadrilateral bell tower is the facade of and a story higher than the church, like San Rafael Arcangel Church in Aloguinsan. Its base is the portico made of open arches and the columns have rectilinear Tuscan pilasters. Above the arch are reliefs of foliage, decors that can easily blend into the structure that they may be invisible at first glance. On top of the reliefs is a round window flanked by blind arches ornamented into the pilasters.
The belfry is on the second level that overlooks the courtyard as well the roof of the church. It is pierced by open arches with balustrade, flanked by slender fluted pilasters. On top is an entablature divided into three sections containing icons, the central image being a monstrance. The roof is pyramidal with balustraded parapet.
The puerta mayor is an open arch and flanked by pilasters. It is decorated by foliage reliefs similar to the ones found on the bell-tower and a rose window. The church itself is wider than the bell-tower. Thus on either side is the church’s part of the front wall that also serves as extension of the facade (though recessed). It is characterized by an arched window with metal tracery and a cross; it is flanked by pilasters that culminate in peaks. Atop is a smaller open arch window with decorative relief of pilasters with an embellished arch outline. The wall extends above the roof level containing a relief and on top is a triangular gable that contains a blind quatrefoil window.
Its interior has plain embellishments. The walls of the nave have a colored rose windows and an arcade, interrupted only by a side entrance.
Celebration
The feast of St. Francis Xavier is held every third of December in celebration called Kawayan Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of San Francisco Javier Church in Alegria, Cebu from December 9, 2024 to December 15, 2024. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Alegria.
Monday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Tuesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Wednesday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Thursday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Friday
- 5:00-6:00 PM
Saturday
- 4:00-5:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:30-9:30 AM
- 4:00-5:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Francisco Javier Church in Alegria, Cebu |
| Other Names | Alegria Church |
| Address | Poblacion, Alegria, Cebu 6030 |
| Country | Philippines |
| saintfrancisalegria@gmail.com | |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Parish |
| Declared as parish | March 4, 1857 |
| Age as parish | 167 years |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District IV – Southwest Cebu |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Gregory the Great |
| Patron | St. Francis Xavier |
| Feast day | December 3 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1921 |
| Age since completed | 103 years |
| Style | Gothic |
Nearby Churches
- Our Lady of Consolation Church in Samboan, Cebu
- Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Samboan, Cebu
- San Gregorio Magno Church in Ginatilan, Cebu
- San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Malabuyoc, Cebu
- St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church in Sangi, Alegria, Cebu
References
- Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu. Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Inc. and University of San Carlos Press. 2010. ISBN 978-9715390187.
- Elizaga, Troy. The Formation of Towns and Parishes in Cebu, Philippines. Retrieved via Academia on July 8, 2022
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved June 17, 2022
- History. Municipality of Alegria; Gov.PH. Retrieved June 17, 2022
- Velasco, Jac (February 28, 2010). Que Una Alegria! The Freeman. Retrieved June 17, 2022