San Nicolas de Tolentino Church is an old Roman Catholic church located in Malabuyoc, a southwestern town in the province of Cebu, Philippines. It is also called Malabuyoc Church.
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History
The name of the town is said to derive from the sight of heavy branches of fruit-bearing trees that abound in the locality. Samboan was the mother parish of the church of Malabuyoc beginning in 1784. It seceded and granted parochial status a century later, on June 16, 1832. It was also on the same year that the town was officially established. The church was constructed in 1863. The convent was built according to the design made by Domingo de Escondrillas between 1881 and 1885.
The church sustained damages due to the earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol on October 15, 2013. The Philippine Government through National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) undertook restoration project that was completed on September 25, 2017.
Heritage
NHCP installed a Level II marker designating the San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Malabuyoc as a heritage church. It was installed in 2017 in the outermost pilaster in the epistle side.
Architecture
Four pilasters adorn the facade, dividing it into three main vertical sections, and stone moldings which are highlighted by the capitals of the pilasters, divide it further into base, two levels, and the pediment. A sloping buttress is found in the epistle side of the facade. In the ground level, the entrance to the church is through the arched main door. The massive door is a patchwork of quatrefoil carvings and on its tympanum are angels in genuflection. It is flanked by shorter, slender pilasters and by two arch niches on both side sections. The niche in the epistle side is that of St. Paul. Above the arch entrance is a blank rectangular band.
The central section of the upper level has a niche containing the bas relief of the patron (the niche is smaller and shallower compared to others found in the facade), and above is a nice of another holy figure. Flanking them in either side are other niches of holy patrons. The two innermost pilasters terminate in the pediment such that their finials seem to melt into it, flanking the seal of the Spanish monarchy. The pediment it is bounded by the finials of the other outermost ones.
Its polygonal bell tower is erected in the gospel flank. Made of stout, solid stonewall, it rises into three levels and topped with a red pyramidal roof surrounded by balustrade. Its base has two arch windows facing the narrow street and its uppermost level is where the belfry is, all of its sides with arch window openings and decorated with balustrade.
Celebration
The feast of St. Nicolas of Tolentino is held every September 10 and the town celebrates in revelries that is called Buyoc Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Malabuyoc, Cebu from May 12, 2025 to May 18, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Malabuyoc.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (FB Live)
Tuesday
- No mass schedule found.
Wednesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM (FB Live)
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (FB Live)
Friday
- 5:30-6:30 AM (FB Live)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (FB Live)
Sunday
- No mass schedule found.
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Malabuyoc, Cebu |
| Other Names | Malabuyoc Church |
| Address | National Highway, Malabuyoc, 6029 Cebu |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (032) 477 8730 |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1832 |
| Age | 193 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| District | District IV – Southwest Cebu |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Gregory the Great |
| Patron | St. Nicholas of Tolentino |
| Feast day | September 10 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Heritage Church |
| Completed | 1863 |
| Age since completed | 162 years |
Nearby Churches
- Our Lady of Consolation Church in Samboan, Cebu
- Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Samboan, Cebu
- San Francisco Javier Church in Alegria, Cebu
- San Gregorio Magno Church in Ginatilan, Cebu
- St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church in Sangi, Alegria, Cebu
References
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu. Retrieved July 3, 2022
- 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 3, 2022
- Simbahan ng Malabuyoc. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. November 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2022
- Treasures waiting in Malabuyoc. The Freeman. October 23, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2022