Cathedral Parish of Our Lady of Nativity is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church and the ecclesiastical seat of the Diocese of Borongan located in Borongan, Samar, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
The Jesuits founded the church in Borongan in 1710. It was made of quarried stone built by Fr. Francisco Diez and dedicated to the patroness Our Lady of Nativity.
The Jesuits however left in 1768. The Franciscans took over in managing the parish and continued to do so until 1939, by which time it was turned over to the care of the secular clergy.
The church met an unfortunate fate when it was destroyed by fire in 1773. Reconstruction began in 1781 by Fr. Roque de Osma who also expanded the dimension of the church. Throughout history, additional structures were built. In 1853, Fr. Juan Naverette erected the bell tower. The church was redesigned to conform to a cruciform shape by Fr. Antonio Sanchez twenty years later, and the roof was replaced with metal sheets by Fr. Arsenio Figueroa in 1887.
The church was elevated into a cathedral in 1961 when the Diocese of Borongan was established. Major reconstruction works were implemented in the years since, and the bell tower is the only colonial-era structure that remains extant in the cathedral complex.
Heritage
National Historical Institute declared Borongan Cathedral as heritage church. A Level II historical marker was installed on September 7, 1998.
Architecture
The church is sparing of sculptural ornamentation. Its facade of linear planes stands in nice contrast with the cylindrical bell tower in the gospel side. The tower is decorated with horizontal molding bands, dentilation, and arch openings. The facade meanwhile consists of a central section culminating in the pediment and flanked by bare church walls with cruciform moldings. It features an overhang by the rectilinear entrance and a large cross in a sunken panel with window slits and bounded by grooved walls. By the entrance are two pedestals containing emblems and upon which are images of holy figures.
Celebration
The feast day of Our Lady of Nativity is held every September 8.
Services
The parish office is open from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon daily.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Cathedral Parish of Our Lady of Nativity in Borongan, Samar 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 Borongan City.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (Binisaya - FB/Local TV Live)
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (Binisaya - FB/Local TV Live)
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (English - FB/Local TV Live)
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (Binisaya - FB/Local TV Live)
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (Binisaya - FB/Local TV Live)
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (English - FB/Local TV Live)
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 8:00-9:00 AM (English - FB/Local TV Live)
- 10:00-11:00 AM (Binisaya)
- 5:15-6:15 PM (Binisaya - FB/Local TV Live)
- 7:00-8:00 PM (English)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cathedral Parish of Our Lady of Nativity in Borongan, Samar |
| Address | Real St, Borongan City, 6800 Eastern Samar |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | (055) 261-2294; 330-1355 |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Established | 1710 |
| Age | 315 years |
| Declared as cathedral | 1961 |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo |
| Diocese | Diocese of Borongan |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. John Mary Vianney |
| Patron | Nativity of Mary |
| Feast day | September 8 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | Heritage Church |
| Completed | 1781 |
| Age since completed | 244 years |
| Tower | 1 |
Nearby Churches
- Assumption of Our Lady Church in Lalawigan, Borongan City
- Chaplaincy of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Can-abong, Borongan City
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Maypangdan, Borongan City
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church in San Julian, Eastern Samar
- Quasi-Parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Sabang, Borongan City
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel in Cabong, Borongan City
- St. Roch the Healer Church in Maydolong, Eastern Samar
References
- Katedral ng Borongan. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved January 23, 2023
- Diocese of Borongan. Claretian Publications. Retrieved January 23, 2023
- Parishes. Diocese of Borongan. Retrieved from original post on January 24, 2023