St. Joachim Church is a 20th-century Roman Catholic church located in Dolores, Eastern Samar, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
The origin of the town of Dolores was Bacod. During the time of the Jesuits who arrived in Samar in the 16th century, Bacod was founded along the Dolores River about two kilometers away from its mouth.
In 1649, its people and the people of nearby village of Jubasan rose to oust the Spanish colonial government led by Agustin Sumuroy but were defeated by the Spaniards. As a result, Bacod was abandoned and people moved to what is now Dolores. (Bacod would disappear underwater as it was taken over by the river in the 1930s, with only the ruins of the stone church and convent remaining visible up to the present).
Meanwhile, Jubasan that was located by the banks of Ulot River was similarly repressed by the Spaniards in the aftermath of Sumuroy revolt. Its people transferred eastward to Paric, which was a visita of Tubig (now the municipality of Taft).
After the Jesuits left in 1768, Paric fell under the control of the Franciscans. During their administration, they and the local officials recommended it to become a pueblo on August 31, 1863. A Royal Decree approved the petition on April 15, 1864 and supported by the Superior Decree released by Governor General Rafael Echague on June 16, 1864.
Meanwhile, its church was elevated into a parish through a decree issued by Bishop Benito Romero de Madridejos of the Diocese of Cebu on April 20, 1878. Fr. Jose del Olmo, OFM, was appointed as its first parish priest.
Paric, however, was in danger of being submerged by the constant flood from the river and the erosion of riverbanks. The poblacion was transferred to Dolores in 1887. (The remnant of Paric became known as Binungtoan while a number of people moved to Maria Angeles, what is now known as the town of Can-avid.)
Architecture
The present-day church was rebuilt in the 1960s. Its designed was molded from Butuan Cathedral, its architect and engineer hailed from Butuan. The church facade employs arch openings found in its doors and windows and it is decorated by dentil, rosettes, and egg-and-dart motif. It is flanked by twin crosses and side walls, of which in the epistle side the quadrangular belfry rises.
By the entrance is a portico and above is a glass window installation bearing the image of the patron and a blind rose window with beautiful tracery.
Celebration
The feast day of St. Joachim is August 16.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Joachim Church in Dolores, Eastern 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 Dolores.
Monday
- No mass schedule found.
Tuesday
- No mass schedule found.
Wednesday
- No mass schedule found.
Thursday
- No mass schedule found.
Friday
- No mass schedule found.
Saturday
- No mass schedule found.
Sunday
- No mass schedule found.
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Joachim Church in Dolores, Eastern Samar |
| Address | Dolores, Eastern Samar 6817 |
| Country | Philippines |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Parish |
| Declared as parish | April 20, 1878 |
| Age as parish | 147 years |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo |
| Diocese | Diocese of Borongan |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of the Holy Spirit |
| Patron | St. Joachim |
| Feast day | August 16 |
Nearby Churches
- Divine Child Church in Lawaan, Eastern Samar
- Mary Queen of Angels Church in Can-Avid, Eastern Samar
- Our Lady of Remedies Church in Giporlos, Eastern Samar
- St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Sulat, Eastern Samar
- St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Maslog, Eastern Samar
- St. James the Greater Church in Taft, Eastern Samar
- St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in Balangiga, Eastern Samar
- St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church in Quinapondan, Eastern Samar
References
- St. Joachim the Patriarch Parish. Tourism Promotions Board Philippines. March 30, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2024
- Parishes. Diocese of Borongan. Retrieved May 19, 2024
- Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD. A BRIEF ACCOUNT ON THE HISTORY OF CAN-AVID, EASTERN SAMAR:ITS BEGINNINGS. FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF HISTORY. November 27, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2024
- Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD. A BRIEF HISTORY ON THE ORIGINS OF DOLORES, EASTERN SAMAR. FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF HISTORY. November 27, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2024