St. Peter of Alcantara Church is a 20th-century Roman Catholic church located in Oras, Eastern Samar, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
The town is named after the Oras River, and it is the center of trade in northern portion of Eastern Samar. It was organized and became a pueblo on December 13, 1849. Its size was reduced later on upon the creation of the municipalities of San Policarpio in 1948 and Arteche in 1951.
The Franciscans erected the church in Oras as a visita of Tubig (present-day Taft). During the tenure of Fr. Manuel Lozano, who was then the head of Tubig Parish between 1847 and 1865, a church was built to fulfill the requirement necessary for the parish to be created.
The date of the completion of the Franciscan-made church is uncertain. According to historical record, Msgr. Romualdo Jimeno Ballesteros of the bishopric of Cebu wrote on March 28, 1863 that it was almost finished. Fr. Vicente Martinez was appointed as its first parish priest.
The colonial-era church was in cruciform shape and measured over 41 meters long, over 13 meters wide, and about 7 meters high. It was put to the torch by the onslaught of the Pulahanes movement during the American period, and so reconstruction was carried out by Fr. Felix Minaya.
Unfortunately, the colonial-era church was torn down beginning in 1962 during the time of Fr. Bernardo Baxal and continued by Fr. Agripino Osal. The present-day concrete church was designed by Fernando Batica. Improvements and renovations took place in succeeding decades.
Architecture
The church as it stands today does not follow the cruciform layout of the earlier house of worship. Its overall structure is a rectangular frame. Its facade is two stories high, with the pediment rising into a hollow, four-cornered section that is topped with a cross. It is also embellished by lattices on its fenestration, rosettes, quatrefoil, gablets, and glazed glass. Above the entrance is an overhang that protrudes sharply forward into a triangular shape, above which is the statue of the patron.
Celebration
The feast day of St. Peter of Alcantara is October 19.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Peter of Alcantara Church in Oras, Eastern Samar 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 Oras.
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. Peter of Alcantara Church in Oras, Eastern Samar |
| Address | Oras, Eastern Samar 6818 |
| Country | Philippines |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | March 28, 1863 |
| Age | 162 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo |
| Diocese | Diocese of Borongan |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
| Feast day | October 19 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Fernando Batica |
| Builder | Fr. Bernardo Baxal, Fr. Agripino Osal |
Nearby Churches
- Chaplaincy of the Immaculate Conception in Conception, Arteche, Eastern Samar
- Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Jipapad, Eastern Samar
- San Ramon Nonnatus Church in Arteche, Eastern Samar
- St. Mary Magdalene Church in San Policarpio, Eastern Samar
References
- Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo. A HISTORY OF THE PARISH CHURCH OF ORAS. October 6, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2024
- Executive Summary. Commission on Audit. 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2024