St. Francis Xavier Church is a Roman Catholic church in the town of Abuyog, Leyte, Philippines. It is also called Abuyog Church.
Table of Contents
History
Bounded by a river and mountain ranges, Abuyog was one of the early mission stations of the Jesuits when they came to Leyte in the 16th century.
Its name is derived from the local word for bees according to oral tradition. After they established Dulag and later Palo, they arrived in Abuyog in 1655. It was founded as a parish in 1716.
The first Abuyog Church was made of wood in 1718. It was not until 1750 that a stone church was constructed. Friars of the Order of St. Augustine took over in administering the parish when the Jesuits were expelled by 1768.
The Augustinians carried out several reconstructions of the church in 1781, improving its structure to conform to the Roman Renaissance style. The four-foot statue of the patron, St. Francis Xavier, is estimated to be as old as the church organization called Hermanidad de San Francisco de Javier, which was founded in 1800.
By 1843, the Franciscans took charge of the parochial management. Later, the parish was given to the secular clergy in the 20th century.
The church was extended and a belfry was installed by Fr. Luis Caintic in 1965. A little less than four decades later, it was again reconstructed under the leadership of Fr. Albert Opiniano including rectory, bell tower, roof, and nave.
Architecture
A monument of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Roman Catholic missions, is erected in the park across the church. It was unveiled in 2005, and it commemorates what was according to tradition his visit in the town.
The church is contemporary in appearance and cruciform-shaped. The facade has a porte cochere of archways to welcome the lay faithful, above which is a balustrade and stained glass window that is recessed and depicting the patron.
The pediment is decorated with undulating arch trim and in its apex a cross. The entrance in the ground level is an arch portal hemmed by arch windows. It is flanked by twin Doric pilasters on plinths.
The nave walls are divided into panels that are erected at an angle with respect to the posts. In the clerestory are stained glass windows of the Station of the Cross, and below are alcoves that contain holy figures.
Celebration
The feast of St. Francis Xavier is held every August 29.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Francis Xavier Church in Abuyog, Leyte 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 Abuyog.
Monday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Tuesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Wednesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Thursday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Friday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Saturday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 4:30-5:30 PM
Sunday
- 4:30-5:30 AM
- 6:15-7:15 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM
- 4:30-5:30 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Francis Xavier Church in Abuyog, Leyte |
| Address | Real Street, Barangay Buntay, Abuyog, 6510 Leyte |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | 0905 894 5275 |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1716 |
| Age | 309 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo |
| District | Eastern District District |
| Vicariate | Abuyog Vicariate |
| Patron | St. Francis Xavier |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1750 |
| Age since completed | 275 years |
| Style | Roman Renaissance |
References
- St. Francis Xavier Parish. Municipal Government of Abuyog, Leyte. Retrieved November 11, 2022
- Brief History of Abuyog, Leyte. Oocities. Retrieved November 11, 2022
- St. Francis Xavier Parish – Abuyog. Archdiocese of Palo. Retrieved November 11, 2022