Saint John the Baptist Parish in Bago City, Negros Occidental

Saint John the Baptist Parish is a Roman Catholic church located in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines founded in the 16th century.

Table of Contents

History

Spanish missionaries arrived in Binalbagan in 1571. They spread outward and reached Bago, a settlement along Bago River, in 1575. The word bago may mean a tree or shrub.

A church was founded by Augustinian friar Fr. Geronimo Marin, OAR, on the feast day of St. John the Baptist, placing its establishment on June 24 of that year.

The town flourished in the next two centuries. Its riparian settlement rich with resources and the river that served as significant transport highway attracted significant migration particularly people from Iloilo. It was organized into a town in 1800. The church on other hand became a parish in 1822.

Parishes in the island of Negros were handed over to Augustinian Recollects from the diocesan clergy after the assigned parish priest was assigned to another mission or passed away. The Recollects assumed the parish in 1882.

The religious ministers in Bago also took care of the churches in Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, and Zaragoza.

Architecture

An early church was said to have been built from hardwood and nipa. The stone church that stands today is the product of rebuilding, reconstructions, and repairs in the 20th century, giving rise to an edifice showing various influences in the process.

Its facade consists of two levels. Its upper portion reveals an open space and the gable roof behind. It is pierced by two cross-shaped holes and stained glass windows, bounded by blind arches on either side, and embellished with garlands, dentil, moldings, and crosses. At the top is an image of Christ the King and on the central panel is a relief of the patron.

Churchgoers can access the interiors through one of the three arch portals in the lower level, each one of which is decorated with bust of and angel and saltire cross. It is flanked by arch window by red brick wall. Bricks are also found along the nave walls.

Celebration

The feast of St. John the Baptist is every June 24.

Services

The parish office is open daily except Tuesdays from 88:30 in the morning until 12:00 noon and from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon.

Mass schedule

Below is the weekly mass schedule of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Bago City, Negros Occidental 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 Bago City.

Monday

5:30-6:30 AM

Tuesday

5:30-6:30 AM

Wednesday

5:30-6:30 PM

Thursday

5:30-6:30 AM

Friday

5:30-6:30 AM

Saturday

6:00-7:00 AM

Sunday

5:30-6:30 AM (Hiligaynon)
7:30-8:30 AM (Hiligaynon)
9:30-10:30 AM (English)
4:30-5:30 PM (English)

Church information

Details
Name	Saint John the Baptist Parish in Bago City, Negros Occidental
Address	Bonifacio Street, Barangay Poblacion, Bago City, Negros Occidental 6101
Country	Philippines
Contact	(034) 461-7405
Email	bago.sjbp@gmail.com
Facebook	www.facebook.com
Religion
Founder	Fr. Geronimo Marin
Established	June 24, 1575
Age	450 years
Status	Parish
Declared as parish	1822
Age as parish	203 years
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro
Diocese	Diocese of Bacolod
Vicariate	Vicariate of St. John the Baptist
Patron	St. John the Baptist
Feast day	June 24

Nearby Churches

References

ADSUM Diocese of Bacolod. Retrieved September 12, 2023
Diocese of Bacolod. Retrieved September 12, 2023
Romanillos, Emmanuel Luis A. (December 31, 2020). Augustinian Recollect Legacy to the Church in Negros Island. Philippine Social Science Journal. Retrieved September 12, 2023
Bago City. Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. Retrieved September 12, 2023