Our Lady of the Abandoned Church, also called Nuestra Señora de los Desamparadods Church, is a Roman Catholic and Marian church located in North Poblacion in the town of Valencia, Negros Oriental, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
In the past, Valencia was called Ermita which means a secret place. It was so called as it served as a place where people could run to safety when the coastline was attacked by Moro pirates.
When it was organized into a town on May 19, 1852, a church was established as a visita of Dumaguete. Fr. Antonio Ubeda was the first Augustinian Recollect priest as its administrator. The town was renamed to Nueva Valencia, the hometown of Fr. Ubeda in Spain.
On March 31, 1854, it separated from Dumaguete and became an independent parish. Fr. Tomas Mezquita was the first parish priest, and he built a temporary house of worship. It didn’t last long however.
A more substantial church was built between 1869 and 1875 during the term of Fr. Eladio Logroño, but it collapsed in 1885. The next year, a new church was built but it did not survive the Philippine Revolution after it was burned in 1898. It was also around this time that the Recollects left the parish, only to return in 1904 and remained as its administrators up to the present time.
The name of the town was changed to Luzurriaga after Carlos Ruiz de Luzurriaga, a member of the Philippine Legislature, by virtue of Act No. 1330 that was enacted on April 18, 1905. Its name was changed to Valencia by virtue of Republic Act No. 252 in 1948.
The building of the present-day church began during the term of Fr. Pedro Ko in 1960.
Architecture
The church is of a recent construction, and its location overlooks a street and plaza. Its overall appearance is derived from its asymmetry, varying surfaces, and building materials.
For instance, a concrete beam that begins at the entrance tapers to the pediment and terminates abruptly and discontinuously right at the other end of the entrance. As a result, it creates areas of unequal dimensions.
The walls flanking the entrance are of tiled, fluted, and horizontally grooved surfaces. The panel above includes a pierced wall and a white plain pediment. It is enclosed by rectilinear concrete and divided by two pilasters that flank a crucifix. The pediment bears the inscription “1961”, the year of its completion. The tower stands in the epistle side.
Celebration
The feast day of Our Lady of the Abandoned is October 12.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Valencia, Negros Oriental from July 7, 2025 to July 13, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Valencia.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 7:00-8:00 AM (Cemetery)
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM (English)
- 4:00-5:00 PM
- 6:00-7:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Valencia, Negros Oriental |
| Address | North Poblacion, Valencia, Negros Oriental 6215 |
| Country | Philippines |
| poladevalencia@gmail.com | |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Parish |
| Declared as parish | March 31, 1854 |
| Age as parish | 171 years |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Dumaguete |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. John |
| Patron | Our Lady of the Abandoned |
| Feast day | October 12 |
| Religious order | Augustinian Recollects |
| Province | Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1961 |
| Age since completed | 64 years |
| Tower | 1 |
Nearby Churches
- San Nicholas de Tolentino Church in Dauin, Negros Oriental
- San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Magsaysay, Dauin, Negros Oriental
- St. Augustine of Hippo Church in Bacong, Negros Oriental
- St. Ezekiel Moreno Quasi-Parish Church in Caidiocan, Valencia, Negros Oriental
- St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental
- St. Vincent Ferrer Quasi Parish Church in Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Oriental
References
- REPUBLIC ACT NO. 252, June 14, 1948. Supreme Court of the Philippines E-Library. Retrieved December 2, 2023
- Romanillos, Emmanuel Luis A. (December 31, 2020). Augustinian Recollect Legacy to the Church in Negros Island. Philippine Social Science Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2023
- Frei Bo. Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish Valencia, Negros Oriental. Agustinos Recoletos. Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno. July 21, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2023
- Act No. 1330, April 18, 1905. Legislative Digital Resources. Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved December 2, 2023