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St. Joseph Cathedral in Romblon, Romblon

St. Joseph Cathedral, popularly known as Romblon Cathedral and St. Joseph Cathedral Parish, is the ecclesial seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Romblon. Located in Romblon, the capital of the province of Romblon, Philippines, this 18th-century Baroque-style cathedral was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001.

One of the two suffragans of the Archdiocese of Capiz, the Diocese of Romblon covers the province of Romblon consisting of major islands and islets, and is comprised of six vicariates, two mission stations, and 26 parishes.

The cathedral is also the home of the devotion to Sto. Niño de Romblon.

History

The first inhabitants of Romblon were the Negritoes and later Mangyans. Their population mostly diminished from the province in recent times, and remnants of their people reside in interior areas of Tablas and Sibuyan.

In 1569, Spanish colonizer Martin de Goiti explored the islands at the behest of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and these were assigned as encomiendas as part of the jurisdiction of Arevalo (Iloilo). The islands and its people likewise appeared in Relacion de las Islas Filipinas written by Spanish chronicler Miguel de Loarca who visited in 1582.

Christianization of the natives was initiated by the secular clergy at the outset of the conquest. Banton was organized in 1622 and Romblon in 1631, and these two early churches were administered by the secular clergy from Panay Island. Fr. Francisco Rodriguez Relator was recorded as the first priest assigned in the islands, but he soon submitted a petition to resign from the post due to frequent Moro attacks where each occasion he had to flee to interior, upland areas to escape.

The islands were easily attacked from the sea such as when the Dutch launched an assault in 1646. Yet sustained, more extensive damages were caused by Moro pirates who looted the settlements, burned houses, and captured the people to be enslaved or sold off to the slave trade. Reports had suggested that the people abandoned the islands from the attacks and towns became empty of inhabitants.

In 1635, the Bishop of Cebu gave the pastoral care of the islands to the Augustinian Recollects. In two years time, their missions extended to Badajoz (San Agustin), Cajidiocan, Looc, Magdiwang, and Odiongan in addition to Romblon and Banton.

El Padre Capitan

Fr. Agustin de San Pedro was assigned to the mission in Romblon. Prior to his assignment, he was notable for his works as prior of Cagayan starting in 1629 and Butuan beginning in 1638, and as one of the religious leaders who protected the Christian settlements in Mindanao against the Islamic sultanate.

In Romblon, he headed the construction of San Jose Church and belfry in 1644, promulgated a military training program to prepare the townsfolk from violent encounters, and started the building of two ramparts: Fuerza San Andres and Fuerza Santiago. Hence, the islands fended off Moro raids by the defensive structures and better prepared people.

Fr. Agustin de San Pedro became known as El Padre Capitan, and he died in 1653. The church he built occupied a space within the walls of the fortress, and the other side is protected by high edges of a mountain.

Church-building

Romblon was annexed to the province of Panay (Capiz) beginning in 1716 and remained so throughout the colonial era.

Much of the church may have been built in the 18th century, an estimation based on inscription found in the retablo and bell tower. More improvements were done in the 19th century. A transept was added to accommodated the growing population. Its roof was replaced with tiles and then much later with metal shingles. The height of the walls have been increased.

It was damaged yet survived from many natural and man-made calamities such as Moro attacks in the 18th century and typhoons in 1780 and 1829.

Improvements were carried out in 2016 as seen through one of the markers. Moreover, its convent was damaged in a fire that occurred on May 27, 2023. A donation drive was launched to defray the cost of its reconstruction.

Canonical erection of the Diocese of Romblon

The Diocese of Romblon was created by Pope Paul VI through the papal bull, Christi Ecclesia, on December 19, 1974. It was canonically erected on April 17, 1975 with Most Rev. Nicholas M. Mondejar, DD as first bishop. San Jose Church became a cathedral and the seat of the newly created diocese.

Sto. Niño de Romblon

According to folkloric tradition, the image of Sto. Niño de Romblon was commissioned by an Augustinian priest at the time when Loarca visited Romblon. It was made as a foot-long replica of Sto. Niño de Cebu that is installed at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City.

The image sailed from Cebu bound for Europe. On the way, the ship anchored at Romblon to wait out a storm. Then it tried to continue its journey by leaving the harbor seven times, and it had to return due to unfavorable weather condition seven times. Thus it was decided to bring the image to the parish and a mass was heard.

Other historical accounts stated that Sto. Niño de Romblon was a gift offered to the parish in 1728.

In December 1991, the cathedral was undergoing repairs when the image was discovered to have been stolen. A replica was made as a temporary replacement for continued devotion while it was missing.

It later turned up in Kalibo, Aklan on January 29, 2013. An unnamed collector acquired the image through a dealer who claimed it was the lost Sto. Niño de Romblon. With a plan to participate in the yearly Ati-Atihan Festival bearing the image, the collector contacted Fr. Joebert Villasis and professor Jun Mijares of Aklan Catholic College for checking. A church worker from Romblon who used to work with its regal costume confirmed that it was indeed the lost image that was enshrined at the San Jose Cathedral two decades ago.

Through Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, it was turned over to the Diocese of Romblon and re-enthroned at the cathedral on February 9, 2013.

Heritage

The cathedral was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines on July 31, 2001. Its historical marker was installed in March 2013.

Architecture

A dome is built atop the crossing of the cruciform-shaped cathedral. The church itself is a melding of colonial-period cut-stone shell and renovations done through the years through its concrete trims, engaged columns (of the facade), and the belfry (built in the epistle side).

Its arch-entrance is flanked by blind arches enclosing octagonal apertures bearing the inscription, “Jesus Hominum Salvator, 1991” (Jesus Savior of Mankind) in the gospel side and “Saint Joseph Cathedral, 1726” in the other. The patron is enshrined in a niche above the entrance, and it is embellished by paired Solomonic columns and gable; it is in turn flanked by rectilinear windows with a blind arch lunette. Furthermore, the image of Sto. Niño de Romblon is found in the glazed glass panes of the square window above St. Joseph.

The pediment is bare except for an octagonal opening with an Eye of Providence and surmounted by holy figures and a cross.

Celebration

The feast day of Saint Joseph is every March 19. Meanwhile, the feast day of Sto. Niño de Romblon is every second week of January in a celebration called Biniray Festival.

Mass schedule

Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Joseph Cathedral in Romblon, Romblon 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 Romblon.

Monday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Tuesday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Wednesday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Thursday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Friday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Saturday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Sunday

  • 5:15-6:15 AM
  • 7:30-8:30 AM
  • 2:30-3:30 PM
  • 4:00-5:00 PM
  • 5:30-6:30 PM

Church information

Details
NameSt. Joseph Cathedral in Romblon, Romblon
Other NamesRomblon Cathedral, St. Joseph Cathedral Parish
AddressPoblacion, Romblon, Romblon 5500
CountryPhilippines
Facebookwww.facebook.com
Religion
DenominationRoman Catholic
Established1631
Age394 years
StatusCathedral, Parish
Declared as cathedralDecember 19, 1974
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz
DioceseDiocese of Romblon
VicariateVicariate of St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church
PatronSt. Joseph, Sto. Niño
Architecture
HeritageNational Cultural Treasure
StyleBaroque
Tower1

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