St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gandara, Samar

St. Michael the Archangel Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Gandara, Samar, Philippines.

Table of Contents

History

After the arrival of the Jesuits in Samar in 1596, they spread out and reached Bangajon, the old name of Gandara, in the early part of the 16th century. From their mission station in Tinago, Fr. Gregorio Lopez reported that it was one of the eleven settlements where Christianity was introduced in 1612. Bangajon was so-named for its location along the Gandara River that forks into two streams.

The Moros destroyed the Jesuit’s house in Tinago and they transferred to Catbalogan in 1616. Thus, Bangajon became a visita of Catbalogan.

The settlement was attacked by the Moros in 1663. The missionaries and the people worked together for reconstruction in the succeeding years. A church was built of humble materials such as nipa and it was dedicated to the patron, St. Michael the Archangel. The village also had a convent, schools, and a casa.

In 1729, the village was raised into a parish and a pueblo. As a matriz, it had three visitas in Cantaguic (Paranas), Matuguinao, and Tawiran. When the Jesuits left in 1768, the pastoral care of the parish was transferred to the Franciscans.

The town grew, counting seven visitas by adding Bangun, Caparangasan, Pagsanghan, and Napalisan by the first half of the 19th century. Strategic locations were crowned with watch towers called baluarte or, in the tongue of the locals, bantayan. On August 4, 1863, Tinago seceded and became a pueblo.

In 1876, the Jesuit-made church was burned and remains in ruins today. A new church and convent were built in a different location, along with other edifices such as tribunal and school. In 1877, the name of the pueblo was changed from Bangajon to Gandara after Jose de la Gandara y Navarro, the Governor General between 1866 and 1869.

The Franciscans left at the height of the Philippine Revolution in 1898. By 1901, the town was relocated to the present site. The Franciscans came back to administer the parish beginning in 1910 shortly after Diocese of Calbayog was erected. The secular clergy took over the parish sometime before or after the war.

Architecture

The church’s courtyard consists of a driveway that leads to the entrance and cuts through the other side. Two garden patches flank the shallow steps that lead to the main doorway, which is shaded by an overhang. The front wall is flanked by sections created by pilasters with embellished capitals, and it is decorated by dentil and series of blind gablets. Above the entryway the wall is punctured with stained glass window.

The bell tower is in the gospel side.

Celebration

The feast day of St. Michael the Archangel is September 29 and the town celebrates the Karabaw Festival.

Mass schedule

Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gandara, Samar 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 Gandara.

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. Michael the Archangel Church in Gandara, Samar
Country	Philippines
Religion
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Established	1729
Age	296 years
Status	Parish
Archdiocese	Gandara, Samar 6706
Diocese	Diocese of Calbayog
Vicariate	Vicariate of St. Isidore
Patron	St. Michael the Archangel
Feast day	September 29
Architecture
Tower	1

Nearby Churches

References

Charo Nabong-Cabardo. The Parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Gandara. Diocese of Calbayog. November 25, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2024
Historical Background. Gandara LGU. Retrieved May 6, 2024