St. Francis of Assisi Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Tarangnan, Samar, Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
Fr. Ramon Prat, the vice-provincial of the Society of Jesus’ presence in the Philippines, assigned Fr. Francisco de Otazo, Fr. Bartolome Martes, and Brother Domingo Alonso to Tinago in October 1596. Tinago is situated along the Japitan River of Gandara, and its name means “hidden” as its location is obstructed by mangrove forest and an islet from the sea.
The Jesuits made Tinago the capital of the province and established a residencia where they ventured outward for their mission to evangelize nearby settlements. Due to its significance, it is also considered the cradle of Christianity in the island of Samar.
In 1616, Moro pirates began an assault from the sea and they reached and destroyed the settlement in Tinago. The missionaries decided to move their mission station to Catbalogan.
By 1725, Tinago was reduced to a visita of Gandara from which Jesuit priests would visit to provide spiritual care to the natives. Its status remained so until the Jesuits were expelled in 1768 and replaced by the Franciscans.
In 1769, Franciscan priest Fr. Juan Salguero re-established Tinago and renamed it to Dapdap after the trees that grew there. Its church was placed under the advocation of St. Francis of Assisi.
The poblacion was transferred to the current site because of cholera epidemic despite the opposition by the people. A church was built through donations by the people to dissuade the authorities from pushing through with the transfer but it was not completed due to lack of funds. The transfer to Tarangnan was approved by the King Alfonso I of the Spanish monarchy on April 1884. The church is presently called Tinago Church Ruins.
The church seceded from Gandara and became a parish by virtue of a decree issued by Governor General Rafael Echague on August 4, 1863 and confirmed by Bishop of Cebu through a decree on June 15, 1866. The first parish priest was Fr. Ildefonso Dominguez, and it counted the churches in Pagsanghan, Bangon (Pinabacdao), Mancares, and Majacob as visita. The pueblo was also erected simultaneously.
A popular devotion sprang in Dapdap for many believed that the image of St. Francis of Assisi was miraculous. During colonial times, historical records mentioned that pilgrims from other islands and as far as Manila paid homage to the patron of Tinago (Dapdap). For a time, it was one of the popular pilgrimage sites or panaaran.
Architecture
The present-day church of Tarangnan is of modern construction. It has a red-brick exterior with white moldings and trimmings. Its front wall is pierced with arch windows, with a huge oculus in the central section right the entrance. The entrance is shaded by three overhangs in the shape of gables. The bell tower is in the epistle side.
Celebration
The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi is every October 4 and the town celebrates the Tinago Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Tarangnan, 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 Tarangnan.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
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
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Francis of Assisi Church in Tarangnan, Samar |
| Address | San Bartolome Street, Tarangnan, Samar 6704 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | 0927 171 7498 |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo |
| Diocese | Diocese of Calbayog |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Isidore |
| Patron | St. Francis of Assisi |
| Feast day | October 4 |
Nearby Churches
- San Isidro Labrador Church in San Jorge, Samar
- San Roque Mission Center in Tigdaranao, Tarangnan, Samar
- Santo Niño Church in Pagsanghan, Samar
- St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Matuguinao, Samar
- St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gandara, Samar
References
- TARANGNAN: The Cradle of Samar’s Christianity. Municipal Government of Tarangnan. Retrieved May 7, 2024
- Lance Lim. Revisiting Tinago Ruins, Samar Island’s oldest pilgrimage site. Rapper. January 12, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2024
- Horacio de la Costa, S.J. The Jesuits in the Philippines 1581 – 1768. Harvard University Press. 1961. Retrieved May 7, 2024