Balanga Cathedral
  • Diocesan Shrine and Cathedral-Parish of Saint Joseph
  • Pangdambanang Diyosesis at Parokyang Katedral ni San Jose (Filipino)
  • Santuario Diocesano y Catedral Parroquial de San José (Spanish)
Balanga Cathedral in 2023
Balanga Cathedral is located in Luzon
Balanga Cathedral
Balanga Cathedral
Balanga Cathedral is located in Philippines
Balanga Cathedral
Balanga Cathedral
14°40′45″N 120°32′25″E / 14.679192°N 120.540239°E / 14.679192; 120.540239
LocationBrgy. Poblacion, Balanga, Bataan
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
Former name(s)Cathedral-Parish of St. Joseph
Founded1793
DedicationSaint Joseph
ConsecratedMarch 17, 2005
Past bishop(s)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleBaroque
Administration
DivisionVicariate of Our Lady of the Pillar
ProvinceSan Fernando
MetropolisSan Fernando
ArchdioceseSan Fernando
DioceseBalanga
ParishSaint Joseph
Clergy
ArchbishopFlorentino G. Lavarias
Bishop(s)Vacant
RectorNoel Niguid
Assistant priest(s)Jersey Prepose
Alwin Bobis

Balanga Cathedral, formally known as Diocesan Shrine and Cathedral Parish of St. Joseph (Latin: Sanctuarium Diocesana atque Ecclesiae Cathedralis a Sancti Joseph, in loco v.d. Balanga) in Balanga, Bataan, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga which comprises entire of the civil province of Bataan. Currently, Noel Niguid and Alwin Bobis serve as the cathedral priests. On March 19, 2015, the cathedral was formally declared a diocesan shrine.

History

Church PHC historical marker

During the Japanese invasion, the cathedral was used as an artillery emplacement to bombard Mt. Samat, where the Filipino-American troops made their last stand. It was later renovated by the first bishop of the diocese, Celso Guevarra, who made its patron saint, Saint Joseph.

Interior and exterior

Church interior in 2013

After the war, Bishop Celso renovated the church. Its walls were white and a number of chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the largest before the altar. Behind the altar was a structure painted green with stripes of gold and a statue of Jesus in the left, Mary on the right, and Joseph holding the hand of Baby Jesus. Beside the altar, there were two statues, Lorenzo Ruiz in the left and Mary at the right. There was a group of bells lined together vertically by metal grilles, the usual bell design in almost all of the parishes in Bataan. There was a statue of Jesus of Nazareth near the main door, which was kept for rehabilitation, believed to be miraculous. People lined up and gave sampaguitas to its neck and cross; they would usually wipe its feet. Along the cathedral's aisle are the coat of arms of respective bishops of Balanga that were added during their installation dates, with the latest is the coat of arms of Bishop Ruperto Santos which was added when he became bishop of the diocese on July 8, 2010.

When Bishop Socrates Villegas became Bishop of Balanga on July 3, 2004, he saw that the decorations were in bad shape; he renovated the inside with a new design. When it was finished, the white walls were replaced by a wall of bricks, the structure behind the altar became marble white, the floors were higher, the lectern bearing the coat of arms of diocese of Balanga was replaced with the one with Holy Spirit, and the chandeliers were replaced by ceiling lights. In 2008, 15 life-size images of saints with their names were added outside the cathedral representing the patron saints from the 11 towns and 1 city of Bataan where the Diocese of Balanga has jurisdiction with and a few towns have multiple saints. A few months before he became archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan on November 4, 2009, images featuring the ancestors of Jesus and image of Jesus Christ at the cathedral's dome were added.

During the term of Bishop Ruperto Santos, the patio and exterior area of the cathedral was improved, and numerous vendors were discouraged within its premises. The cathedra's clothing was changed from red to orange with a cross at its backrest in 2015. Pavement of the ground on the exterior was made from 2017 to 2018, and the belfry added the bricks in 2019.[1] In 2020, the cathedral's roof were painted from green and white to red. Pipe organs were also added on the cathedral's choir loft. Months before Santos became Bishop of Antipolo on July 22, 2023, the cathedral's leftmost entrance was blocked with a wall but the door is still present.

Feast of the patron saint

The feast day of Saint Joseph is celebrated twice annually in the city of Balanga, on March 19 and the pistang bayan every April 28.

Bishops

Priests' residence
Name From Until Formerly Bishop of
Celso Nogoy Guevarra, died Aug. 13, 2002, tomb in the Belltower of the cathedral November 8, 1975 April 8, 1998 (Retired) Titular Bishop of Vannida (Titular See)
Honesto Flores Ongtioco June 18, 1998 August 28, 2003 (Installed as Bishop of Cubao) Priest of San Fernando, Pampanga
Socrates Buenaventura Villegas July 3, 2004 November 4, 2009 (Installed as Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan) Bishop of Nona (Titular See)
Ruperto Cruz Santos July 8, 2010 July 22, 2023 (Installed as Bishop of Antipolo) Priest of Manila, Philippines

See also

References

  1. ↑ Greg Refraccion (6 February 2019). "Historic Balanga Cathedral undergoes scrubbing…and repainting". 1Bataan. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
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