Carcar Church
Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
St. Catherine's Church
The church in 2010
10°06′21″N 123°38′25″E / 10.10597°N 123.64034°E / 10.10597; 123.64034
LocationCarcar, Cebu
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
DedicationCatherine of Alexandria
Architecture
Architectural typeChurch building
Completed1860s or 1870s[lower-alpha 1]

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as St. Catherine's Church or the Carcar Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Carcar, Cebu, Philippines.

History

Church NHC historical marker

The settlement of Carcar in Cebu has been covered by a parish since 1599 which was run by the Augustinians.[1] The current Carcar Church was built in sometime in the 19th century.[lower-alpha 1] This is around the time when Cebu experienced an economic boom and became a major producer of agricultural goods.[1] The church was named after Carcar's patron saint, Catherine of Alexandria.[2]

Architecture and design

Church interior in 2015

The Carcar Church exhibits the form of a basilica. Its complex also host a separate building which is intended and used as a convent. It is built using coral stones with part of its structure, specifically its upper stories and ceiling made using hardwood. The structure is of mixed architecture style. Parts of the structure exhibit examples of Neo-Mudéjar, Revival Baroque, and Austrian Baroque architecture. Its wooden choir loft is of Gothic Revival character.[1] The church building is also described as having Greco-Roman and Muslim influence.[3][4] The convent building also has characteristics of the indigenous bahay na bato.[1]

The church's ceiling is decorated by Cebuano artist Canuto Avila which was commissioned by Fr. Anastasio Nuñez del Corro. The ceiling mural was executed from 1910s to the 1920s. The artwork is an example of trompe-l'œil with rosettes as motif rather than featuring a theological subject.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 There are conflicting reports on when the church was built. Some of the claims were:
    • Completed in 1876 and built over a period of 16 years.[1]
    • Construction started in 1859 and was finished after six years.[2]
    • Constructed from 1860 to 1875.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cañete, Ruben (April 2, 2020). "St. Catherine's Church in Carcar, Cebu—a noble church on the hill". BluPrint. One Mega Group, Inc. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Carcar Church, Cebu". UHM Center for Philippine Studies. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Savillo, Dianne Zarina G. (April 10, 2020). "Of Semana Santa and churches in southern Cebu". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  4. ↑ Layug, Benjamin (October 4, 2017). "A fill of Cebu's culture, cuisine and churches". BusinessMirror. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
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