Located at Burgos Street in the town of San Juan in Batangas, San Juan Nepomuceno Church is a Spanish-colonial era church named after Saint John of Nepomuk who the Catholics refer to as the martyr of the confessional and patron saint of Czechoslovakia.
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church |
San Juan Nepomuceno Church History
The original church structure of San Juan Nepomuceno was constructed in 1843 in a town called San Juan de Bocboc which is presently called Barangay Pinagbayanan. The original church was built using light materials like bamboo, nipa, and palm which were very abundant in the area.
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church - San Juan, Batangas |
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church facade |
 |
| I'm quite sure that's San Juan Nepomuceno |
In 1855, the church underwent its first major renovation when stones were used to replace its original materials. However, the church was destroyed by a strong flood in 1883. To avoid any similar incidents in the future, the church was transferred to its present site in 1894 under the supervision of Fr. Yoldi.
 |
| Look for this beautiful Shrine of Our Lady outside the church |
 |
| The National Historical Institute marker of San Juan Nepomuceno Church |
 |
| Check out the intricate door carving |
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church belltower |
The church slowly grew literally and figuratively. With the growing number of local parishioners, more funds and manpower became available to further improve the church. A belltower was appended to the church sometime between the 1920s and 1930s. Hence, the mismatch between the baroque design of the church facade and the belltower's modern design. The church underwent further renovations in 1957 and in 1995 all of which led to the church that we see today.
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church interior as seen from the main entrance |
 |
| The altar and retablo of San Juan Nepomuceno Church |
 |
| Close up look of the altar and retablo |
 |
| The images of saints near the entrance |
 |
| San Juan Nepomuceno Church interior as seen from the altar area |
I got to visit San Juan Nepomuceno Church during our stopover on our way to Palm Beach Resort for our annual company outing. My co-teachers and I spent some time inside the church to do the rosary. I also managed to explore the church grounds a bit and saw how the past and the present merged to create the unique looking church that we see now.
 |
| The historic antique bell on the arch in front of the church |
 |
| That's one big chip! |
 |
| The history of the bell |
 |
| This arch is hard to miss |
While exploring, the church grounds I saw an antique bell hanging on an arch in front of the church. I discovered that this bell dates back to 1896. It was donated by Don Francisco Marasigan, who was one of the wealthy parishioners of San Juan. It served as one of the three belfry bells of the church. With the passage of time, the antique bell had a big gapping chip at its rim which affected its tonal quality. The bell was "retired" and displayed on the arch in front of the church on June 11, 2016.San Juan Nepomuceno Church Entrance Fee
It's FREE to enter and explore San Juan Nepomuceno Church and its grounds.
Why visit San Juan Nepomuceno Church?
San Juan Nepomuceno Church is a perfect destination if you're on a pilgrimage to Spanish-era churches in the province of Batangas. You should include this in your Visita Iglesia in Batangas this year.
Getting to San Juan Nepomuceno Church:
From Gil Puyat Station in Pasay, ride a bus bound to Lipa. Travel time is about 2 hours. From Lipa Bus terminal, you can ride a jeepney or van to San Juan, Batangas. Once in the Poblacion (town proper), you may opt to ride a tricycle or walk to the church.
Rating:
 |
| Pilgrims |
 |
| Cleanliness |
 |
| Overall ratings |
Comments
Post a Comment