Saturday, February 09, 2019

CHURCHES OF EASTERN SAMAR OF THE DIOCESE OF BORONGAN

Before going back to Manila in January 2018, I decided to go to Eastern Samar and visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) funded churches in the diocese of Borongan, the funds of which passed through the CBCP Secretariat. This included Balangiga, Salcedo, Guiuan and Sapao in Guiuan.  I then just passed by all the churches along the way.  The old historical church of Guiuan was still being reconstructed by the government. In a nearby location, another church was being constructed which was the one funded by the USCCB. From Guiuan, I proceeded to Sulangan to visit the popular pilgrim church of St. Anthony of Padua. 

St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Balangiga, E. Samar













Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Parish, (F-1955) 

Giporlos, E. Samar  





St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish (F-1894) 

Quinapondan, E. Samar






St. Isidore Parish (F-1862) Salcedo, E. Samar






The parish convent




Our Lady of Salvation Parish, (F-2006)  

Buabua, Salcedo, E. Samar









St. Francis of Assisi Parish (F-1894/1964) 

Mercedes, E. Samar




Holy Cross Parish (F-1999) Sapao, Guiuan, Eastern Samar






Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish (F-1768)

 Guiuan, E. Samar







When I last visited the church in January 2018, the reconstruction of the church which was destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013 was still ongoing. 





The altar was still bare. 





All the pieces retrieved from the church were still kept in a bodega to be restored one by one. 





A makeshift church was made in front of the convento. 

On a nearby site, a new church donated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was being constructed. 










St. Anthony of Padua Parish (F-1957)
 Sulangan, Eastern Samar


The Sulangan parish church is a very popular pilgrimage site for people around Samar and Leyte.