CHURCHES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PALO: Tacloban and Carigara Vicariates

            I will be featuring in this post twenty-seven parishes and mission stations in the Vicariates of Tacloban and Carigara.  These two vicariates belong to the Eastern Ecclesiastical District (the Waray speaking parishes). The first picture or two will show the latest photo of the parish church. The next pictures will feature how the church looked before. I started taking pictures of the churches in the Archdiocese of Palo in 2004 when I acquired my first digital camera. Since then, whenever I hear that a parish had an improvement in its church I would go and take a photo of it.  The year stated in the picture dates to the time when the photo was taken.  After Yolanda destroyed many churches in Palo and I got assigned in Manila, I still was able to update the progress of the construction and repairs of the churches as funds in the reconstruction of twenty churches in the archdiocese coming from the USCCB passed through our office and I had to coordinate in the disbursing and reporting of the progress of the work which lasted until 2016.

TACLOBAN VICARIATE

Sto. Niño Archdiocesan Shrine & Parish
Tacloban City 6500
Founded: 1849
Feastday: June 30

The side altars

The Baptismal Chapel near the parish office and sacristy.

The Sto. Niño Church of Tacloban was badly damaged by super typhoon Yolanda. When it was restored, a new architectural motif was put in place. The whole church was painted in pure white inside and out and the only other colors that contrasted it were the shiny gold-leafed retablo, lectern and altar table and the two smaller retablos on the sides. The two paintings of the angels besides the image of the Sto. Niño at the retablo were conspicuously covered with a relief of sun rays. 

A recent picture of the Sto. Niño Church with additional two belfries on the sides. (Photo taken August 30, 2024)  

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish
Tacloban City 6500
Founded: 1967
Feastday: 3rd Sunday of June

St. Jude Parish
PHHC, Tacloban City 6500
Founded: 1967
Feastday: October 28

I documented four changes in the altar of the St. Jude Parish in PHHC, Tacloban until its present retablo.  The new facade of the church with a belfry on top of the entrance canopy adorned with  a stained glass window of St. Jude  was already done when I photographed it in January 2018. 

Sacred Heart Parish

Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 1970

Feastday: 2nd Sunday of June

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish

 V & G Subd., Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 1981

Feastday: February 11

Taken: May 25, 2021

When the church of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in V & G Subd. was constructed, the altar was an open garden with the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes with plants and vines hanging from the steel mesh enclosure. Then in 2017 renovation was done to the pinnacle of this pyramid like church with the construction of a belfry-like tower. A five storey belfry was also constructed nearby to house the new carrillon bells. Then the altar grotto was covered. At present, construction is still ongoing expanding the size of the church.

San Jose Parish

San Jose, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 1987

Feastday: May 25

The Church of San Jose, Tacloban was inundated by the storm surge which swept through the whole parish.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish

Fatima, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 1995

Feastday: May 13

A new facade and altar is what changed to the church of Fatima, Tacloban. 

St. Raphael the Archangel Parish

Sagkahan, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2001

Feastday: October 24

The church was already being expanded in 2004 just a few years when it was made a parish. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish

Abucay, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2005

Feastday: December 12

 When Abucay was created a parish, a chapel was first constructed at the corner lot of the church as they still had to look for funds to build a bigger parish church. When Yolanda struck, the construction was already ongoing and the roof was blown away. Thanks to donors the church continued its construction until it was finished in 2016.

The chapel can be seen at the left side of the big church.

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish

Marasbaras, Tacloban City

Founded: 2005

Feastday: November 27

Taken: May 25, 2021

The altar has been embellished since the picture of 2006. 

Blessed Sacrament Parish,

Tigbao, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2005

Feastday: August 2

St. Vincent Ferrer Parish

Babatngon, Leyte 6520

Founded: 1909

Feastday: 2nd Saturday of May

Taken: May 24, 2021

Taken: June 3, 2017

The church of Babatngon has been extended with a new facade and an altar retablo. 

San Jose de Malibago Parish

Malibago, Babatngon, Leyte 6520

Founded: 2004

Feastday: June 16

Nothing structural has changed in the church except for the improved altar and the enthronement of the patron saint above the canopy at the main entrance of the church. 

San Roque Quasi-Parish

Manlurip, San Jose, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2015

When Manlurip was created a Mission Station, the barangay had another chapel in a cramped space until they were able to purchase a lot with a bigger space nearby.

St. Josemaria Escriva Mission Station

Apitong, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2005

Feastday: June 26

Apitong started reconstructing this barangay chapel in 2006 and was finished a year later. At present a bigger church is being constructed in a different location along the national highway. A chapel in this new location was also first constructed. 

Virgen de la Candelaria Mission Station

Bagacay, Tacloban City 6500

Founded: 2005

Feastday: February 2

 The Bagacay Mission Station had a small barangay chapel at the start. After the typhoon Yolanda they were able to acquire the lot besides their chapel which was used to construct a bigger church. Since the lot was a few meters below the highway, instead of filling it, they made a second level which became the flooring for the church. Only the front area was later land-filled for its entrance  and parking.   

Photo taken: August 30, 2024   

Our Lady of Hope of Palo Mission Area
Pope Francis SM-ANCOP Village

Brgy. 101 New Kawayan, Tacloban City

This is the newest Mission Station in Tacloban. The church was constructed in a housing project of the archdiocese with the help of SM and the CFC-ANCOP for the Yolanda victims. 

Carigara Vicariate

Holy Cross Parish

Carigara, Leyte 6529

Founded: 1595

Feastday: July 16

The altar of Carigara underwent a number of transformations. There was at first a concrete panel with a crucifix inside the niche. Later a pixelated tarpaulin painting was plastered on the panel. Finally  a retablo was constructed  using the hard wood that was taken from the ceiling when the roof was destroyed by typhoon Yolanda and replaced with steel trusses.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish

Jugaban, Carigara, Leyte 6529

Founded: 1998

Feastday: October 4

St. Joseph Parish

Barugo, Leyte 6519

Founded: 1800

Feastday: May 19

Photo taken: May 18, 2024. Some embellishments of the retablo could be seen from pictures taken in 2021. 

Taken: May 25, 2021

Taken: June 4, 2017

St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist

Parish, Jaro, Leyte 6527

Founded: 1851

Feastday: September 21

            The church of Jaro, for a number of years had been undergoing a process of construction and renovation when typhoon Yolanda struck. The altar had already been improved and the roof in the middle was raised with clear glass panels on its side walls and stained glass at every center. Yolanda destroyed it together with the roof. After several years of construction, the church was finally completed after typhoon Yolanda. The raised roofing at the center of the church was lowered and covered no longer with glass. The ceilings were decoratively laden complete with chandeliers and the altar retablo gold-leafed and new tile floorings were put in place.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish

Capoocan, Leyte 6530

Founded: 1895

Feastday: June 5

St. Michael the Archangel Parish,

San Miguel, Leyte 6518

Founded: 1913

Feastday: September 29

Photo taken: May 18, 2024

Taken: May 25, 2021

The new altar of San Miguel Parish Church unveiled during its fiesta, Sept. 29, 2020. 

St. Anthony of Padua Parish

Tunga, Leyte 6528

Founded: 4 July 1961

Feastday: August 13

Sta. Cruz Mission Station,

Sta. Cruz, Jaro, Leyte 6527

Feastday: May 21 

(Photo taken Aug. 31, 2024) 

After typhoon Yolanda, it was decided that instead of just repairing the small church, a bigger one will be constructed in front of it but with a flooring much higher that it will level with the highway. The church is still in the process of being finished.

Nuestra Señora de Salvacion Mission Station

Lemon, Capoocan, Leyte 6530

Founded: 2005

Feastday: May 30

The Mission Station in Lemon, Capoocan started with just a small and almost dilapidated chapel in the main barangay of Lemon. This was improved until it became already concrete by 2015. Being in a small space with hardly any room for expansion as it stood right before the national highway, the mission station was able to find a bigger and strategic location on top of a hill just right before entering the main barangay. By 2016 the construction in the new site was already on its way. 

Sta. Rosa De Lima Parish
Sta. Rosa, Barugo, Leyte 6527

New altar retablo of Sta. Rosa Parish. Photo taken Aug. 29, 2024