Saint John the Baptist Parish Church, commonly known as Jimenez Church, is a late-19th century, Baroque Roman Catholic church located at Brgy. Poblacion, Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, Philippines. The parish church, under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist, is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Ozamis. The church was declared a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines in 2001.[1]

Jimenez Church
Saint John the Baptist Parish Church
San Juan Bautista Parish Church
Iglesia Parroquial de San Juan Bautista (Spanish)
Church facade in 2015
Jimenez Church is located in Mindanao mainland
Jimenez Church
Jimenez Church
Location in Mindanao
Jimenez Church is located in Philippines
Jimenez Church
Jimenez Church
Location in the Philippines
8°20′04″N 123°50′22″E / 8.334495°N 123.839324°E / 8.334495; 123.839324
LocationMisamis Occidental
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusParish church
Founded1829
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationNational Cultural treasure
Designated2001
Architect(s)Father Roque Azcona
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleBaroque and Renaissance
Groundbreaking1862
CompletedLate 1880s
Specifications
MaterialsCoral stone, sand, gravel, cement, steel
Administration
ArchdioceseOzamis
Clergy
ArchbishopMartin Jumoad

History

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The town of Jimenez was originally established by the Augustinian Recollects in 1829 and with Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary as its patron saint. The present church, built mostly from hewn coral stone, was erected in the 19th century on a site previously settled by the Subanons, a local tribe.[2] The erection of the church structure is attributed to Father Roque Azcona between the years 1862 to 1863. The church was believed to have been completed in the late 1880s.[1]

Architecture

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The church is predominantly Baroque in architecture with features reminiscent of the Renaissance style. The church façade, contrary to other Roman Catholic churches of the same era, is devoid of a pediment. It features a portico with three semicircular arched entrances lined on top with a parapet. The rectangular mass of the portico is crowned by three pedimented saints' niches. Behind the façade is the nave wall with its simple, gabled roof and windows. To the left of the church stands the rectangular, three-tiered bell tower topped with finials, a domed roof and a lantern. The clock mechanism are still intact.[1][2]

Interior

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Church interior in 2013

The interiors of the church is reportedly one of the best preserved interior of a Roman Catholic church in Mindanao. It features a painting done in 1898 and portions made of tabique pampango, a local version of a dry wall using panels of interwoven slats or branches and covered with lime.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Cabigas, Estan. "Visita Iglesia: Spanish era churches in Mindanao". simbahan.net. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Galende, Pedro (2007). Philippine Church Facades (1st ed.). Manila, Philippines: San Agustin Museum. p. 332. ISBN 978-971-07-2433-8.
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