Quezon: Sariaya Church

Located in the municipality of Sariaya in Quezon province, Sariaya Church is literally and figuratively in the heart of the town. Vehicles heading south to Bicol region and those heading back to Manila from the said region would pass by this religious structure making it very accessible to tourists and pilgrims alike.

Also known as Saint Francis de Assisi Church, the first church was built sometime in 1599 in honor of Saint Francis de Assisi and was located in what is now Barangay Castanas. However, frequent raids by the Moro pirates caused the townsfolk to relocate several kilometers north to present day Barangay Tumbaga and a new church was constructed in 1605.

Church facade

Statue at Church facade

The NHI marker

Despite moving further inland, the Moro pirates still harass the townspeople and in  1641 the pirates burnt the whole town including the church and its contents. Several days after the raid everything in the town was turned into ashes except one thing -The Holy Image of Crucified Christ. Several years later, in 1743, the townsfolk moved to a  new location further north to its present location and built a new church which was finished in 1748.

Check out that oratory

Side altars and the main altar

The altar

What attracted me most about this church, aside from my love of Spanish-era structures, is its eye-catching bright yellow colored facade and the Devotional Park located on the vicinity at the back of the church. The park is the usual destination of pilgrims because of the Stations of the Cross found there.

Me inside the church

Aside from the park, pilgrims also flock the church because of the Holy Image of Christ  Crucified or locally known as Sto. Cristo de Burgos. The Holy Image was brought to the Philippines from Burgos, Spain during the time when the second church in Barangay Tumbaga was finished. It is said that the statue survived one of the most vicious raids of the Moro pirates. It was said that the church and the Holy Image was burned but miraculously it didn't even sustain any damage even when everything inside the church turned to ash. It is also said that when the townspeople decided to move to a new location after several calamities and Moro raids the people believed that the image would lead them to a much safer location.  The story goes that the men carrying the Holy Image decided to rest under a tree and when they tried to lift the image again the Holy Image didn't budge. They then decided to build the church on that location (which is now the present location of Sariaya Church). Several sick devotees were also reportedly cured of their illnesses after they touched the statue. During my visit to the church, I didn't miss out the chance of touching the miraculous image and praying my personal intentions afterwards.

Devotion to the Mahal na Senor

Family road trips more fun in the Philippines

The church together with the several other old houses makes visiting the town of Sariaya a must do for history lovers and adventurers alike.

Getting there:

Board a bus heading to Lucena, Quezon. Tell the conductor to drop you off in front of Sariaya's town plaza. From there, cross the street and enter the gates of the Sariaya Church.

Ratings

Pilgrim

Cleanliness

Overall Ratings