The Church of Pila also known as the San Antonio de Padua Parish Church designated as the Diocesan Shrine of San Antonio de Padua (Filipino: Pandiyosesis na Dambana ni San Antonio de Padua) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo is a church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua in the Philippines in 1578 and the first Antonine parish church in the Philippines in 1581 and probably in Asia. In 1606 the Franciscans set up the second printing press of the Philippines under the supervision of Tomás Pinpín and Domingo Loag. Its titular is St. Anthony of Padua, whose feast is celebrated every June 13. As of 2015 the parish priest was Father Edwin D. Lusterio.
The first missionaries in Pila were Augustinians who administered their missions from Bay. The Franciscans then started to evangelize the townsmen of Pila through Fray Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa de San José (known as the Apostles of Laguna and Tayabas) in 1578. They started to established "Villa de Pila" and soon built a church out of cane, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. From being a reducción, Pila was elevated to a parish on the feast of its titular on June 13, 1581, with Fray Oropesa as its pastor (parish priest) until 1583. With its establishment, Pila became the first church dedicated to St. Anthony in the country. The Spanish colonial authorities gave the Pila the title, La Noble Villa de Pila. In 1599 permission was given by the Superior Gobiernoto build a stone church. In 1617 the stone church and rectory was finished in Pagalangan (place of reverence).
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Infirmary at Pila
An infirmary run by male Franciscan religious from Lumban was transferred to Pila in 1618, and in 1673 transferred to the town of Santa Cruz. About 75 Franciscan missionaries retired and died at Pila's infirmary, and were buried at the local cemetery. These included Fray Miguel de Talavera (died 1622), a prolific writer in Tagalog, and Fray Blás de la Madre de Diós (died 1626), ex-provincial and author of the earliest Flora de Filipinas, Manila Archbishop Fernando Montero de Espinosa, newly arrived from Madrid, also died here in 1644 on his way to take possession of his see.
Ancient bell
The oldest surviving church bell of Pila was cast on the centenary of the parish in 1681 with the Franciscan emblem and the inscription “San Antonio de Pila.” It survived British invaders in 1762 when the people of Pila submerged it in Laguna de Bay facing the church. It is now the third-oldest church bell in the Philippines. When a new stone belfry was built in 1890, the parish recast an undated old bell in honor of St. Anthony in 1893. Today, the oldest bell of Pila is at the church convent.
Transfer
Due to flooding in Pagalangan (today's Victoria), the church and rectory were demolished and transferred to their current site in Sta. Clara in 1800. The land where the Pila Church and Municipal Hall of Pila stands was donated by Felizardo Rivera, the recognized founder of Pila. The buildings were constructed under the direction of Fray Antonio de Argobejo and Fray Domingo de Valencia, the town contributing for it. Due to controversies surrounding the transfer of the church, the relocation took almost two decades to complete.
Secular priests
From 1812 to 1835 Filipino secular priests served as acting pastors of Pila due to a shortage of Franciscan priests. These include Fray Lorenzo Samaniego (1812–1816); Pedro de los Santos (1816–1819); Pedro Alcántara (1819–1826); and Rudecindo Aquino (1826–1835). The present church and convent was built in 1849 by Fathers Antonio Argobejo and Domingo de Valencia. Both structure were badly damaged during the 1880 earthquake, in which the bell tower toppled. The bell tower was reconstructed by Father Damaso Bolanos and finished by Father Francisco de Santa Olalia, and again rebuilt by Father Lope Toledo. The present rectory or convent (casa parroquial) is made of stone, constructed under the direction of Father Benito del Quintanar in the 1840s.
Fray Benito also started theArchicofradía del Nuestro Señor Padre San Franciscowhich was next in rank to the Venerable Orden Tercera(VOT) of the Franciscan Order. The religious festival of Flores de Mayo, for which Pila is now well known, was introduced in 1888 by Fray Benito de los Infantes.
In 1855, plans for a concrete belfry were drawn by the local architect and builder, Maestro Sebastián Bade and was built after the 1863 earthquake
From 1812 to 1835 Filipino secular priests served as acting pastors of Pila due to a shortage of Franciscan priests. These include Fray Lorenzo Samaniego (1812–1816); Pedro de los Santos (1816–1819); Pedro Alcántara (1819–1826); and Rudecindo Aquino (1826–1835). The present church and convent was built in 1849 by Fathers Antonio Argobejo and Domingo de Valencia. Both structure were badly damaged during the 1880 earthquake, in which the bell tower toppled. The bell tower was reconstructed by Father Damaso Bolanos and finished by Father Francisco de Santa Olalia, and again rebuilt by Father Lope Toledo. The present rectory or convent (casa parroquial) is made of stone, constructed under the direction of Father Benito del Quintanar in the 1840s.
Fray Benito also started theArchicofradía del Nuestro Señor Padre San Franciscowhich was next in rank to the Venerable Orden Tercera(VOT) of the Franciscan Order. The religious festival of Flores de Mayo, for which Pila is now well known, was introduced in 1888 by Fray Benito de los Infantes.
In 1855, plans for a concrete belfry were drawn by the local architect and builder, Maestro Sebastián Bade and was built after the 1863 earthquake
The church has a three-level facade with classical Doric columns. At the pediment is a niche reserved for St. Anthony. Windows of the choir loft can be seen at the second level while niches for the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are found at the lowest level. The semicircular arched doorway has the Franciscan seal on top. On the right side of the church is the convent, now used as a school building for Liceo de Pila, while a square based octagonal bell tower is on the left side.