THE OLD STONE CHURCH OF PARACALE
We found ourselves on the road again ready for an island hopping adventure. A scenic 30 minute drive to Paracale , that’s perfect for an adventure enthusiasts like us. From Manila , we hopped on a bus and got off to Barangay Talobatib in the town of Labo . We arrived at exactly 5:30 in the morning and waited for another bus which will take us to Paracale and headed to Calaguas . We waited for almost an hour but a mini bus did not show up so we decided to rent a tricycle instead. We rented it for Php50 each .
We were actually struck by the church of Paracale. It was early saturday morning people were preparing for a wedding so the church appeared to be more colorful and beautiful.We took a couple of photos of the old stone church of Paracale. I heard a lot of things about Paracale including the abundance of gold which can be found everywhere. Thanks to the Blessed Virgin Patroness of Paracale.
The century Old church holds history and mystery . This old stone church was built by the early Franciscan missionaries. The facade of the old church is made of adobe blocks and strong shafts of hardwood cut from the forests during the early spanish times and is facing the pacific ocean . Looking at the marking of the facade , you can see the triangular figure with an eye at the center which symbolizes trinity. Paracale church celebrated its 400th anniversary.
It was in the year 1581 the Franciscan missionaries founded this small town. For some years there was no regular minister until the year 1611 in which Fray. Jose de la Torre OFM, was assigned. The religious order built the church under the patronage of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (all so-called Our Lady of Purification). In the year 1632 the chapel of Gaugau and Capalonga were included. -Daet Diocese
