Church of St. Catherine of Sienna
The fifth pilgrim church we visited in our visita iglesia was the Church of St. Catherine of Sienna in the town of Samal. The town’s first church was destroyed during the Dutch attack in 1647 and was rebuilt by Dominican Fr. Jeronimo Belen and again by Fr. Juan Zubelsu in the later half of the 17th century.
The 5-storey hexagonal bell tower
It was burned in 1836 and its roof repaired with galvanized sheets by Fr. Miguel Portell (who also built the convent). In 1898, the church was burned by Katipuneros to drive out their enemies in the convent. Fr. Justo Quesada rebuilt the present church and convent from 1903 to 1905.
The convent
The church’s three-level, High Renaissance facade has semicircular arched main entrance with recessed door jamb and flanked by segmented arched windows and superimposed pilasters topped by pinnacles.
Church interior
Main altar and retablo
The second level has a semicircular arched window flanked by two smaller semicircular arched windows (above which are small triangular pediments).
Historical marker installed by the Philippine Historical Committee in 1939
Its balustered pediment has a blind circular window at the tympanum, above which is a small statued niche. On the church’s right is its five-storey, hexagonal bell tower, with blind and open semicircular arch fenestration, and topped by a dome.
Right side altar
Left side altar
Church of St. Catherine of Sienna: Tel: (047) 451-1101. Feast of St. Catherine of Sienna: April 30.
How to Get There: Samal is located 111.3 kms. (a 2.5-hr. drive) from Manila and 14.6 kms. (a 25-min. drive) north of Balanga City.