Church of St. James The Greater

The last destination in our tour of Dapitan, prior to our trip to Sindangan, was the Church of St. James the Greater.  As we arrived just 5 days before their patron saint’s feast day (July 25), small, colorful flag-shaped banners were strung up all over the plaza and the church.

The Dapitan parish was established in 1631 by Jesuit Fr. Pedro Gutierres.  The present church, a 5 minute walk from the foot of Ilihan Hill, was originally built with galvanized iron walls and wooden floors in 1871 under Fr. Juan Gelabert, S.J. .

The church’s simple Gothic-style facade

 During his exile from July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896, national hero Jose Rizal painted a backdrop, inspired by a church in Barcelona, for the church altar. However, the painting was later destroyed by fire.  A marker here, near the entrance, also marks the spot where Rizal usually stood when he heard Mass every Sunday. He could not go near the altar during Mass because of his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Spot where Rizal stood during mass

National Historical Commission (NHC) plaque

From 1904 to 1909, the church was repaired and renovated under the guidance of Fr. Antonio Obach, S.J.  The original galvanized iron wall was replaced with the present solid masonry and the wooden floor changed to mortar. In 1915, the floor was concreted and the sanctuary was remodeled in 1921 by Fr. Eliseo Gil, S.J..

Historical plaque

For about five days in 1944, Japanese soldiers used the church as a resting/sleeping area. Through the years, it has undergone several reconstructions including a major renovation in 1964 when the whole structure was almost completely reconstructed with reinforced concrete by Fr. Antonio Hamak.  The new church was inaugurated on July 23, 1967.

The church interior

It’s simple Gothic-style façade, devoid of much decoration, is flanked by twin square bell towers with pyramidal roofs and semicircular arched openings.  The protruding central portion at the lower level is flanked by lancet windows and rounded pilasters. The Gothic arch main entrance, above which is a lancet window, is flanked by rounded pilasters and is topped by a triangular pediment with a centrally located oculus.

The beautiful church ceiling

Inside the church is its beautifully designed ceiling of interlocking orange and white rectangles forming a swirling pattern around the dome and arches, creating an optical illusion of depth and motion. As a whole, it drowns the audience far below in dizzying disarray.

View of interior from choir loft

At the choir loft is a German made manual pipe organ, with European pipes and a manual pump, that bears the year 1827. It was brought to Dapitan in 1864 by the Augustinian Recollect fathers.

Church of St. James the Greater: Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez St., Potol, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte 7101.  Tel: (065) 212-6202. Email Address: dapitanparish1631@gmail.com. Feast of St. James the Greater: July 25.

How to Get There: Dapitan City is located 15 kms. from Dipolog City. GPS Coordinates: 8.654734,123.42465