Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church, designated as the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo, is the only Roman Catholic Church in Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippines, and the oldest church in the Philippines under the patronship of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is home to the patroness of Pagsanjan, Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose image was a gift from Mexico. The current shrine rector is Monsignor Mario Rafael M. Castillo.HistoryA former visita of Lumban, the parish church of Pagsanjan was founded on November 12, 1687, by Franciscan missionary Father Agustin de la Magdalena as its first pastor (parish priest). The first church was originally made of light materials like bamboo, nipa and wood in 1688 by natives of Pagsanjan under forced labor. A larger and more solid church constructed from adobe with a red-tiled roof was built in 1690 with the help of Chinese Miguel Guan Co and chief alguacil alferez Alonzo Garcia to replace the original church.Further renovations were conducted from 1847 to 1852 under Father Joaquin de Coria, who engineered the stone belfry and Romanesque dome. In 1872, the church added a transept under the direction of Father Serafin Linares and Father Cipriano Bac.