Cathedral of St.Joseph

Location of the Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Worker, the main seat of the Catholic faith in Bohol, sprawls on a wide area facing Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the principal street of Tagbilaran City. Located in the central part of the city, the church has a picturesque setting. In front of it is the City plaza, famed for its flocks of doves and a haven for those who yearn to be alone to meditate, or to rest and relax, or to enjoy a tete-a-tete.

Across the street from the plaza looms the massive, imposing provincial capitol, a stone-built edifice that has been the seat of Bohol’s civil government since Spanish times. At the back of the Cathedral, built on a promontory is a 3-storey rectory, a modern initiative of parish priest Msgr. Cirilo Darunday, sitting astride the old convento which has long been converted into a Palacio de Obispado. Both old and new convents stand on a cliff overlooking Tagbilaran’s scenic bay, where across a shallow sea of about a mile wide, can be seen nestled beneath the hills of the town of Dauis, the beautiful , famed church of Our Lady of the Assumption, whose church bells can be heard across the sea on quiet days.

Heritage Features

The Tagbilaran Cathedral appears imposing outside, and is wide and roomy inside. It has a Neo-Romanesque façade with corbelled arches underneath the cornice. There is a porch before the main entrance. The statue of Saint Joseph, patron saint of Bohol, stands in front where once the atrial cross stood.

Both the interior and exterior of the church of Spanish times have been greatly renovated. Despite frequent renovations to meet modern-day requirements, some historic pieces still remain. The side altars are of the 18th century baroque style. The main or center altar, simply but elegantly decorated with ornate gold designs depicting symbols of Old Testament times, is in the 19th century Neoclassical style.

The image of Saint Joseph the Worker that occupies the center of the main altar is apparently of 18th century vintage .The image of San Roque (St. Roch), the secondary patron placed on the left, is dated 1848, while that of St. Vincent Ferrer on the left is marked 1861. On the main altar’s second storey, immediately above St. Joseph’s throne, is the image of Nuestra Senora de Lourdes ( Our Lady of Lourdes) said to be donated in 1895 by Dona Maria de Bourbon of the Royal House of Spain. This image was installed with great pomp in Tagbilaran in February 19, 1895.

We may recall that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Lourdes, France to the child Bernadette in 1858. The apparition received Episcopal approval in 1862. Pope Leo XIII authorized a mass formulary to the devotion in 1891. Four years later, in 1895, the devotion had spread to and in Bohol. tourist spot

The images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the left wing retablo, were acquired in 1897. Of similar vintage are those of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and Our Lady of the Pillar. From these collections of venerated images, one can sense the Jesuits’ love for Jesus and those close to Him, such as His Mother, St. Joseph and the Blessed Trinity.

Confessionals, no longer extant in many churches, are still found and used in this place of worship. Here, they reflect old age and constant use.