San Isidro Labrador Parish | CDN Photo/Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu is home to an abundant number of old churches that showcase the long history of religion in the province.
Among these churches is the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church in Talamban, Cebu City.
Located at the heart of the barangay, the parish is frequently visited by locals and visitors alike.
As the church has been in the area for around 66 years, generations of locals have been expressing their faith inside the church for a long time.
The parish is entitled as a Vicariate of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart together with seven other parishes in the province.
These are the Guba Parish, Banawa Parish, Capitol Parish, Guadalupe Parish, St. Therese Parish in Lahug, St. Joseph Parish in Mabolo, and Sta. Rosa Parish in Lapu-Lapu City.
The feast of the patron saint, St. Isidore the Laborer, is celebrated every May 15.
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Meanwhile, Virgin de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Forsaken) is the secondary patron.
Alit Leyson, leader of the parish’s Committee on Worship, relayed that the church was built in the year 1958.
A plaque by the entrance of the church reveals that the founder was Father Veronico S. Salvador, who was a parish priest in the barangay.
Fr. Veronico is also known for creating the Academia de San Isidro Labrador.
The lot where the church was established was generously donated by Mr. and Mrs. Sofrono Borbajo and family.
The San Isidro Labrador Church is built on a hill, where devotees would have to travel on an upward slope.
While the area is surrounded by residences, there is a a few parking spaces on the courtyard.
Anbust of the founder of the San Isidro Labrador Parish seen at the front of the entrance of the church. | Emmariel Ares
The first thing that greets guests who come to the church is a small fenced plaza in the middle of the courtyard.
In the middle of this space teeming with plants is the bust of Fr. Veronico Salvador and a marker that tells of his life and deeds.
Leading to the entryway of the church is a staircase flanked by sloping pavements.
Coming up the stairs, patrons are greeted by a portico supported by columns and barrel vault ceiling.
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A portico supported by columns and barrel vault ceiling greet visitors at the entrance of the church. | Emmariel Ares
According to Leyson, the facade, which is an open entrance spread by posts, was added later to the original architecture of the building.
Leyson shared that there have been numerous renovations done on the outdoor and indoor structure of the church over the years.
She narrated that first, the communal rail was removed after the tradition changed from kneeling to standing up.
Then the sanctuary was made larger after a portion of the roof was destroyed due to a typhoon.
Leyson added that the altar was also changed multiple times.
This is what the inside of the San Isidro Labrador Parish looks like. | Emmariel Ares | CDN Photo/Emmariel Ares
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During the day, natural light freely enters the church through the cross and round shaped windows above the main nave in the clerestory.
Gate railings also serve as the walls of the the extended side aisles.
Another feature that catches the attention of visitors are the two big stained glass walls of St. Isidro Labrador and Our Lady of the Forsaken, placed on opposite sides of the church.
This is one of the stained glass walls inside the church. | Emmariel Ares | Emmariel Ares
This is a stained glass wall depicting the Our Lady of the Forsaken inside the church. | Emmariel Ares
For the residents who attend masses at the church almost everyday, its design has gotten more pleasant over the years and the building is now bigger.
As a consistent churchgoer, Leyson said that she also appreciated the bigger space inside the parish.
With only a few days left before the beginning of the Lent season, personnel in the parish are busy with preparations for their activities.
Leyson shared that they would be holding multiple religious activities at the parish for the week-long celebration this year or the Holy Week 2024.
How to get there
To get to the San Isidro Labrador Parish from downtown Cebu City, you can walk to Colon street.
From here, you can ride a jeepney with code 62B or 13C and get off at the Talamban Elementary School.
Opposite the school is the corner where you can enter to go up to the hill where the church is located. There are multiple habal-habal motorcycles by the road that can take you there.
If you’re from the north, you can ride a jeepney and get off at the Department of Foreign Affairs. From here, ride a jeep with 13H code to Pit-os.
Get off at the Talamban Elementary School and ride a motorcycle to go up to the church.
Mass schedules
Weekdays – 5:3o A.M. and 5:30 P.M.
Saturdays – 5:30 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. / Anticipated Sunday Mass
Sundays (Morning) – 4:30 A.M., 6:00 A.M., 7:30 A.M., 9:00 A.M. (English Mass), 10:30 A.M.
Sundays (Afternoon) – 3:00 P.M. (Children’s Mass), 4:30 P.M., 6:00 P.M. (English Mass), 7:30 P.M.
Confession – After the Holy Mass (at the Sacristy) / / with data from The Old Churches
HERE ARE MORE PHOTOS OF THE SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR PARISH:
This is the facade of the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City. | Emmariel Ares
The San Isidro Labrador Parish sits on top of a hill in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City. | Emmariel Ares
This is one view of what is inside the church. | Emmariel Ares
These are sculptures of images of what is believed to be angels inside the San Isidro Labrador Parish. | Emmariel Ares
Here is another view of the inside of the church. | Emmariel Ares
The church has undergone several renovations since it was built in the 1960s. | Emmariel Ares
This is the altar of the San Isidro Labrador Parish. | Emmariel Ares
This is another view of the inside of the church from the altar. | Emmariel Ares