Country Philippines Founded 1602 Status Parish church Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle | Denomination Roman Catholic Dedicated 1613 Province Manila | |
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Location Poblacion, Santa Maria, Laguna Dedication Nuestra Señora de los Angeles (Our Lady of Angels) Address X, Santa Maria, Laguna, Philippines Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo Similar Saints Peter and Paul Pari, Saint Paul the First Hermit C, San Agustin Parish Ch, Saint Therese of the Child, Saint Peter of Alcantara | ||
The Santa Maria Church or Nuestra Señora de los Angeles Parish Church (also Our Lady of Angels Parish Church) is the only Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Santa Maria, Laguna, Philippines under the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo. Its titular is the Our Lady of Angels whose feast is celebrated every August 2. The current parish priest is Father Elden B. Cabuhat.
Church history
Sta. Maria was formerly a part of Morong (now Rizal) as a small village called Caboan. Father Antonio de la Llave was assigned as the first parish priest of Caboan. In 1602, the small village was converted into a town and renamed San Miguel de Caboan under the patronage of Saint Michael, the Archangel. Father Geronimo Vasquez built the stone church on the exact spot where the image of the Virgin Mary was found by a Caboan couple according to legend in 1613. Since then, the town was named Santa María de Caboan or simply Sta. Maria. The church was destroyed by the 1639 Chinese uprising and was rebuilt in 1669 by Father José de Jesus María, as well as the rectory. Like the other churches in Laguna, the church of Santa Maria was heavily damaged in the 1880 Luzon earthquakes. It was rebuilt by Father Leopoldo Arellano in 1891. It was again destroyed by another earthquake in August 20, 1937 and rebuilt.