Hermosa Church

Hermosa Church
Saint Peter of Verona Parish Church Parokya ng San Pedro Martir de Verona (Filipino)
The church's facade
14°49′48.07″N 120°30′28.58″E
Location	Hermosa, Bataan
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Peter of Verona
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	National Historical Landmark
Designated	1939
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Baroque
Completed	1717 (1717)
Administration
Division	Vicariate of St. Peter Verona Vicariate of Our Lady, Mirror of Justice
Province	San Fernando
Metropolis	San Fernando
Archdiocese	San Fernando
Diocese	Balanga
Clergy
Archbishop	Florentino G. Lavarias
Bishop(s)	Sede Vacante
Priest(s)	Ernesto B. De Leon

Saint Peter of Verona Parish Church, also known as Hermosa Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Hermosa, Bataan, Philippines. The church is Hermosa's cultural treasure. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga (Vicariates of Saint Peter Verona and Our Lady, Mirror of Justice).

History

Hermosa, known as "Llana Hermosa" belonged formerly to Orani (composed of Mabuyan and Maboco). It became an independent missionary Pueblo in 1717. In the British invasion of Manila, the Dominicans held there its provincial chapters in 1763. The church was destroyed by fire several times. Residents of Hermosa found a boat with a statue of a saint inside it along the river.

Saint Peter of Verona, O.P. (1206 – April 6, 1252), also known as "Saint Peter Martyr", was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest, Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He became the patron of this town.

Established in 1717, the church features a baroque-style façade, with a belfry on the topmost portion of the church. At the façade's center is stained-glass window depicting Saint Peter of Verona, a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest.

Folklore

According to a local folklore, the people of Hermosa found a broken boat near Almacen River and inside the boat was an image that was identified to be Saint Peter of Verona with a large knife wedged on his head. The image was enshrined in Hermosa Church and Peter of Verona was then selected as the patron saint.

Structure

The church features a baroque-style façade with stained-glasses windows. The major retablo of Hermosa is made more attractive by the variations of saints placed in it amid its dome. The church brings remembrance of the colonial past.

Designation

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared the church a national historical landmark in 1939.

Gallery

• 
  Dome
• 
  Interior
• 
  Altar

External links

• Media related to Hermosa Church at Wikimedia Commons
• Hermosa Church on Facebook