| St. Joseph Parish Church | |
| St. Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas | |
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St. Joseph Church with the old convento to the right and St. Joseph's Academy, further right
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St. Joseph Parish Church
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| Location | P. Diego Cera Avenue Las Piñas, Metro Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1795 |
| Founder(s) | Father Diego Cera |
| Dedication | Saint Joseph |
| Relics held | Las Piñas Bamboo Organ |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Diego Cera |
| Architectural type | Earthquake Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1797 |
| Completed | 1819[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Width | 94 feet (29 m) |
| Nave width | 70 feet (21 m) |
| Number of domes | None |
| Materials | Adobe (volcanic) stones |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Las Piñas |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Parañaque |
| Province | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Rev. Msgr. Mario Josefino Martinez, PC, JCD |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | Armando Salarza |
St. Joseph Parish Church is the Roman Catholic church of the parish of Las Piñas, just south of the city of Manila in the Philippines. The church is renowned as the house of the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, a pipe organ made mostly with bamboo pipes. To the right of the church is an old Spanish convent converted into a gift shop and the entrance for observing the organ up close. Also in the chuch complex is St. Joseph's Academy, a primary and secondary education school established in 1914.
The parish falls under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parañaque. The parish priest of the Las Piñas church is Rev. Msgr. Mario Josefino Martinez, PC, JCD since July 1, 2011.[2]
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On November 5, 1795, the Archbishop of Manila assigned Las Piñas, then a small town of farmers and fishermen, to the Augustinian Recollects to establish a new church. Father Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, a native of Spain, traveled from Mabalacat, Pampanga province and arrived on the town on the second day of Christmas 1795. Soon after, he started building the church made from adobe (volcanic) stones in the Earthquake Baroque architectural style.[1][3]
The new parish priest was a very gifted man. He was a natural scientist, chemist, architect, community leader, as well as organist and organ builder. He also built the organs for the Manila Cathedral and San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, the main Augustinian church in the old walled city of Manila. In 1816, when the stone church was almost complete, he started building the organ made of bamboo and completed the instrument in 1824.[1]
Father Cera served as the parish priest of Las Piñas till May 15, 1832 when he could no longer perform his duties due to severe illness. He passed away a month after on June 24, 1832 in Manila.[1]
Between July 18-20, 1880, three strong earthquakes affected the region from Nueva Ecija to Cavite destroyed several buildings and churches. The St.Joseph Church and the bamboo organ severely suffered damages from the quakes. In 1882, a strong typhoon blew the roof off of the church, which also further damaged the organ. The church was reconstructed in 1888.
In 1914, Belgian missionaries Fr. Jose van Runenkelen and Fr. Victor Zaiel of Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) established St. Joseph's School next to the church to foster literacy in the parish community. The school, which started as a grade school, eventually included secondary education and was renamed as St. Joseph Academy.[4]
Between 1971 and 1975, with the help from the community and neighboring towns, the church was restored by a National Artists of the Philippines for architecture Francisco Mañosa with Architect Ludwig Alvarez back to its 19th century look. The event coincided with the return of the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ on March 13, 1975 after three years of rehabilitation in Bonn, Germany, reviving the organ back to its original state. On May 9, 1975, the bamboo organ made its inaugural concert at the newly-renovated church and surrounding buildings. [3]
Below is the list of parish priests who served St. Joseph Church since the 1950s.
| Name | Years of Pastorship | Present Assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. Fr. Camilo Feys, CICM † | 1958 to 1969 | |
| Rev. Fr. Mark Lesage, CICM | 1969 to 1999 | Retired |
| Rev. Msgr. Allen Aganon, PC, MA | 1999 to 2004 | Pastoral Director for Theologians, San Carlos Seminary, Makati City |
| Rev. Msgr. Albert Venus, PC | 2004 to 2011 | |
| Rev. Msgr. Mario Josefino Martinez, PC, JCD | 2011–present |