The main facade of the church.

Naga was originally a visita of San Nicolas. It was erected as an independent parish on June 12, 1829 under the advocation of St. Francis of Assisi. A plan for the church was executed by Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon and built by Fr. Simon Aguirre in 1850. A rectory of stone was built by Fr. Enrique Magaz who was parish priest from 1857 to 1864. In November 25, 1876 a typhoon damaged the belfry although it was repaired later on. Towards the end of World War II, the church was damaged by American bombing runs while the belfry and the rectory were totally destroyed. A different belfry was later built by Msgr. Cesar Alcoseba in 1979 while a new rectory was built in the mid-1970s by Fr. Arturo Tecson.

The interiors.

The church is a single-nave cruciform structure that stands along the highway facing the old municipal hall and plaza. Much of the interiors are already contemporary although the original façade has been retained except for its rectangular pediment which was originally triangular. This facade is the church’s central attraction, the only one in Cebu that is so heavily embellished with motifs and symbols in bas relief uniquely combining Islamic and indigenous Central American or Mexican influences called “tequitequi.” Right above the main entrance, at the center of the façade, is a low relief depicting the first Mass in the country. Surrounding it is inscribed the year “1521” and the Latin words Praedicate Evangelium Creaturae, which when loosely translated means “Preach the gospel to every creature.”

Details of the heavily embellished pediment.

Buttresses that are capped with minaret-shaped domes support all four sides of the church. A contemporary belfry whose design is totally incongruous to that of the church stands freely beside it. Right behind near the rectory, is a huge statue of St. Francis of Assisi lording over the parking area.

There are a total of five altars inside the church, one main and four side altars, with each altar containing a statue of a particular devotion. The main altar is a large neo-classical structure with a canopy and contains the statue of St. Francis of Assisi embracing the Crucified Christ. Two of the side altars that flank the main altar have their own tabernacles. (ACFS)