Bay Laguna Church 

The first church of Bay was made out of poor materials like bamboo and nipa and was originally situated near the shore of the Laguna Lake. It was administered by the Augustinian friars of Provincia del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus.

It became an independent parish in 1578. In the 18th century, the ecclesiastical administration of Bay was transferred to the Order of Friars Minors (OFM)the Franciscans, with Father Domingo Martorel as its new parish priest on November 23, 1737. From the original site along the lake, the church was transferred to its present site later known as Poblacion, or town center.


San Agustin Parish 

Lumban, Laguna Church

When the Franciscans first arrived in the Philippines in 1578, Father Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Father Diego de Oropesa de San José started the evangelization of the province of Laguna. Lumban, together with Pila became the first Spanish town of the province and heart of the Franciscan missionary activities in Laguna.

Father Juán de Plasencia served as parish priest of Lumban in 1578 with St. Francis of Assisi as its original patron. A church made of nipa and bamboo was first built on a site called Entablado, in the northern portion of the town.

The first church was destroyed by flood and later rebuilt in wood. However, the wooden church was burned in 1586. Lumban became the first Franciscan mission settlement in the country. The government allowed San Pedro Bautista to build the church and convent in stone that same year.

The church of Lumban was finished in 1600. It became the first stone church in Laguna and the first Franciscan building outside Manila made out of stone.

San Sebastian Parish

Liliw Church

Liliw was established as a reduccion by Franciscan priests Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa in 1578. It was annexed as a visita of Nagcarlan until it became an independent parish with Father Miguel de San Lucas as the first parish priest in 1605 by the Franciscan missionaries.

The first church was built in wood in 1620. A stronger stone church was built from 1643 to 1646 and was partially destroyed during the 1880 Luzon earthquake. It was reconstructed in 1885 and was partially burned on April 6, 1898.

St. John the Baptist Parish

Longos Church

On June 2, 1669, The Franciscan began the formation of Longos as a town through an order that decreed the establishment of Convento in Longos, which was to be the residence of the doctrine. Rev. Fr. Lucas Sarro was assigned as the first parish priest. The doctrine was placed under the patronage of San Juan Bautista and celebrated its feast day every 24th of June. 

St. John the Baptist Parish

Magdalena Church

Magdalena was formerly known as Ambling, a barrio of Majayjay until it was elevated as a town in 1821. The first church, made of cogon and wood was constructed in 1820 and was dedicated to Mary Magdalene under the Franciscans.

Father Antonio Moreno, OFM was appointed as its first parish priest in 1821.[2] Permission to build a stone church was ordered by Captain Pablo de la Concepción in 1829. To obtain funds for the church, the people were forced to pay taxes and quarry sand and stones from the river. The construction of the church building was halted in 1839, continued in 1849, and finished in 1855 under the direction of Father Maximo Rico, Father Jose Cuesta, Father Joaquin de Coria, and Father Francisco de Paula Gonzalez.

St. Mary of Magdalene Parish

Majayjay Church

In 1571, the Franciscans established a mission town with Don Gaspar Osorio, Agustín Osorio, Juan Osorio, Juan de Mendoza, Ventura Mag-olop, Aman Lingasan, and Martín Siasip.[4] The first church was constructed by locals in 1575 near the May-it river and was made of nipa and bamboo and was later burned in 1576.

In 1578, Franciscans Fathers Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa started to evangelize the town. A church, still of nipa and bamboo, was built that same year under the patronage of Saint Gregory the Great. Due to the lack of religious men, the first parish priest of Majajay, Father Antonio Nombela was only assigned in 1594.

St. Gregory the Great Parish

Nagcarlan Church

Nagcarlan was first colonized in 1571 by Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi. It was founded by Franciscan priests Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa in 1578.

The church of Nagcarlan was first built from light materials such as nipa and wood in 1583 under the chaplaincy of its first priest, Father Tomas de Miranda who also pioneered the cultivation of wheat in the country and was dedicated to Saint Bartholomew.

San Bartolome the Apostle Parish

Paete Church

Paete was established as a town in 1580 by a Franciscan priest, Fray Juan Plasencia under the patronage of Saint Lawrence.[1][2] Due to the scarcity of religious men, it was annexed to the visita of Lumban until October 20, 1600, and to Pangil until 1602.[

The first parish priest of Paete, Fray Pedro de Buenaventura was appointed in 1602. The first stone church and convent were built by Paete natives under the supervision of Fray Andres de Puertellanoin 1646 but it was later destroyed by an earthquake in 1717. A new stone church was started the same year under Fray Francisco de la Fuente. It was completed in 1840 under the term of Fray Luis de Nambroca.

St. James the Apostle Parish

Pagsanjan Church

A former visita of Lumban, the parish church of Pagsanjan was founded on November 12, 1687, by Franciscan missionary Father Agustin de la Magdalena as its first pastor (parish priest).

The first church was originally made of light materials like bamboo, nipa, and wood in 1688 by natives of Pagsanjan under forced labor. A larger and more solid church constructed from adobe with a red-tiled roof was built in 1690 with the help of Chinese Miguel Guan Co and chief alguacil alferez Alonzo Garcia to replace the original church.

Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Pakil Church

The first Catholic community in Pakil was organized by San Pedro Bautista as a visita of Paete in 1588. It was separated from Paete in 1676. Father Francisco de Barajas, a priest from Santa Ana de Sapa Church in Manila, was named as the first parish priest on May 12, 1676.

The first church was constructed of bamboo, nipa, and other light materials, by volunteers under the patronage of Peter of Alcantara.

St. Peter of Alcantara Parish

Pila Church

The Franciscans then started to evangelize the townsmen of Pila through Fray Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa de San José (known as the Apostles of Laguna and Tayabas) in 1578.

They started to established "Villa de Pila" and soon built a church out of cane, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. From being a reducción, Pila was elevated to a parish on the feast of its titular Saint on June 13, 1581, with Fray Oropesa as its pastor until 1583.

National Shrine and Parish of San Antonio de Padua