Albert Josef Lirio

Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph in Batangas unveils new interior

The newly-renovated interior of the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph the Patriarch in San Jose, Batangas.

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756162930752IMG_0208.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The new altar of the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch in San Jose, Batangas, which was blessed on Monday, August 25.</span></span></span></div><p>The Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch in San Jose, Batangas inaugurated its newly renovated interior on Monday, August 25.</p><p>The renovation of the church, which is the oldest church interior in the province, comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of its declaration as an Archdiocesan Shrine in 2001.</p><p>Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, who will also be president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in December, described the restoration as a fruit of faith, love, and hope.</p><p>“Ang ambag ninyo dito sa simbahan ay tanda ng kagandahang-loob ng bawat taga-San Jose,” he said in his Homily during the Mass for the blessing of the newly renovated church interior.</p><p>(Your effort in supporting the repairs in the church is a symbol of the kindheartedness of the people of San Jose.)</p><p>He also considers it as the parish’s gift to the Jubilee Year of the Catholic Church this year.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Engraved in the town’s history</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756163107032IMG_0237.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photograph of the old altar of the parish inside the Museo de San Jose.</span></span></span></div><p>Apart from its beauty, the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch also holds a significant part in the history of the town of San Jose.</p><p>Shrine coordinator Aaron Briones told ABS-CBN News that the church was first built in 1767, a few years after the town of San Jose de Malaquing Tubig was established.</p><p>From cogon and bamboo then lime and pebbles, a new structure made of masonry was ordered built in 1812 by Spanish botanist Fr. Manuel Blanco.</p><p>Its devotion to St. Joseph can be traced back to Fr. Jose Victoria, then-parish priest of Bauan. San Jose was still a part of the larger town of Bauan at the time.</p><p>“Ayon sa mga kuwento at sa historical research natin, ipinangalan niya sa San Jose dahil ‘yun ‘yung kanyang patron saint. Masasabi natin parang ipinangalan niya sa sarili niya,” Briones explained.</p><p>(Based on stories and on our own historical research, Fr. Victoria named the town after St. Joseph, his patron saint. It can also be said that he named the town after himself.)</p><p>But aside from Fr. Victoria, many other Josephs have been part of the church’s history, which Briones describes as “providential.”</p><p>In 1911, former Lipa bishop Msgr. Giuseppe Petrelli invited the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSH) to administer the parish. They also established a short-lived small major seminary in the parish.</p><p>After the departure of the MSH, Bishop Petrelli then found the Oblates of St. Joseph, founded by St. Joseph Marello, who were willing to send more permanent missionaries to the Philippines.</p><p>The parish of San Jose went through multiple other reconstructions in its history due to the effects of earthquakes and civil revolutions, but the communal effort of the people of San Jose has kept its foundations intact, Briones said.</p><p>“Nakakatuwa pong isipin na ito pa rin ang simbahan na kinalakhan ng marami sa atin. Ang simbahang ito ay ganito ang lagay dahil sa pag-asang dulot ng pagtutulungan at pagsasama-sama ng bawat isa sa atin,” he added.</p><p>(It’s amazing to think that this is the same church that many of us grew up with. It has been this way because of the hope born from the camaraderie and unity of everyone.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘Magaling ang pagkaka-restore’</strong></div><p>Due to its historical significance, the shrine has been National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 1939 as a Level II historical shrine.</p><p>No less than NHCP chair Regalado Jose Jr. praised the efforts done to restore the church’s interior.</p><p>“Maganda ‘yung pagka-preserve ng kanyang arkitektura, mga retablo at mga pintura. Sa buong probinsya ng Batangas, ito na ‘yung pinakamagandang na-preserve,” Jose told ABS-CBN News.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1959859883278536881&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-08-25T23%3A52%3A02.189196%3A8f3456ec-6175-42df-a6d8-6c01c62afe0e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=b52990e443c7b325d414489e93a4bade2194675b&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:714px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1959859883278536881"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Jose, meanwhile, offered to replace the marker placed at the church’s main door, which erroneously says the church was built in 1762, when the origin of the present-day structure was built in 1812.</p><p>Shortly before it was declared an Archdiocesan Shrine, the parish first underwent repairs of its roof and ceiling. A parish museum was also constructed at the time, where the old ceiling panels of the original church can be seen.</p><p>It also houses their oldest image of St. Joseph, the “Binatang San Jose” (St. Joseph as a Young Man).</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756163300452IMG_0236.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The image of &quot;Binatang San Jose,&quot; which depicts St. Joseph before being the patriarch of the Holy Family.</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Woo more pilgrims</strong></div><p>Parishioner Letty Macaraig hopes the newly renovated interior of the Archdiocesan Shrine will invite more faithful to visit the church and start devotions to St. Joseph.</p><p>“Salamat nang marami sa lahat ng tumulong at ito’y naging successful. Iniimbita po namin ang lahat na kayo’y sumimba sa aming napakagandang simbahan ng bayan ng San Jose,” she said.</p><p>(Many thanks to all who helped make this reconstruction successful. We invite all of you to hear Mass in our beautiful church here in the town of San Jose.)</p><p>But beyond being a visual refresh, Garcera reminds the faithful that the new look of the shrine should also inspire them to bring the love and faith of the Catholic Church outside of its halls.</p><p>“Tulad ng kisameng nag-aalaga sa loob ng simbahan, nawa ang ating pananampalataya ay maging kanlungan ng iba,” he said.</p><p>(I hope our faith will also be a safe haven for others, much like how the new ceiling and roof protects the interior of the church.)<strong></strong><br/></p>

<p>Apart from its beauty, the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch also holds a significant part in the history of the town of San Jose, Batangas.</p>

Apart from its beauty, the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch also holds a significant part in the history of the town of San Jose, Batangas.