Parokya ni San Isidro Labrador sa Cuenca, Batangas

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Bagaman kilala ang Bayan ng Cuenca, Batangas sa kanilang Tinapay Festival at sa napakagandang Mt. Maculot ay hindi lamang ito ang kanilang maipagmamalaki. Isa na dito ang Parish of San Isidore Labrador na itinatag noon ika-24 ng Pebrero 1879. Tunay namang kamangha mangha ang istruktura ng simbahan at gayon din ang mga naglalakihang Acacia at Narra Trees na humigit isang daang taon na.

Foundation:
According to Manuel Sastron, this town is founded by the decree of the Superior Gobierno issued on August 11, 1875. On the other hand, there is a document that states the following; (the) “Governor General of this islands issued a decree on November 7, 1876, ordering that the barrios of Macolot, Dita, Ibabao, Lubac, Bungahan and Dalipit be constituted into one civil and independent town under the name of Cuenca.” It was erected as an independent parish in 1879 on approval of the Archbishop of Manila. Jorde erroneously dates its foundation as independent parish in 1882. Its titular patron is San Isidro el Labrador.

In 1896, Cuenca had a population of 5,600, which increased to 6,938 in 1896. In 1980, this stood 17,109.

Construction of the church:
Fr. Guillermo Diez, who was acting as Parish Priest in 1879, built the convent. However, Jorde does not state whether Diez also built the Church. This omission suggests that the church had already been built, or else Fr. Diez, might have also started its construction. Fr. Dionisio Ibañez enlarged the convent and added the corridors and the cemetery in 1898. Frs. Ibañez and Calleja, incidentally, gave great impulse to the cultivation of cocoa.

Style of the Church:
The predominant elements are Gothis, even if executed in a somewhat primitive rendition. The pointed arches, flying buttresses and the rose window in the center of the prediment, combined with the flame-like windows, certainly make for a strong Gothic impression. The four rectangular pilasters rise up, dividing the facade into three sections, and end in sharp-points finials, Dent-like motifs run along the eaves of the pediment on the cornices of the bell tower. The simple Gothic facade, however, would look more genuine if the stucco and the name of San Isidro were chipped off.

Informations are from the Official Website of Parish of San Isidore Labrador.