Saint Peter of Verona Parish Church, commonly known as Hermosa Church, is a Roman Catholicchurch located in Hermosa, Bataan, Philippines. The church is Hermosa's cultural treasure. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Balanga (Vicariates of Saint Peter Verona and Our Lady, Mirror of Justice).[1][2][3][4]
History
Hermosa, known as "Llana Hermosa" belonged formerly to Orani (composed of Mabuyan and Maboco). It became an independent missionary Pueblo in 1717. In the British invasion of Manila, the Dominicans held there its provincial chapters in 1763. The church was destroyed by fire several times. Residents of Hermosa found a boat with a statue of a saint inside it along the river.
Saint Peter of Verona, O.P. (1206 – April 6, 1252), also known as "Saint Peter Martyr", was a 13th-century ItalianCatholicpriest, Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He became the patron of this town.[5]
Established in 1717, the church features a baroque-style façade, with a belfry on the topmost portion of the church.[6][7] At the façade's center is stained-glass window depicting Saint Peter of Verona, a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest.[7]
Folklore
According to a local folklore, the people of Hermosa found a broken boat near Almacen River and inside the boat was an image that was identified to be Saint Peter of Verona with a large knife wedged on his head. The image was enshrined in Hermosa Church and Peter of Verona was then selected as the patron saint.[8]
Structure
The church features a baroque-style façade with stained-glasses windows. The major retablo of Hermosa is made more attractive by the variations of saints placed in it amid its dome. The church brings remembrance of the colonial past.[9]
^"Diocese of Balanga". Claretian Publications. UP Village Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
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