St Francis of Assisi Parish Church In General Trias Cavite
And here’s to conclude our Western Cavite pilgrimage tour. Our last destination is located to another historical town. The Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church is located on the town plaza of General Trias Cavite. Much like other churches we visited, this one also has a huge historical significance.
The first church in General Trias was established by the Franciscans in 1611 and was later turned over to Jesuits of Cavite City in 1624 until it becomes a separate parish in September 9, 1753. The first stone church was erected in 1769 under the leadership of Doña Maria Josepha de Yrizzari Y Ursula, Countess of Lizarraga. It was restored and enlarged in 1834.
I love how the facade and the bellfry were almost covered by mossThe Luzon earthquakes of 1880 partially damaged the church. As a result, the facade was replaced in 1881 with further restoration in 1885. Between 1989-1991, the church was restored to its former looks. After completion, it was again consecrated on June 22, 1991 by Most Reverend Felix P. Perez of the Diocese of Imus, the diocese that has jurisdiction of St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church.
The image of Saint Francis of Assisi outside the church along with the church’s historical marker
The historical marker. The St. Francis of Assisi Church by the way was declared a historical structure by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines in 1992
The church’s nave and the altar
Unfortunately I can’t get a closer shot of the altar due to the novena mass that was currently going on when we arrived there but as you can see, the church’s ceiling features exposed beams much like what we have seen in Maragondon Church
I love the stone carvings on the facade
I was overwhelmed to see that they have a huge altar enshrining an image of Our Lady of Porta Vaga maybe because the church was once managed by the Jesuits of Cavite City 
This image will welcome you as you enter the church. I am not sure if this is St Francis of Assisi though. He wears the same clothes but this is my first time to see him holding a Blessed Sacrament so i might be wrong
Head stone within the church
They also have an image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Reina De Caracol of Rosario Cavite)
Also an image of St Augustine (Tata Usteng) of Sta Cruz Parish in Tanza
Here’s the closest shot I got from their main altar. Checkout how intricate the details of their retablos and their wonderful ceiling with painting depicting the Pentacost and there goes the image of Our Lady of Pillar of Imus on the Sanctuary.
I will have another entry in relation to this pilgrimage. It’s a short entry showing a mini Gallery below the convent museum (Museo de San Francisco de Malabon) and the Adoration chapel beside the church!
Meanwhile
Check Out These Other Churches From Western Cavite too
Sto Niño De Ternate │Our Lady of The Assumption Parish│San Isidro Labrador Parish│Diocesan Shrine of Immaculate Conception of Mary│Sta Cruz Parish Church│St Jude Thaddeus Parish│St Francis of Assisi
The interior of the Church is no difference with our Cathedral in the capital city. As I see, the inside spells the reverence and the solemnity which pervades the entire Church.
It’s great that the church was restored according to its old look. I know many structures don’t come close to their original design because there’s no image that can be used as a reference.
We are really gifted with so many wonderful churches. St. Francis of Asisi is another beautiful churches.
wow , another old church…I like the altar, the retablos,etc. are the tiles original?
The church looks great actually in spite of being such an old one.Nice share,carry on.
I would really love to visit this church someday! I’m not an expert in heritage preservation but I’m not sure if this church was really “restored”. Most old churches in the Philippines do not really have exposed adobe or brick walls. Most of them really have “palitadas”. Both this church and Imus Cathedral used to have “palitada” in their interiors as well. As I have read in some exchanges in the internet, there was a trend in the 1970s (post-Vatican II years, the worst years for Philippine church heritage preservation) to chip off the palitada from the walls of the churches to make them look authentic. If the palitada had paintings or designs, they get chipped off as well as a result. In Imus Cathedral, if I’m correct, the removal of the palitada also meant the removal of numerous centuries old gravestones which were once attached to the walls. I have also observed that the old high altar, side altars, and the altar rails of this church in Gen. Trias are gone. The retablos are the only things left here. People must be informed about the difference between “restoration” and “renovation”.
Here are some photographs of the church: http://www.retrato.com.ph/list.asp?keyword=general+trias&searchby=OR&searchwhere=title