Revisiting Oslob Church, still a long way to go


More than a year after the fire, still more to be done.

More than a year after the fire, still more to be done.

Revisiting Oslob Church

Close up view of the renovated retablo and main altar which is still being worked on

On 26 March 08, an 8 hour fire gutted the more than a century old kumbento (parish house) and church of Oslob in Cebu. What was left were the thick stone walls and belfry as well as an icon of the parish patron. This is the second update after the fire. The first one was done 10 months after the disaster.

Around two weeks ago, I was traveling down south and passed by Oslob Church to check on the status. 19 months after the devastating fire, there is still so much to do. The only thing that I have observed thus far are the restored roof and retablo. The vicinity of the altar is still being worked on.

At the nave, it’s still the same condition while the stations of the cross, with cement bas relief, which were badly damaged, are now replaced with what seems to be printed illustrations.

The belfry is much more spacious now and I was surprised to see that the stone pedestal of the wooden retablo has some faint traces of paint which indicate that this originally had some decorations.

Outside, the damaged stations of the cross were just placed near the right side entrance while the once beautiful kumbento is still lying neglected and in ruins. The entire left side of the church, near the perimeter fence, is empty now where once big trees stood.

More than a year after the fire, still more to be done.
Current state of the burned kumbento
View of nave and main portal as seen from the transept
Column with current station of the cross
Damaged stations of the cross outside the church
Close up view of the renovated retablo and main altar which is still being worked on
Wooden baptistry retablo at the base of the belfry
Detail of the stone mensa of retablo at the baptistry
View of the baptistry from the nave
Outside, the big trees have been cut the entire length of the left perimeter fence.

5 Comments

  1. Pingback: Unfinished Oslob Cuartel patched with marble slabs | Simbahan

  2. the present situation of the church is awe-strucking.. i invite the author to come and visit the church as the town will celebrate the feast of their patroness this coming December 10-11.

  4. hi!! it’s really good to see that the church is rising from the ashes!
    i’d like to correct you, on your terminology regarding the retablo pedestal. it’s not a pedestal, it’s a mensa of the altar. Back then priests used to say Mass facing the retablo not the people thus the mensa. it was in canon law that priests had to say Mass once a day. so if a visiting priest wanted to celebrate Mass, but the parish priest was celebrating Mass at the high altar then he would say Mass at the side altar (concelebrating wasn’t allowed then), and in this case inside the baptistry.

    i Admire your work!!

    God bless!!

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