Significance

Franciscan missionaries arrived in Lagonoy Gulf in the 17th century. Its settlement was named either after a plant called hagonoy (used as herbal medicine) or lango (drunken).

The missionaries founded the church on August 1, 1734 and became a parish in 1764. Located in the eastern seaboard facing the Pacific Ocean, it was called Partido de Lagonoy for its vast territory was broken up to give birth to the following towns: Tigaon (1764), Goa (1771), San Jose (1816), and Presentacion (1961).

An early stone church was completed in 1768. However, it was destroyed by river flood and only the ruins of the bell tower remains today. Another church was erected in San Isidro Sur in 1885, and it was abandoned yet again. The present-day stone church was built in Santa Maria in 1874.

During the Philippine Revolution, Lagonoy came under the influence of Iglesia Filipina Indepiendente, otherwise known as Aglipayan. Its parish priest, Fr. Vicente Ramirez, was one of the supporters of Fr. Gregorio Aglipay’s effort to establish an Filipino church separate from the Roman Catholicism. Fr. Ramirez would later be ordained the first IFI bishop.

Their adherents took over the Lagonoy Church, and the Roman Catholic prelate headed by Bishop Jorge I. Barlin sued them in court. Bishop Barlin won the case and the church property was returned to Roman Catholic authorities. To this day, the town has many people who are members of IFI.

Its roof was destroyed in the aftermath of Typhoon Harriet in 1960 and it was repaired during the time of Fr. Pedro Relloso as parish priest.