Century-old Apalit church undergoesrestoration

APALIT

--- One of the most visited churches in Pampanga is the St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church in Apalit, Pampanga. Now, the century-old church, which was originally made of adobe and surpassed natural calamities like typhoons and earthquakes, is undergoing renovation.

The churchgoers have noticed that some debris have been falling from the dome. Cracks are even evident at the façade of the church.

Monsignor Emil T. Dizon, the parish priest, announced last year that the church needs restor at i on.

“We have to take care of our church because it is the bastion of our faith,” explained Dizon.

The Archdiocese on Committee Church Heritage had sought help from the Escuela Taller, a vocational school which specialized in church restoration.

The said school has modern technology to conduct restoration, some of which are camera and drone to identify the damage.

The attempts to restore the church just worsen the situation when they discovered that the plaster or ‘palatada’ caused the church deterioration.

The church is made up of adobe, which is a soft volcanic rock and it accumulates moisture. Once covered by the plaster, it may keep the brick from breathing and result to deterioration.

Another contributory factor, Apalit is surrounded by the Pampanga River which

affects the soil condition of the site. The Parish Passtoral Council gave an initial payment to the Escuela Taller for the conservation management program.

The restoration funds were sourced out from the savings of the Fiesta Committee and generous people of Apalit.

The actual restoration of the church may last for six years.

“If you want to restore the whole thing, it really takes time,” said Dizon.

Apalit Parish Church was built in 1597 after the separation from the Parish of Calumpit and was destroyed by 1863 earthquake.

The construction of the present church was completed in year 1883 and it was officially inaugurated on June 28-30 1883.

Over the centuries, the devotion to the saint has grown in number. Devotees from all around Pampanga, and even from far provinces flock to Apalit to witness and participate in the three-day festivity.