Before Calape had its own parish, priests from nearby Loon tended to the town. In 1829, followers of Francisco Dagohoy were drawn to settle here. The Recollects ran the parish until 1898, when it passed to the secular clergy. The original tabique-and-wood church was replaced in 1933 by a neogothic-style structure, completed two decades later in 1954.
The Calape Catholic Church is a great example of colonial styles sticking around long after the Spaniards left. Some call it the “epitome of Bohol Gothic.” The structure itself is simple post-and-lintel, with gothic features — lancet arches, rose window, spires, crockets — mostly decorative. Even the rose window on the pediment is ornamental, not an actual opening.
A portico, typical of Bohol churches, extends from the choir loft in front of the façade — definitely not gothic, but part of the local character. Inside, gothic touches appear on altars and confessionals. The transept, added later, is narrower than the original plan.
The church was built by Eliseo Josol y Villamayor and Rosalio Real y Oppus, who reportedly used a picture of the Santo Domingo church in Intramuros as a model.
A historic bell from 1690, dedicated to St. John the Baptist by Bachiller Juan Alfonso Ruiz, sits in the bell tower. It came from the old Parian parish in Cebu, which was demolished in 1878–79.
Calape celebrates its town fiesta on May 10th in honor of Saint Vincent Ferrer — a perfect time to see the church alive with color and tradition.
