Catarman Cathedral

Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral Parish, commonly known as Catarman Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Catarman, Northern Samar, in the Philippines. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of the Annunciation, and has been the cathedral of the Diocese of Catarman since the diocese's establishment in 1974.^[1]

Catarman Cathedral
Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral Parish
Parroquia Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación (Spanish)
Cathedral facade in 2023
Catarman Cathedral Location in the Visayas Show map of Visayas Catarman Cathedral Location in the Philippines Show map of Philippines
12°29′55″N 124°38′11″E
Location	Catarman, Northern Samar
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral
Founded	1596
Dedication	Our Lady of the Annunciation
Consecrated	1596
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Baroque
Completed	1649, 1854
Administration
Archdiocese	Palo
Diocese	Catarman
Clergy
Bishop	Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco

History

Cathedral interior in 2023

The Jesuits ordered the construction of the first church made out of wood and nipa as a visita of the parish of Palapag, under the patronage of the Nuestra Senora de la Anunciacion in 1596. The said church was subsequently reconstructed after it was burned in an uprising headed by Agustin Sumuroy in 1649. The Franciscans took over the administration of Catarman in 1768. Fray Vicente Lopez, OFM ordered the construction of the fort as a defense against the frequent raids of Moro pirates. On December 8, 1854, the church was again reconstructed after suffering heavy damage during a typhoon. The parish church of Catarman became the island's newest cathedral when it was canonically dedicated as the seat of the Diocese of Catarman on March 11, 1975.^[1][2]