Constructed around 1630 to 1638, the St. John Nepomuceno Church in Anini-y, Antique is considered as the oldest Catholic Church in the province. Located at the center of the town’s Catholic plaza, the structure is made of corals. It is said that it was constructed with the cooperation of the locals. The men “worked on the walls and carried the heavy loads. The women and children brought the needed sand and stones while the hermanas volunteered for food procurement and preparation.”
Tourists can drop by anytime and simply coordinate with the office of the parish priest if they want to roam inside the church.
The colonial baroque church measures 60 x 40 meter and has a campanario built on a 10×10 meter foundation. The 1 meter thick side and back walls are made of corals stacked above each other and held together by a blend of limestone and straw. Its 4 brass bells that used to toll the town came from Europe in 1895.
The church’s designer is the same designer who took charge of the world heritage church in Miag-ao. It was master crafted by the same craftsmen from Igbaras who worked on the edifice of the Miag-ao church.