Parish of Saint Paul the First Hermit (San Pablo Cathedral)

Sampaloc, a town in the mountains, was first visited by the Spanish captain Juan de Salcedo in 1571. In recognition of St. Paul the First Hermit, the area’s name was officially changed to San Pablo de los Montes in 1586. The original wooden church was built under the direction of Augustinian Father Mateo Mendoza the same year San Pablo became a separate parish. Father Hernando Cabrera built a second church from stone between 1618 and 1629.
The current church was built on foundations laid by Father Juan Labo in 1680. Father Francisco Juan de Elorreaga, OSA began construction on this structure in 1714, and Father Andres Cabrera, OFM served as the parish priest until the Franciscans took over administration of the parish of San Pablo (which was then a part of the province of Batangas) on April 4, 1794. In 1796, Father Cabrera constructed a stone cemetery and added a brick-and-stone wall.