Mariveles Church

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish Church of Saint Nicholas Tolentine, commonly known as Mariveles Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Mariveles, Bataan, Philippines. The church is dedicated to the Italian saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The Augustinian Recollects missionaries constructed the first church in 1729. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Balanga (Vicariate of St. Michael the Archangel). Since June 5, 2023, Fr. Regin L. Tenorio is the Rector and Parish Priest of the church.

The parish church's feast day is September 10 and Catholic population is 36,282.

History
The parish's current structure was started by the late Msgr. Antonio Tony S. Dumaual and finished construction by Fr. Josue V. Enero. When the current structure was finished, the facade has brown bricks design, multi-colored rectangular stained glasses, and a door with large alpha and omega symbols.

To celebrate the Great Jubilee in 2000, the parish church's doors was changed to the one with the Jubilee 2000 logo under the leadership of Fr. Abraham SP. Pantig. A statue of Jesus Christ and its pedestal was also added creating a rotonda at the church's exterior. Also, the bricks design part was added with white paint.

During the leadership of Fr. Percival V. Medina, the church's-stained glass was changed to the one depicting St. Nicholas with people in hellfire, a Bataan Death March marker, and the church itself.

On September 9, 2005, under the tenure of the then newly appointed rector and parish priest Msgr. Hipolito Araña, Mariveles celebrated the 276th anniversary of Apo Kolas, the Patron Saint of Mariveles — San Nicolas de Tolentino, who arrived in this town through the Order of Augustinian Recoletos missionaries. Thus, the parish was founded in 1729 bearing the name of the saint. The floor at the left and right side was smoothened by placing a white smooth flooring over their rough surface. It was also during Araña's tenure that the stations of the cross on a frame were bought and the projector used to display the presentation was changed into the one connecting into a laptop. In 2008, the former wall at the right side of an altar was removed moving a choir loft to its current location and a part where the loft was formerly located is now occupied by chairs used by worshippers while at the left was to give way for more space of chairs and the former St. Nicholas Catholic School of Mariveles when it was under the supervision of the parish was now the room for saints and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and its facade and the sacristy was painted with yellow.

Under the leadership of Msgr. Hernando Guanzon in late 2010, the statue of Jesus Christ was moved at the left side of the church and its pedestal added during Pantig's tenure as rector and parish priest near the church's facade was removed, restoring the church's spacious outside. An iron fence was also added at the front of a church. At its interior, walls at the left side of an altar was restored to give way for a sacristy.

Changes to the parish church during Fr. Felizardo Sevilla's term from June 5, 2011, to June 5, 2017, are the lecterns were changed to wood and became movable, facade became pink in late 2012 which is its current color since then, tiles were added on the floor of the church's interior, gates at the left and right side of the church were changed, ceiling fan was added which removed the two chandeliers, retablo became wood, and ceiling above the altar was changed and added a design.

On February 25, 2023, under Santos' leadership, it was declared as a diocesan shrine and later that year under Fr. Regin Tenorio's tenure, its logo as a shrine was revealed. Renovation of the sacristy, and addition of stained-glass featuring St. Nicholas and design at the ceiling's brown part were made. The renovated sacristy was blessed on September 5, 2023, during the 5th day of Novena for the patron saint's feast day on September 10 by the Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Balanga Florentino Lavarias.

In 2024, the parish church's fence was changed as proposed by the former Bishop of Balanga and acting rector and parish priest Ruperto Santos.