The St. James the Great Church of Bolinao, also known as Bolinao Church, stands majestically in the heart of Bolinao, Pangasinan. Built out of black coral stones, the church exudes a commanding presence, its weathered walls telling stories that span more than four centuries. It was canonically erected in 1609, when the Augustinian Friars took over the mission territory that had earlier been entrusted by the Spanish Colonial Government to the Dominican Friars in 1594. The Dominicans eventually left in 1607 due to the vastness of their mission territories and the limited number of missionaries, paving the way for the Augustinians’ return and the church’s formal establishment.