Bais San Nicloas de Tolentino Parish Church
Bais was organized into an independent town in 1801 but some time passed before it would be established as a parish by the Augustinian Recollects. Before November 1872, the town was under the parish of Tanjay and, a few years later, of Manjuyod. Nevertheless, the parish priest of Manjuyod continued to minister to the town until it was appointed its down spiritual administrator beginning 1873. A book on the evangelization work of Augustinian Recollects in Negros, “Handurawan: Visita Iglesia Negros Y Recoletos,” said Fr. Benigno Jimenez took over in April 1873 as the first Recollect parish priest. Church beginnings During his tenure, a modest convent and chapel made of bamboo and nipa was built and used by the town for close to three years. He later built a wooden convent and fortified the chapel with bricks but these were destroyed during a strong storm in 1874. Fr. Jimenez worked on the church reconstruction using strong materials and his successor priests contributed through improve