The St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental has reopened to the public and resumed holding masses after more than a week of closure following allegations that a content creator spat on its holy water font.

Before the church was reopened, Archbishop Martin Jumoad of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz, together with several priests, led the reconsecration rites on Sunday, August 17, 2025.

After the rites, a Holy Mass was celebrated and attended by devotees from Jimenez and other nearby towns.

It can be recalled that the Archdiocese of Ozamiz has ordered the temporary closure of the church after a video of a content creator allegedly spitting into the holy water font went viral online.

According to the decree issued by the archdiocese, the incident was a grave act of sacrilege as the holy water font is a sacred object that must be treated with reverence and respect.

Because of the incident, the archdiocese implemented liturgical and penitential measures by closing the church until further notice as a sign of penance and reparation.

However, the content creator clarified that she did not spit into the holy water font. Instead, she said she only leaned over to make a wish.

She also asked for forgiveness from the Catholic Church.

The St. John the Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in the Philippines built in 1862, is among the cultural and religious treasures in Northern Mindanao.

It was declared a National Cultural Treasure in July 2001, according to the Department of Tourism-Northern Mindanao (DOT-10).