The religious history of the San Miguelnons is intertwined with the history of the arrival of Christianity in Leyte through Spanish missionaries led by Jesuit Fr. Pedro Chirino, and their eventual growth through the centuries.

        San Miguel is only a few kilometres away from the first mission station in Leyte, which is in Carigara where Fr. Chirino landed in 1595. A year later or in 1596 the mission of Palo was established while in the following year (1597), the mission center in Alangalang was added.

        Being under the administrative jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu, the island of Leyte also belonged to the Diocese of Cebu from 1595 until 1910. After this, parishes in Leyte belonged to the Diocese of Calbayog from 1910 until November 28, 1937, when Leyte became a diocese of its own with main office in Palo. On March 23, 1968 or after 31 years, Palo was divided into two diocese, with Maasin as the other diocese.

        San Miguel used to be a visita of Barugo, which means the administration of the religious needs of its people was done by the parish priest of Barugo. Later on, in 1900, it was under the parish of Babatngon. In 1913, St. Michael Parish was made a regular parish. It was Rev. Fr. Pedro Aruta, from Barugo who served as the first parish priest (1913 to 1922).

        Like in all churches across the country, San Miguel started with a wooden church. It was damaged during the war and was rebuilt after still with wood, G-I, sheets roofing, and huge logs or poles that were lined up until the main altar. The belfry that stood beside it was also wooden, and when  typhoon Claring struck in 1966, the church was heavily damaged so the Parish Pastoral Council decided to build a new church in 1968.

References:

  https://archdioceseofpalo.org/our-archdiocese
  https://deskpubgroup.wordpress.com/2009/03/