Barasoain Church - Malolos, Bulacan

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Barasoain Church (also known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) is a Roman Catholic church built in 1630 in Malolos, Bulacan. It is about 42 kilometers away from Manila. Having earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines, and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the church is proverbial for its historical importance among Filipinos.

Founded by Augustinian Missionaries in 1859, the church is also renowned for its architectural design and internal adornments. The original church was burned during the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, but was later renovated.

The church recorded some of the important events occurred in the country. While it has been a temporary residence of General Aguinaldo, three major events in Philippine History happened in this church: the convening of the First Philippine Congress (September 15, 1898), the drafting of the Malolos Constitution (September 29, 1898 to January 21, 1899), and the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic (January 23, 1899). By Presidential Decree No. 260, the church was proclaimed as a National Shrine by President Ferdinand Marcos on August 1, 1973. Unusual for newly elected presidents in the Philippines, the church has been a venue in many inaugural affairs. General Emilio Aguinaldo and former president Joseph Estrada were the only two who have been inaugurated in the place.

Barasoain was a barrio visit of Malolos until 1859, the year it separated from its matrix. Its titular patroness is Our Lady of mt. Carmel. In 1866, it had 10,516 souls; its population decreased to 9,618 in 1896. Construction of the Church: Fr. Francisco Arriola, appointed first parish on June 1, 1859, built the convent. A small ermita, constructed by Fr. Melchor Fernandez in 1816 while he was parish priest of Malolos (1816-1840), served as temporary parish church. One of the existing bells bears the year 1870. It was installed by Fr. Emterio Ruperez. It was donated by the “principalia (sic) of Malolos.” And dedicated to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel of Barasoain. Fr. Francisco Royo replaced the temporary chapel with a hewn stone church built between 1871 and 1878. This was soon destroyed by fire. The only remnant of this church is one of its bells, installed by Fr. Royo on February 30, 1873 and dedicated to St. Francis Xavier.Fr. Juan Giron who succeeded him, used the chapel of the cemetery until this one, too, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1880. Fr. Giron then built temporary chapel of nipa and bamboo which was burned down in 1884, during the solemn celebrations of the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

In 1885, Fr. Giron hired the services of contractor by the name of Magpayo and started, a fundamentis, the construction of a massive church made of masonry and bricks. The church was completed under Fr. Giron’s supervision. Jorde does not specify the year of its completion; he says only that, “at the time it was completed the pockets of Fr. Giron were drained.” In 1889, Fr. Martin Arconada started the construction of the tower and the restoration of the convent. Three bells were installed in 1897. One of them is dedicated to St. Martin, Bishop, and was donated by Fr. Martin Arconada. In 1894, Fr. Miguel de Vera undertook another restoration of the convent.

Inside Barasoain Church - Malolos, Bulacan

 The Nave

The church interior

This is the church’s right wing.

Left wing of St. John the Baptist

The altar frontal

 The main door

 .Historical Marker

The church pulpit

The wooden door is decorated with intricate carvings.

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

Panay Church - Capiz,

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The Santa Monica Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Mónica), commonly known as Panay Church, is the oldest church on the island of Panay located in Panay Municipality, Capiz, Philippines. It is also the home of the largest church bell in the country and in Asia, and the third biggest in the world.

The original structure of the church was built during the term of Fr. Manuel Lopez between 1692 and 1698, but it was reported that a typhoon had ruined it. In 1774, Fr. Miguel Murguía rebuilt the church, but it was also later damaged by a typhoon on 15 January 1875. Fr. José Beloso restored the church in 1884.

The original name of the settlement was Bamban and it was changed by the early Spaniards to Panay, a word which means “mouth of the river". This is also the location of a fortress built by Juan de la Isla in late 1570.

History
Augustinians arrive on Panay Island
The arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the late 16th century in the Philippines brought not just their culture but also the seeds of the Catholic faith. The missionaries who went with the expeditions of the would-be Spanish colonizers were the Augustinian friars. They accomplished many significant firsts in the history of the Philippines. It was they who fanned out from Cebu to the other islands of the archipelago, including Panay. The Augustinian missionaries, Fr. Martín de Rada and Fr. Diego de Herrera, laid the foundation of Catholicism in Panay in 1569. These two servants of God went with the Spanish expedition to the islands to look for a safer place due to the danger of the Dutch attacking them in Cebu. Upon their arrival in Panay, the two missionaries took in the whole island as their religious mission.

Fr. de Rada had built a church in that town and was considered to be the "first in Panay". However, it was Fr. Demetrio Cobos who laid plans for a stronger and bigger church to be made of stone. Unfortunately, Fr. Cobos was not able to see the end of the construction that he started, for it took 40 years to finish the project. It was eventually completed under the supervision of Fr. Joaquin Fernandez. As the years passed, more Augustinian missionaries came to Panay, increasing the number of those who were already present on the island.

Foundation of the church
Fr. Manuel López, Prior of Panay, in a letter to the father provincial dated June 7, 1698, speaks of the deplorable state of the church and the convent as a result of a particularly fierce typhoon which hit the province in January of that year and completely destroyed the church and its ancillary buildings. From this letter, it can be assumed that the first buildings were probably finished before 1698, or even before 1692, during the first term of the priorship of Fr. Lopez. Friar San Agustín replied that the convent was of very good structure, but did not mention the church. According to Fr. López, since the people of Panay by themselves were not able to restore the building, an agreement was signed with the alcalde (mayor) who donated 228 pesos from the community treasury to provide the funding. In 1774, Friar Miguel Murguía rebuilt the church, which was severely damaged a century later by the typhoons of March 5, 1874 and January 17, 1875. Friar José Beloso restored the Santa Monica Church again in 1884 and refurbished the convento that he had built from the rubble of previously destroyed church properties. The convento itself was rebuilt in 1892 by Fr. Miguel Rosales and it was finished by Fr. Gregorio Hermida shortly thereafter. In 1895, Fr. Lesmes Pérez restored the church to its former grandeur. Unfortunately, the Church was intentionally put to the torch along with the municipal hall, by order of the Spanish Governor General, Diego de los Ríos, to dislodge the rebels from the town during the 1898 Revolution.

The church is best known for its 10.4 ton bell popularly called dakong lingganay (meaning big bell). Juan Reina, a town dentist and noted metal caster and blacksmith was commissioned by Fr. Jose Beloso to cast the largest bell in the Philippines. It was cast in Panay from 70 sacks of gold and silver coins donated by the townsfolk. The bell was completed in 1878 and measured 7 feet in diameter, 5 feet in height and weighed 10 tons, 400 kilograms or just over 10 metric tons. It was located in the church’s five-storey belfry.

The inscription on the bell reads:

"Soy la voz de Dios que llevaré y ensalzaré desde el principio hasta el fín de este pueblo de Panay para que los fieles de Jesús vengan a esta casa de Dios a recibir las gracias celestiales"
“I am God’s voice which I shall echo and praise from one end to the other of the town of Panay, so that the faithful followers of Christ may come to this house of God to receive the heavenly graces.”
The small bell dates back to 1721. It was cast by: Benitus a Regibus, Hilario Sunico and Juan Reina.

 .Historical Marker

The west side of the church and the entrance to the bell tower

Our Lady of Fatima Grotto at the base of the bell tower

Coral stone masonry with bamboo reinforcements.

Coral stone masonry structure

Main Altar

Stairway to choir loft and Entrance door

Artefacts and memorabilia of church

1770s Bas-relief work of artist Joseph Bergaño

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Rizal Church -Rizal, Cagayan valley

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The San Raimundo de Peñafort Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Raimundo de Peñafort), commonly referred to as the Malaueg Church or Rizal Church, is an early 17th-century Baroque church located at Brgy. Poblacion, Rizal, Cagayan, Philippines. The parish church, with Saint Raymond of Peñafort as its titular patron, is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. The church structure has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001. A marker, bearing a brief history of the church, was installed on the church's facade by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Parish History
The site of present-day Rizal (formerly Malaueg) was a significant mission center for the Dominican missionaries spreading Christianity on the Cagayan Valley and the foot of the Cordillera mountain range. The Dominican priests officially established Malaueg in 1607 and laid the foundations of the present church in November 26, 1617.

Architecture
The church, made mostly of fired bricks, is unique among other Spanish-era churches established by the Dominicans in the Cagayan valley region due to its smaller size and novel design. The church’s brickwork has been described as “of free use” and that it exudes an earthy feel. Attention on the façade is focused on the main arched portal which is framed by a plastered white wall capped with a small triangular pediment. The main doorway is flanked with saints’ niches. At the upper level of the façade are rectangular windows set in recessed triangular pedimented frames. A relief of a cross serves as ornamentation to the triangular pediment capping the entire façade. The three-level bell tower stands on the left of the façade. It features a conical roof and finials jutting out of the corners of each level

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Church of Bantayan - Bantayan, Cebu

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The Church of Bantayan - located at Bantayan, Cebu. This church is offered to Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion and it was founded by the Augustinian priests on June 11, 1580. After it was built, St. Peter became the patron saint. On the year 1600, it was destroyed by fire and it was rebuilt on that same year. The current Church of Bantayan was constructed in 1839 and was completed in 1863. It is considered as one of the oldest church in the country with walls made of corral stones. Inside the church, you can see centuries old life size statue of saints. It also has a belfry with resonant bells that can be heard miles away.

The Nave of Bantayan church

Main door of the church

The altar of the church

October 15, 2013 Earthquake damage

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Our Lady of Caysasay-Taal, Batangas

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The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay is a coral-hewn chapel in Barrio Caysasay in Taal, Batangas belonging to the Archdiocese of Lipa in the Philippines. It was built in 1639 by Fr. Alonso Rodriguez to replace a temporary structure built in 1611. The church is home to Our Lady of Caysasay whose feast day is celebrated every December 8.

The church was first built around 1611 by the Chinese and was made of light materials. This shrine was located near the river where image was usually found, An arch made of coral stone with a bass relief of the Virgin of Caysasay was built later on. On February 24, 1620, Augustinians issued an order to construct a church in the in Caysasay, as a visita of Taal. It has been verified through serious investigation that the Most Holy Virgin has appeared there and that it be given with the title Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia.

In 1639, a new church made out of coral stone was built under the direction of Fr. Alonso Rodriguez, minister of Taal. The church was to serve as the perpetual shrine of the Virgin and to replace the temporary structure set up in 1611. The Sanctuary measures 50 metres (160 ft) long and 10 metres (33 ft) wide. Behind the main altar lies the sacristy and a stairwell that leads to the room of the Virgin where devotees could venerate. Adjacent to the church is a convent made of hew stone said to have been built also by Chinese workers. The roof of the church was partly destroyed in 1754 by the boulders and ashes from the Taal Volcano was quickly repaired and serve as the temporary church of Taal, while the latter was under repair.

During the earthquake of December 24, 1852, the walls of the church cracked and the towers fell. Fr. Celestino Mayordomo improvised a large makeshift shelter at the town plaza where the image of the Virgin of Caysasay was enshrined temporarily. Fr, Mayordomo also started the reconstruction work which was completed in 1856. The twin towers rose again, the interior was newly painted and the stone fence was completed. The image was again solemnly enthroned in her home Sanctuary.

The sanctuary was damage again by tremors in 1867. Fr. Marcos Anton repaired the minor damages, installed a new altar and a presbytery floor and constructed an iron balustrade around it. The interior was decorated under the direction of Italian decorator Cesar Alberoni. In 1880, Fr. Agapito Aparicio installed an organ bought from the famous organist Don Doroteo Otorelin of Palencia, Spain. Fortunately, the earthquake of 1880 did not cause serious damage to the sanctuary.

The church has been renovated ever since, A coat of stucco cement was applied to the front wall and o the towers. The stone and brick wall was scrape clean to reveal it original color. The former convent was converted on May 20, 1962 into an orphanage called Children's Home managed by the Sister Oblates of the Holy Spirit upon the request of Cardinal Rufino Santos.

Sta. Lucia Wells
The spring-fed well was where two women saw the reflection of the Virgin of Caysasay, is now known as the Miraculous Well of Sta. Lucia. Since its discovery, many have attested that the spring water has miraculous healing and therapeutic powers. The spot where the well which reflected the image of Our Lady is marked by a coral stone arch with a bas relief image of the Virgin on its façade. It was built in early 1600. The site of the wells is known as `Banal na Pook' (sacred site) and vestiges of the spring running close to the wells is known as `Banal na Tubig' (sacred water). The well is accessed from the San Lorenzo Luis Steps. An inconspicuous narrow walkway from the steps takes visitors to the well.

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

Tayabas Basilica - Quezon

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The Minor Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel , (Tagalog: Basilika Menor ni San Miguel Arkangel; Spanish: Basílica Menor de San Miguel Arcángel) commonly known as the Tayabas Basilica, is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Tayabas, Quezon, Philippines under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucena. Its titular is Saint Michael the Archangel, whose feast is celebrated annually on September 29.

The church is the largest in the province of Quezon; and is built in the shape of a key. Locals often refer to the church as Susi ng Tayabas ("The Key of Tayabas"). The church's 103-metre (338-foot) aisle also has the longest nave among Spanish colonial era churches in the Philippines.

The Catholic community of Tayabas was established in 1578 by Franciscan priests Fray Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa de San José, known as the Apostles of Laguna and Tayabas. In 1580, the town of Tayabas was established as a parish with St. Michael the Archangel as its designated patron saint in 1580. Like most churches in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era, the first church of Tayabas was a camarin-type church built using bamboo, nipa and anahaw between 1580 and 1585 under the supervision of Franciscan friars.

The church was repaired under the supervision of Saint Pedro Bautista in 1590. In the same year, the Catholic church obtained permission from the Superior Government to build the church using stone. Upon the order of Saint Pedro Bautista, leader of the Franciscans, the church was rebuilt in 1600 using bricks; this building was later destroyed by the 1743 earthquake but the walls were left standing. Due to the growing number of Catholics in Tayabas, the church was again rebuilt and extended. It was further expanded under the term of Father Benito de la Pila between 1856 and 1866 with the addition of the transept in the shape of a routunda and copula. The brick tile roof was replaced with galvanized iron sheets in 1894.

Father Manuel Gonzáles bought the administration building (casa administración) used by the provincial head of the Franciscans for 962 pesos in 1855. He donated it to the town to be used as classrooms to replace the old, ruined rooms. Gonzales ordered the school's construction in 1878; it was built using stone, lime and a tiled roof. Together with Father Samuel Mena, Gonzáles rebuilt the old Tribunal built by Governor La O, which had been unused since it was burned down in 1877. From 1896 to 1899, Father Isabelo Martinez became the first Filipino priest assigned to Tayabas Basilica, followed by Father Amando Alandy, a native of Tayabs, from 1899 to 1900.

The church's patio played a significant role during the struggle of the Filipino revolutionaries against the Spanish forces. General Vicente Lukban and his troops surrendered to the Spanish army on the patio on August 13, 1898, while the Philippine flag was waved from the church's belfry. During the Second World War, the church's convent was used as a garrison by the Japanese Imperial Army.

The church was dedicated on March 14, 1987, by the Lucena bishop Rubén T. Profugo, DD.  On October 18, 1988, the title Minor Basilica was conferred upon the church by Pope John Paul II and the Congregation for Divine Cult, and was proclaimed during a eucharistic celebration on January 21, 1989.

Tayabas Basilica is considered to be one of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines.Through Presidential Decree no. 374, the National Museum of the Philippines declared Tayabas Basilica as a National Cultural Treasure on July 31, 2001, along with 25 other churches in the Philippines.

Nave from the altar

Nave from entrance

San Miguel Minor Basilica Altar

A famous church in Quezon Province with its long aisle, arched ceiling, a beautiful altar and a storied past.

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Santo Niño de Cebú Basilica

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The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child (Spanish: Basílica Minore del Santo Niño), commonly known as Santo Niño Church, is a minor basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in the 1565. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church established in the country on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue depicting the Child Jesus was found in 1565 by Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The Holy See calls the temple the "Mother and Head of all Churches in the Philippines" (mater et caput... omnium ecclesiarum Insularum Philippinarum). The image is the same statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon as a gift over forty years after Humabon's baptism to Christianity on April 14, 1521. It was found by a soldier preserved in a burnt wooden box after Legazpi razed the village of hostile natives. When Pope Paul VI made the church a basilica in 1965, he said it was "the symbol of the birth and growth of Christianity in the Philippines.

The present building, which was completed from 1739-1740, has housed the oldest religious image in the country ever since.

Previous churches
The church of the Holy Child was founded by an Augustinian priest, Andrés de Urdaneta, on April 28, 1565. The first church and convent were built out of earth, hard wood and nipa. Both structures burned down on November 1, 1566. In 1605, Rev. Pedro Torres started the construction of its replacement. The second church was completed in 1626, but was also destroyed by fire, in March 1628. It was rebuilt immediately under the administration of Rev. Juan de Medina with stone and bricks, but construction was stopped because of problems with the integrity of the bricks being used.

Present church
Fernando Valdés y Tamon, the Spanish governor of the Philippines, ordered the church in 1735 to be constructed of hard stone. Father Provincial Bergaño, Governor-General Fernando Valdes, Bishop Manuel Antonio Decio y Ocampo of Cebu and Rev. Juan de Albarran, Prior of the Santo Niño, started the foundations of the church on 29 February 1735.[1] Construction was designed and led by Rev. Juan de Albarran, and it was completed in 1739 or 1740. The convent and library were later added and completed in 1764.

In 1965, during the fourth centenary of the Christianization of the Philippines, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica; it remains under the care of the Order of St. Augustine.

History of the Santo Niño de Cebu

On April 28, 1565, Juan Camus, a sailor in the fleet of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, found in a modest house of the then village of Cebu the image of the Santo Niño, which at the time all agreed had been brought from Europe. Deeply impressed by this finding and aware of its significance, Legaspi ordered an official inquiry conducted; the document drawn on May 16 of the same year and still extant in the archives of the Santo Nino Convent of Cebu, tells us from the testimony of eyewitnesses that the Image was found inside a small pine box, preserved in almost perfect condition; it had on a little shirt and cap; two of its right hand's fingers were raised in a gesture of blessing, while the left hand held a globe symbolizing the world.

In a solemn procession the image was carried to the provisional Church the Agustinian Fathers were using at the time; later, another Church was built on the exact location where the image has been found; this is the site of the Santo Niño Church where the Agustinians have cared for the image and the Filipino people have venerated it through the centuries.

An earlier authenticated entry in the journal of Pigafetta, clerk in the Magellan expedition, explains the original of Santo Niño; on the day Queen Juana was baptized by Father Pedro Valderrama, chaplain on that expedition, Pigafetta himself presented her with the Image.

During the last World War, a bomb fell inside the church, but the image was found unscathed. It was one of the numberless miracles and powers attributed to the Holy Image.

In 1965 the interior of the historic church was renovated for the observance of the Fourth Centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines held in Cebu City. It was during this centennial celebration that the church, on April 1, 1965, was elevated to the rank of Basilica Minore by the Sacred Congregation of Rites with all the rights and privileges accruing to such title.

With the full cooperation and support of the Filipino people and sanctioned by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Agustinian Fathers have built a marble chapel inside the Basilica. Construction of the chapel started in August 1975. This fitting shrine of Santo Nino now serves as the center of devotion of Catholic Philippines. Here the miraculous image of the Comforter of the first missionaries and now the Patron of the Philippines is being honored and venerated.

To preserve our religious and cultural heritage, President Ferdinand E. Marcos, since August 1, 1973, declared the Basilica and Convent of Santo Niño as National Shrine together with other historical places in the Philippines.

The Nave Santo Niño de Cebú Basilica

Historical Marker

The frescoes on the ceiling of the Basilica

Basílica Menor del Santo Niño.

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Taal Church

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The Taal Basilica canonically known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours (Filipino: Basilika ni San Martin ng Tours; Spanish: Basílica Menor de San Martín de Tours) is a Minor Basilica in the town of Taal, Batangas in the Philippines, within the Archdiocese of Lipa. It is considered to be the largest church in the Philippines and in Asia, standing 88.6 metres (291 ft) long and 48 metres (157 ft) wide. St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of Taal, whose fiesta is celebrated every November 11.

In 1575, 3 years after the founding of Taal town in its old site near the shores of Taal Lake, work began on the construction of its first church by Father Diego Espinar (O.S.A.) with Saint Martin of Tours as patron saint. The church was rebuilt in 1642 using stronger materials but in 1754, it was destroyed along with the town of Taal in the largest recorded eruption of Taal Volcano. This event led to transfer of the town and the church farther away from the volcano to its present site atop an elevated hill facing Balayan Bay. The ruins of the previous church can still be seen in San Nicolas.

Father Martín Aguirre donated the land and began the construction of the new church in 1755. It was continued by Fr. Gabriel Rodriguez in 1777 and by Fr. Jose Victoria in 1782. Fr. Ramon del Marco decorated the church, built the convent and paved the "processional" road with bricks around the atrium of the parochial building. This church was damaged by a strong earthquake on September 16, 1852. The earthquake centered near Taal Volcano, though no volcanic eruption was recorded.

Construction of the present church began in 1856 by Fr. Marcos Antón with Spanish architect Luciano Oliver, commissioned to design and manage the construction of the new church. Although it was unfinished, it was inaugurated in 1865. The huge church was completed by Fr. Agapito Aparicio in 1878, adding the main altar of Doric style measuring 24 metres (79 ft) high and 10 metres (33 ft) wide. He was also responsible for the baptistery made with tiles imported from Europe. The stone church had three naves with a grand transept and an elegant facade with Ionic and Doric orders. A small tower on the left side of the facade contained the large church bell, which in 1942, was destroyed by an earthquake.

The Nave of the Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours

Another Nave of the Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours

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Taal Basilica’s bell also considered as one the largest bell in the country. This massive instrument is 5.8 meters in circumference at the lip, 2.84 meters around the crown and 1.96 meters in height. However, in 1942, the belfry collapsed and bell fell from its location damaging and silencing it because of the earthquake. The king of the bell, as it was known before, is now hanging silently in its previous place on the restored dome.

The altar of the Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours

1. Old Churches in the Philippines