The Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Basilica Menor de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad''), better known as Agoo Basilica, is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

Agoo, La Union Agoo, officially the Municipality of Agoo ( ilo, Ili ti Agoo; pag, Baley na Agoo; fil, Bayan ng Agoo), is a 1st class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,028 people. Ago ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

dedicated to

Our Lady of Charity Our Lady of Charity, also known as Our Lady of El Cobre, ''Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre'' or "la Vírgen de la Caridad", is a popular Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary known in many Catholic countries. Several known Marian images ...

. It is the seat of the Santa Monica Parish of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union The Diocese of San Fernando de La Union ( la, Dioecesis Ferdinandopolitana ab Unione) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was established in 1970 from the Archdiocese of Nu ...

under the Vicariate of St. Francis Xavier (Vicar Forane Raul S. Panay). The diocese of San Fernando La Union is part of the territory of the

Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It covers the province of Ilocos Sur, on the island of Luzon. The see of the archdiocese is the city of Vigan.MacArthur Highway The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the second ...

in Agoo, La Union in front of the

Jose D. Aspiras Jose D. Aspiras (August 18, 1924 – November 14, 1999) was a Filipino politician. He was a member of former President Ferdinand Marcos's cabinet, and was considered one of the most loyal political lieutenants from Marcos' “northern bloc” of ...

Civic Center.

History

The parish was founded in 1578 by

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

friars John Baptist Lucarelli of

Pesaro Pesaro () is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and Sebastián de San Francisco of Baesa,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. The original church was constructed with native materials, nipa and bamboo (in Barangay Nagreban or Nagrugcan) under its patron saint

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

. In 1598, Saturmino Franco, Casimiro Melgosa and Aquilino García finished a 3-tiered

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tow ...

for the church. In the same year, the Augustinians named

Saint Monica Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, partic ...

as the town's new patron saint. On March 16, 1892, a massive earthquake destroyed the church, paving the way for reconstruction of the shrine of "Nuestra Señora de Caridad" in 1893. It was later demolished and replaced with the present church in 1975.

Construction and consecration

The present church was started with the laying of

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

on September 8, 1975. The church was finished and consecrated as a Marian Shrine on December 8, 1978 by Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio coinciding with the quadricentennial of the Christianization of Agoo. Cardinal

Agostino Casaroli Agostino Casaroli (24 November 1914 – 9 June 1998) was an Italian Catholic priest and diplomat for the Holy See, who became Cardinal Secretary of State. He was the most important figure behind the Vatican's efforts to deal with the persecutio ...

's re-script dated July 15, 1982 signed for

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

granted Bishop Salvador Lazo's petition elevating the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity to a Minor Basilica. In the Philippines, the Vatican granted 12 minor basilicas, with the Agoo Basilica as the 6th in order of their institution.

1990 Luzon earthquake

The basilica was badly damaged during the catastrophic 7.7-magnitude Luzon earthquake of July 16, 1990, which struck at 4.26 p.m. badly annihilating

and other coastal areas. The Basilica was again repaired and renovated. The July 16, 1990's epicenter was about southeast of

Cabanatuan City Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan ( fil, Lungsod ng Cabanatuan; ilo, Siudad ti Cabanatuan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 327,325 peo ...

and killed more than 1,600 people, devastating La Union, Baguio City and Dagupan City. The

, the only remaining structure of the 1893 building, crashed during the earthquake of 1990.

Plaza del Beato Juan Pablo II and the new belfry

On May 1, 2001 a historical marble marker was laid in the basilica's belfry and bell tower upon solemn dedication of the new Plaza de Beato Juan Pablo II and the new belfry by Bishop Artemio L. Rillera. The new belfry and bell tower replaced the previous tower destroyed by the 1990 earthquake.

Architectural details

The Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity is noted for its Mexican-Baroque architectural features. A rosette stained glass window upon the Basilica’s facade is a marked contrast to the gray color of the front wall. Amid the statues of Saints Peter and Paul statues at the main door are carved Hebrew scripts, which is a short form of the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

. Agoo Basilica's unconventional architecture is demonstrated by its two non-identical bell towers. To the left of the facade is a four-level hexagonal tower, while the right bell tower is a

bell-gable The bell gable ( es, espadaña, french: clocher-mur, it, campanile a vela) is an architecture, architectural element crowning the upper end of the wall of church architecture, church buildings, usually in lieu of a bell tower, church tower. It c ...

in its form. The

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but s ...

and the ceiling has a similar architecture. One is in front of the stained glass window of the

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consider ...

with the two thieves. The

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for e ...

of the altar has eight wooden panels with intricately carved floral design focused on its center. At the top center of the panel hangs a large crucifix. Above the panel is where the foot-high

statue is enshrined under large canopy supported by four twisted columns. Her feet rest on an urn-shaped pedestal with the same floral design as the reredos. Two angels flanked her sides behind a silvery backdrop. A

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks' ...

in the choir loft watches the craved chandeliers dotting the middle aisle, 2-tiered and carved or made of Filipino

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus '' Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: U ...

, demonstrating the rich heritage and vast culture of Agoo. The basilica has preserved stone blocks dragged from the original church amid its charming garden, an old wishing well and the interior

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanis ...

, "The Second Coming of Christ" (by Rey Gimeno)."Town and Cities - Agoo"
Biyahero.net. Retrieved on 2014-04-29.

Our Lady of Charity

The 17th-century wooden statue of Our Lady of Charity was first venerated and enthroned in

Bantay, Ilocos Sur Bantay, officially the Municipality of Bantay ( ilo, Ili ti Bantay; fil, Bayan ng Bantay), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,118 people. It is situa ...

and brought to Agoo by an Augustinian priest. It was Maximo Vicente of Manila who refurbished it after it survived the massive earthquake of 1892. The crowned head of the original statue is made of baked clay covered with a polished coat of fine white powder. The child Jesus raises his right hand as in a blessing, and holding a golden globe on his left hand.Guia, Jhaypee (2012-08-24)
"Our Lady of Charity (Agoo Town's Patroness)"
Vigattin Tourism. Retrieved on 2014-05-02. Bishop Victorino C. Ligot of the

filed the ecclesiastical petition to the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship in Rome for the canonical coronation of the statue, with the collaboration of

, who helped restored the belfry. The Marian image, locally called as "Apo Caridad", was crowned on May 1, 1971 by Apostolic Nuncio Carmine Rocco, the appointed

Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines The Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines is a top-level diplomatic mission assigned by the Holy See to the Philippines, located at 2140 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila. Diplomatically, an Apostolic Nuncio may be equivalent to an ambassador, and ...

. Later, the statue was desecrated by local bandits with the theft of its previous jewel-studded ivory head. The innumerable miraculous accounts attributed to Apo Caridad in the basilica's altar, which includes the quick recovery of Agoo from the destruction of the July 1990 massive quake, has made Agoo a major religious center in northern Luzon. Our Lady of Charity's feast day is celebrated every May 4, on the feast of

, in whose honor both the basilica parish and museum are dedicated.

Santa Monica Parish Museum

The basilica's Santa Monica Museum is located to the left of the church at the Bishop Mariano A. Madriaga Hall. The 1815 Bell of Santa Monica Parish, located at the ground floor of the museum, is the main attraction at the entrance of the museum which also displays the portraits of the basilica's principal donor,

and wife. The heritage church bell was discovered at

Bugallon, Pangasinan Bugallon, officially the Municipality of Bugallon ( pag, Baley na Bugallon; ilo, Ili ti Bugallon; tgl, Bayan ng Bugallon), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

in 1963. The second floor contains the extensive memorabilia of Agoo Archbishop Mariano A. Madriaga and Archbishop

Antonio L. Mabutas Archbishop Antonio Lloren Mabutas † (13 June 1921 – 22 April 1999) was the first bishop of Diocese of Laoag and the second Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao. He succeeded Clovis Thibault, PME on 9 December 1972. He was also the Preside ...

(b. June 13, 1921-d. April 22, 1999). Mabutas was born in Agoo, La Union, who became the Bishop of Laoag and later, Archbishop of Davao on December 9, 1972. He served as a bishop for 37 years and a priest for a total of 53 years. He was a Datu Bago awardee, a recognition given by the

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land ...

government to its outstanding residents.Bagaforo, Nelson C. (2011-03-15)
"Meet this year's Datu Bago awardees"
Sunstar - Davao. Retrieved on 2014-04-30.

Image gallery

File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf198.JPG, Brass Statue (consecrated) of Our Lady of Charity in the Basilica Plaza File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf203.JPG, St. Joseph and Baby Jesus statue at the patio File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf204.JPG, Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...

at the center of the front porch cover. File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf206.JPG, The side door of the church File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf282.JPG, The central nave and altar of the basilica File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf262.JPG, Reredos of the main altar with Our Lady of Charity File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf268.JPG, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf283.JPG, The ceiling of the nave File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf275.JPG, The Basilica dome File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf279.JPG, Adoration altar File:BasilicaMinoreofOurLadyofCharityjf 257.JPG, Our Lady of Charity statue

References

Sources

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Our Lady of Charity Minor Basilica Buildings and structures in La Union

Basilica churches in the Philippines Catholic pilgrimage sites Roman Catholic churches completed in 1578 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines Shrines to the Virgin Mary Titles of Mary National Historical Landmarks of the Philippines Spanish Colonial architecture in the Philippines Baroque architecture in the Philippines Roman Catholic churches in La Union Roman Catholic churches completed in 1533 Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union