Church in Bulacan, Philippines
| Balagtas Church | |
|---|---|
| Parish of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr | |
 The church's façade in 2023 | |
| 14°49′05″N 120°54′29″E / 14.818164°N 120.908117°E / 14.818164; 120.908117 | |
| Location | Wawa, Balagtas, Bulacan |
| Country | Philippines |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | May 12, 1596; 428 years ago (1596-05-12) |
| Founder(s) | Augustinian Friars |
| Dedication | Saint Lawrence |
| Consecrated | June 12, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-06-12), by Most Rev. Honesto Ongtioco, D.D. |
| Relics held | Saint Lawrence |
| Events |
List
|
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church building |
| Style | Baroque, Neo-Romanesque |
| Completed | Before 1738 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, concrete, steel, brick |
| Bells | 8 (5 old | 3 new) |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Manila |
| Diocese | Malolos |
| Deanery | Saint Martin of Tours |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Most Rev. Dennis Villarojo, D.D. |
| Curate(s) | Rt. Rev. Msgr. Angelito Santiago, H.P., V.F. |
| Asst Curate(s) | |
The Parish Church of Saint Lawrence of Rome, Deacon and Martyr, commonly known as the Balagtas Church (Filipino: Simbahan ng Balagtas), is an 18th-century Baroque Roman Catholic parish church in the Municipality of Balagtas in the Philippines, dedicated to Saint Lawrence, one of the most venerated Roman martyrs, celebrated for his Christian valor.
The said parish is under the pastoral jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos. The incumbent pastor is The Right Reverend Monsignor Angelito Juliano Santiago, who assumed pastoral governance of the church on the 11th day of February 2021. He is also the Vicar Forane of the Vicariate of St. Martin of Tours - Bocaue in the Episcopal Eastern District of the Diocese, since the 22nd of July 2024.
History
Parish history
Balagtas, originally referred to as Caruya and later renamed to Bigaa by the mid-1600s, was accepted by the Augustinian Friars as a convent under the patronage of Saint Lawrence on May 12, 1596. Father Francisco de Campos and Father Andres de Cordoba were named priests of Balagtas the same year. The convent of Guiguinto was frequently annexed to the convent of Balagtas due to the former's poor economic status. Guiguinto was first annexed to Balagtas in 1607. By 1612, Balagtas was reported to be an independent with two visitas and 2,400 parishioners. Its catchment population decreased when one of its barrio-visita, Casay, separated to form a new parish. In 1639, Balagtas was declared a vicariate.
The then-named town of Bigaa is then part of the Archdiocese of Manila under the Vicariate of Bulacan until the establishment of the new Bulacan Diocese of Malolos in 1961, promulgated by Pope John XXIII through the Apostolic Constitution Christi fidelium. On June 18, 1966, Bigaa was renamed into Balagtas, honoring the renowned Filipino poet and writer, Francisco Balagtas, who was born and raised in the town.
Renovation, Rededication and Consecration
In December 2013, the parish received its new pastor in the person of Fr. Leocadio De Jesus, who was then transferred from his pastoral governance in the Pulilan Church. The then Bishop of Malolos, the Most Reverend Jose Oliveros requested him to have the church to be on its 'more dignifying image,' seeing the situation of the church building on its 'aging stage.'
During the incumbency of Fr. Leocadio de Jesus, adhering to the bishop's request, the parish initiated a fundraising campaign for the renovation of the church starting in mid-2014. The renovation formally began in 2016 and was executed by Vitreartus Liturgical Arts. While the works are on its way, liturgical services of the parish were temporarily held on a makeshift church in the church's patio for almost three years. Upon the partial completion of the works, the church was re-opened in 2017 for occasional use, and then closed once again for the final phase of renovation works.
On the 12th of June 2018, a celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass & the Rite of (Re)Dedication and Consecration of the parish church and its altar took place, to signify the formal re-opening of the church after years of renovation works.
The solemn Mass & Consecration rites were originally to be presided by then-Bishop Oliveros after he published the decree for the dedication & consecration of the said church. However, brought by his 'untimely' passing on the 11th day of May 2018, it was now being presided by then-Apostolic Administrator of the Malolos Diocese and then-Bishop of Cubao Diocese, the Most Revered Honesto Ongtioco.
The occasion was also graced by the presence of two concelebrating ordinaries: the Most Reverend Bartolome Santos of the Iba Diocese & the Most Reverend Jacinto Jose of the Urdaneta Diocese. The clergy of Malolos and other Dioceses are also in attendance, including at that time, the incumbent parish priest himself, Fr. Leocadio de Jesus, and his predecessor, Fr. Reynaldo Fernando Jr., who had served the parish for almost 13 years. (Fr. Reynaldo Fernando Jr. has passed away on the first day of December 2022.) Parishioners and faithful from the town and other lands in the country had come together to witness the extraordinary event on the Catholic faith in Balagtas.
Currently, the Parish has its two son-parishes. Namely, the Parish Church of St. Peter the Apostle in Barangay Borol Segundo & the Parish Church of St. Joseph the Worker in Barangay Panginay.
Architectural history
Balagtas had its first parochial structures made of light materials long before 1645, the year when it was reported to have sustained heavy damage from an earthquake. The convent of Balagtas must have experience financial instability since it was reported that it took the priests of Balagtas months before the structures can be repaired. The exact date of the construction of the present church cannot be pointed out clearly although some sources suggest that it was built a few years after 1805, the year when a church was reportedly built on Balagtas’ former town site, now known as Bigaang Matanda. Father Manuel Buceta, minister of Balagtas in 1738, 1751 and 1754 repaired the church and built a new convent. Another earthquake damaged the church in 1880. Between 1893 and 1898, the church and convent were repaired, the bell tower was erected under the supervision of Father Francisco Martin Giron. The church underwent series of renovations especially in the early 1960s.
Architecture
The most striking features of the church façade are the recessed arch dominating much of the front of the church and the absence of pilasters dividing the façade into several segments. Above and beside the arch are semicircular arch windows and a rose window that allow the entry of light to the choir loft inside. The two semicircular arch windows also act as niches holding figures of angels. The entire façade has been plastered with cement and was laid out with patterns mimicking the original stone wall. A concrete porte-cochere topped with onion-shaped finials was a later addition. Attached to the right of the church is a three-level octagonal bell tower.
References
- "Nuestra Señora de la Consolacion y Correa de Balagtas – The Mother of Balagtas, Bulacan". Pintakasi (Wordpress).
- "The blessing of the Parish's new Monumental Belfry of the 5 old bells. (August 10, 2024)". San Lorenzo de Roma Church (Facebook).
- "The blessing and inaguration of the Parish's 3 new bells. (August 09, 2024)". San Lorenzo de Roma Church (Facebook).
- "The Eastern District Vicariate of St. Martin of Tours - Bocaue". Official website of the Malolos Diocese.
- "Saint Lawrence | Tradition, Martyrdom, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- "Msgr. Angelito Santiago". barasoainchurch.coffeecup.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- Ang Sandigan, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos. "Appointment of Vicar Foranes in the Diocese of Malolos". Facebook.
- ^ Galende, Pedro (1996). Angels in Stone: Architecture of Augustinian Churches in the Philippines (2nd ed.). Manila, Philippines: San Agustin Museum. pp. 109–110. ISBN 9719157100.
- "A Short History Of Balagtas Or Big Double-A (Bigaa) - From Late 1500's To Present - Bulakenyo.ph". November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Consecration". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- De La Torre, Tomas (September 22, 1963). "The Bigaa (Bulacan) Catholic Church". The Philippine Herald.
External links
Media related to Saint Lawrence Deacon & Martyr Parish Church of Balagtas at Wikimedia Commons- San Lorenzo de Roma Church on Facebook
- San Lorenzo de Roma Church on TikTok
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