Bacarra Church
| Bacarra Church | |
|---|---|
| Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish Church | |
| San Andres Apostol Parish Church | |
Iglesia Parroquial de San Andrés Apóstol (Spanish) | |
.jpg) Church facade in 2022 | |
.svg)  Bacarra Church Location in Luzon .svg) Bacarra Church Location in the Philippines | |
| 18°15′02″N 120°36′42″E / 18.250495°N 120.611788°E | |
| Location | M. Castro Street, Brgy. Sta. Rita, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte |
| Country | Philippines |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Andrew the Apostle |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | National Cultural Treasure |
| Designated | August 1, 1973 (thru PD No. 260, s. 1973)[1] |
| Style | Church building |
| Completed | 1593[2] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Nueva Segovia |
| Archdiocese | Nueva Segovia |
| Diocese | Laoag |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Marlo Mendoza Peralta |
| Bishop(s) | Renato P. Mayugba |
Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish, commonly known as Bacarra Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in the municipality of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Philippines under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Laoag.
Founded in 1593 by Augustinian friars, the church was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. Its key feature is its domeless, leaning bell tower located just meters from the church.[3]
History
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The Augustinians founded the town of Bacarra on September 18, 1590, and began their missionary activity on land owned by a chieftain the Spaniards named Castillo and a certain Andres Hermosa.[4][5] Baccara was established as a mission center for the Apayaos.[4] The Augustinian mission was run by two priests serving a population of 4,000.[5] The church and an adjoining convent were established in 1593[2] on the site where an Igorot named Bacsalandoc, first settler of the town and chieftain, had erected his hut.[5] The church site is now located in the center of town.[6]
The town became a visita of Laoag in 1603 and an independent parish in 1614.[5] In 1782 a new church on the site was inaugurated by the Augustinians.[2][6]
In 1973 President Ferdinand Marcos declared the church a National Cultural Treasure through Presidential Decree No. 260.[1]
Features
[edit]Bell tower
[edit]
The Bacarra church is famous for its centuries-old, domeless or "beheaded" belfry known as Torre ti Bacarra.[5][7] The structure stands three stories and 50 metres (160 ft) high.[8] The original bell tower, which is detached from the main church building and made of coral bricks, was erected in 1828.[9][10] However, periodic earthquakes from 1931 to 1971 caused the dome to start leaning.[9][10] The entire dome was toppled by the 1983 Luzon earthquake.[2] Restoration of the church was completed in 1984 at a cost of ₱3 million.[2]
The tower is also known as the "Acrobatic Bell Tower of Bacarra".[11]
Restoration works by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on the tower were announced in 2018, and the restored tower was turned over to the Diocese of Laoag in November 2020.[12]
Church museum
[edit]The church museum, known as Museo de Bacarra, is housed in the former church convent. The two-story restored convent, which dates to the Spanish colonial era, features religious artifacts from archival photos and documents and church relics and cultural artifacts mostly contributed by the people of Bacarra.[9] A mysterious underground staircase leading to three tunnels – believed to be connected to the Bacarra river, the church tower, and the altar – was uncovered at the back of the old convent.[9]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Presidential Decree No. 260 (August 1, 1973), Declaring the Sta. Ana Site Museum in Manila, the Roman Catholic Churches of Paoay and Bacarra in Ilocos Norte, the San Agustin Church and Liturgical Objects Therein in Intramuros, Manila, Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City, the Petroglyphs of the Rock-shelter in Angono, Rizal, the Petroglyphs of Alab, Bontoc, the Stone Agricultural Calendars of Dap-ay Guiday in Besao, Bontoc, the Mummy Caves of Kabayan, Benguet and of Sagada and Alab, Bontoc, the Ifugao Rice Terraces of Banaue as National Cultural Treasures; and the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, Tirad Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, the Miagao Church in Miagao, Iloilo, the Site of the Battle of Mactan on Mactan Island, Cebu, the San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila, and the Church and Convent of Santo Niño in Cebu City as National Shrines, Monuments, and/ or Landmarks, Defining the Implementing Agencies and Providing Funds Therefor, The Official Gazette, retrieved September 14, 2024
- ^ a b c d e "Tourist Attractions in Bacarra". bacarra.gov.ph. 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "NHCP to restore historic Paoay Church, Bacarra Tower in Ilocos". PTV News. December 11, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Galende 2007, p. 30
- ^ a b c d e "Bacarra". Official Website of Ilocos Norte. Local Government Unit of Ilocos Norte. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Bacarra Church and Convent". Municipality of Bacarra. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ Arzadon, Christina (November 20, 2012). "Bacarra Museum: New Oasis of Religious, Cultural Artifacts, Mysterious Underground Garden Near 'Beheaded' Belfry Ruins". Ilocos Sentinel. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ Coseteng 1972, p. 73.
- ^ a b c d Arzadon, Christina (November 21, 2012). "Museum hopes to put Ilocos town on tourism map". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ a b Legarda, Benita (1960). "Colonial Churches of Ilocos". Philippine Studies. 8 (1). Ateneo de Manila University: 121–158.
- ^ Esguerra 2012, p. 228
- ^ Tabios, Hanah (November 19, 2020). "NHCP Delivers Restored Heritage Icons to Ilocos Norte". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
Bibliography
[edit]- Coseteng, Alice M. L. (1972). Spanish Churches in the Philippines. UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.
- Galende, Pedro (2007). Philippine Church Façades. Manila: San Agustin Museum. ISBN 9789710724338.
- Esguerra, George (2012). The Borough of Licab. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781426955990.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Bacarra Church at Wikimedia Commons- Bacarra Church on Facebook
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