Basilicas in Central Philippines

This blog discusses basilicas in the National Capital Region and Central Luzon.

I blogged about the following basilica on October 7, 2019.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Manila.

Basilica of San Sabastian, Manila, National Capital Region

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1890—the first in the Philippines.

The Basilica is the fifth church to stand on this site—others were destroyed by fire or earthquake. The Neo-Gothic Basilica is the only steel church building in the Philippines and was constructed between 1888 and 1891. The Basilica’s stained glass windows were crafted in Germany. Above the main altar is a statue of Our Lady of Mounty Carmel that came from Mexico City in 1617.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Manila, National Capital Region

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

The Basilica houses the Black Nazarene icon. The icon was crafted by a Mexican artist in the early 17th Century and was brought to the Philippines by the Spanish. A fire broke out on the voyage which blackened the image of Jesus. Pilgrims were soon attracted to the image and a chapel was constructed. The current neo-Colonial and Baroque church was built in the 1920s and expanded in the 1980s.

Pictures are from Expedia, a local source, and Wikipedia.

Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Manila, National Capital Region

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

The Basilica dates to 1596, but has been destroyed many times over the centuries, most recently during the Second World War. Reconstruction was not completed until 1985 and construction employed Philippine and Chinese styles. The Basilica is dedicated to St. Lorenzo Ruiz who served as a sacristan at the church. He went to Japan as a missionary and was martyred there in 1637. He was the first Filipino saint.

The top picture is from a local source and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Malolos, Bulacan, Central Luzon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Malolos. A church has been at this location since the late 16th Century. The current stone church was built between 1814 and 1817, but was largely destroyed during the Spanish-American War. For a time during the War, the parish convent served as the Presidential Palace for the Philippines. The church was rebuilt in a Neo-classical style between 1902 and 1936.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Quezon City, National Capital Region

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2018.

The Basilica was built between 1954 and 1964 and is administered by the Discalced Carmelites. Many of the icons were crafted by the architect’s father. One of the Basilica’s most impressive features is a 30-foot tall sculpture of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as Mother of the World. It was carved in 1937 and brought to the Basilica in 2016. The Basilica is a popular church for weddings.

The first two pictures are from the Basilica website and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Orani, Bataan, Central Luzon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2019.

The Neo-classical Basilica was essentially built in 1938 after a fire destroyed most of the town and the church. A church has been on this site since 1714.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of San Pedro Bautista, Quezon City, National Capital Region

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2020.

The Basilica parish dates to 1590 making it one of the oldest in the Philippines. It is dedicated to Father Pedro Bautista, a Spanish Franciscan, who established the parish before going to Japan where he became one of the 26 Martyrs of Japan in 1597. The Basilica is administered by the Franciscans. The current stone Spanish-mission style church was completed in 1699, expanded in the 1970s, and updated in 2016.

The first picture is from a local source and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Santa Maria, Bulacan, Central Luzon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2021.

The Baroque stone Basilica was built between 1793 and the late 1800s by the Franciscans. Many pilgrimages are made to the Basilica because of a wooden image of the Virgin Mary dating to colonial times.