Basilica of Our Lady (Agoo)
The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity ( English Basilica of Our Lady of Charity ), better known as Agoo Basilica , is a Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines in Agoo , La Union . It is dedicated to Mary of Charity and the seat of the Santa Monica parish of the Roman Catholic diocese of San Fernando de La Union .
history
The parish was founded in 1578 by Franciscan Friars from Italy and Spain. The original church was built using local materials such as nipa palm and bamboo and was dedicated to Francis of Assisi . In 1598 a three-story bell tower was added. In the same year the Augustinians appointed St. Monika von Tagaste as the new patron saint of the city.
On March 16, 1892, a severe earthquake destroyed the church, which was followed by the reconstruction of the Nuestra Señora de Caridad sanctuary in 1893. A wooden statue of the Virgin Mary from the 17th century is the destination of the pilgrimage . The wooden statue, probably from Bantay further north, came to Agoo after the earthquake in 1892 and was crowned in 1971 by the papal nuncio Carmine Rocco .
basilica
The construction of today's, much larger church began on September 8, 1975 after the old church was demolished with the laying of the foundation stone according to plans by Ignacio Palma Bautista. The church in the form of a basilica was completed on December 8, 1978 by Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio and consecrated as a Marian pilgrimage church, this coincided with the four hundredth anniversary of the Christianization of Agoo. Pope John Paul II made the sanctuary a minor basilica on July 15, 1982 .
The basilica was badly damaged by the strong earthquake of July 16, 1990 on the island of Luzon with a magnitude of 7.7. The bell tower collapsed , the only remaining part of the building from 1893. The basilica was rebuilt. The new bell tower was inaugurated on May 1, 2001 together with the new Plaza de Beato Juan Pablo II by Bishop Artemio Lomboy Rillera .
The feast day of Our Lady of Charity is held every year on May 4th, on the feast of St. Monika, in whose honor both the basilica and a neighboring museum are dedicated.
architecture
The basilica is known for its Mexican- Baroque architecture. As a contrast, a rose window characterizes the gray facade of the basilica, on which there are statues of Saints Peter and Paul. The unconventional architecture of the Agoo Basilica is demonstrated by its two unequal bell towers. On the left side of the facade rises the new four-story, hexagonal tower, while on the right there is a bell gable .
The retable of the altar consists of eight wooden panels with artistically carved floral motifs, which are directed towards the center. A large crucifix hangs in the middle of the table. At the head of the reredos is the foot-high statue of Our Lady of Charity under a large canopy with four winding columns. Her feet rest on an urn-shaped base with the same floral pattern as the altarpieces. Two angels flanked their sides behind a silvery background. An organ above the entrance closes off the nave with a wooden ceiling.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b history of the Basilica (Engl.)
- ↑ memorial plaque
- ^ Basilica of Our Lady of Charity on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Layug, Benjamin Locsin (2007). A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches. Pasig City, Philippines: New Day Publishers. pp. 87-89. ISBN 971-8521-10-0 .
Coordinates: 16 ° 19 ′ 23 ″ N , 120 ° 22 ′ 3 ″ E