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 BaroqueRoman Catholicparish 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.[5]
Altar Statue of St. Lawrence of Rome (Photo by PSLDM SocCom)
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.[8]
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.[9]
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 ReverendJose 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[10] 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 ReveredHonesto 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.[8] 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.[11] 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.[8]
Architecture
Church interior in 2018
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.[8]
^ abcdGalende, Pedro (1996). Angels in Stone: Architecture of Augustinian Churches in the Philippines (2nd ed.). Manila, Philippines: San Agustin Museum. pp. 109–110. ISBN9719157100.
