Santiago Apostol Church (Plaridel)

Last updated

Plaridel Church
Saint James the Apostle Parish Church
  • Santiago Apostol Church
  • Quingua Church
Parokya ni Santiago Apostol (Filipino)
Quingua Church, Plaridel, Bulacan, Mar 2024.jpg
Church façade in 2024
Philippines Bulacan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Plaridel Church
Philippines location map (Luzon mainland).svg
Red pog.svg
Plaridel Church
Philippines location map (square).svg
Red pog.svg
Plaridel Church
14°53′09″N120°51′36″E / 14.8858°N 120.8601°E / 14.8858; 120.8601
LocationPoblacion, Plaridel, Bulacan
Country Philippines
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Status Parish church
FoundedSeptember 27, 1602
Consecrated April 4, 1999
Cult(s) present St. James the Elder
Relics held3rd class silver medal from Compostela, Spain
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationWith Marker from the National Historical Institute
Architectural type Church building
Style Baroque
Specifications
Materials Sand, gravel, cement, mortar, steel and bricks
Administration
DistrictWestern District (Vicariate of St. James the Apostle (Plaridel))
Diocese Malolos
Deanery St. James (Plaridel)
Clergy
Bishop(s) Dennis Cabanada Villarojo
Priest(s) Rev. Fr. Rufino L. Sulit
Assistant priest(s) Rev. Fr. Samuel A. Estrope II

Saint James the Apostle Parish Church, also known as Santiago Apostol Church, Plaridel Church or Quingua Church, is a 15th-century Roman Catholic church under the patronage of Saint James the Apostle and is located along Gov. Padilla street, Brgy. Poblacion, in Plaridel, Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos. In 1961, a historical marker was installed on the church by the National Historical Committee (precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines).

Contents

History

Church PHC historical marker installed in 1961 Simbahan ng Quingua PHC historical marker.jpg
Church PHC historical marker installed in 1961

The church of Plaridel, or Quingua was first established as one of the visitas of Malolos in 1581 and Fray Mateo Mendoza OSA who administered the Malolos Convent began the Christianization of Encomienda Binto y Quingua. It was located in a barrio now called "Lumangbayan" the mission chapel was soon transferred to its present location across the river Quingua (now known as Angat River) because of frequent flooding. Due to long distance of Malolos Convent to the Visita of Binto making the friars to be physically exhausted, the Augustinian prior of Malolos Fray Roque de Barrionuevo made the elevation of Visita of Binto into a Quasi-Parish on September 27, 1602. On April 30, 1605, Quingua was officially established as a full pledge Parish with Fray. Diego Pardo OSA as its first parish priest under the advocacy of Santiago de Matamoro. A Church was built on the new location starting 1602 and took 15 years to complete. The adobe stones used in the church were from the town of Meycauayan while the bricks used were made at Sitio Nabugtos at Brgy. Sta. Ines. In the year 1612, Quingua already had its own convent and 1,800 parishioners. It is said that the parish was not as wealthy as other convents in the Provincia de Bulacan during that time and that it was exempted from its fees to the Augustinian Province in the Philippines located at the San Agustin Church, Intramuros, from 1640 to 1704. The 1605 church was razed by fire after being hit by lightning. As a result, in 1722 a new church was built by Fr. Tomas Quijano on the same site. In 1772, the church was razed by fire once more but was quickly rebuilt. During the British Invasion in the 18th century, some of the treasures and documents owned by the San Agustin Monastery in Intramuros were transferred to the convent of Quingua. The church suffered immensely from an earthquake in 1863 but was repaired the same year. [1] According to the historical marker installed by the National Historical Committee, the church also served as a military hospital and cuartel by the Americans in 1899.

Long time administered by the Archdiocese of Manila, on March 11, 1962, with the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos, the Quingua Church and Convent administration and ownership was transferred to the Diocese of Malolos, making Quingua Church the center of one of the original nine vicarias[ check spelling ] of Malolos, the Vicariate of Plaridel or the Vicariate of Santiago Apostol comprising the parishes in the municipalities of Calumpit, Balagtas (Bigaa), Guiguinto, Baliwag, Pulilan and Plaridel (Quingua).

Architecture

Church interior in 2015 9805Santiago Apostol Church Plaridel Bulacan 20.jpg
Church interior in 2015

The present stone and brick church is barn-style Baroque mixed with Moorish ornamentation. The first level of the façade consists of a main trefoil arch doorway flanked by two niches of saints. The second level, with its three windows, is plainly adorned by four pairs of pillars. The pointed arch shaped pediment (resembling a minaret), on the other hand, is richly ornamented with carvings of cherubs, saints and other embellishments surrounding the oculus or rose window. At the peak of the pediment is a carving of the pierced heart of Jesus, a symbol of the Augustinian Order. Attached to left of the façade is the five-storey bell tower with a quadrilateral base and octagonal upper levels and topped by a cone-shaped dome. [2] [3] There are five bells in the belfry, the biggest of which is dedicated to Nuestra Senora de la Consolación. [1]

Simborio Chapel

Simborio Chapel in 2020 1173Simborio Campo Santo of Quingua Church 17.jpg
Simborio Chapel in 2020

Near the church is an octagonal chapel locally known as the Simborio Chapel. Believed to have been built in the 1800s, the chapel may have functioned as a mortuary chapel although its current location in a residential area is a few meters away from the Catholic cemetery. The chapel features pointed arch windows and semicircular niches on its base.

Daughter parishes

Daughter parishes of Plaridel Church
ParishSeparation yearLocation
St. Isidore the Laborer Parish1749Pulilan, Bulacan
St. Augustine Parish1733Baliuag, Bulacan
St. John of God Parish1750San Rafael, Bulacan
St. Ildephonse of Toledo Parish1809San Ildefonso, Bulacan
St. Michael the Archangel Parish1947Dampol, Plaridel, Bulacan
Holy Angels Parish1999San Jose, Plaridel, Bulacan

Chapels subdued

ChapelLocation
San Clemente ChapelParulan
San Isidro ChapelSitio Sumilang
San Vicente Ferrer ChapelBagong Silang
San Francisco & Sta. Clara ChapelBanga 2nd
San Padre Pio ChapelLa Mirada Subd.
San Antonio de Padua ChapelBanga 1st
San Roque ChapelTabang Bungad
Santa Ines ChapelSta. Ines Proper
Santa Ines ChapelSta. Ines Bukid
Santa Krus ChapelLalangan
Sto. Niño ChapelSto. Niño
San Roque ChapelSitio Balante
San Isidro ChapelAgnaya
Banal na Krus (Santa Krus) ChapelLumangbayan

Mandated organizations

Parish priests (Order of Saint Augustine)

Parish priests (Filipino priests)

Parochial vicar

St. James' Salubong Festival

Saint James the Great is the patron saint of Quingua Church. Santiago Apostol de Quingua (29 December 2021 night procession).jpg
Saint James the Great is the patron saint of Quingua Church.
The image of Santiago Apostol upon arrival in Quingua Church Plaridel Salubong Festival 2021.jpg
The image of Santiago Apostol upon arrival in Quingua Church

A fiesta for horse lovers is the popular two-day celebration called "Pintakasi ng mga Caballero" held before New Year's Eve in Plaridel, Bulacan. Its main attraction, held on December 29, is a colorful parade of cocheros, jockeys and other equine aficionados, followed by a tilbury race (horse-drawn chariots for two), whose participants include movie stars (particularly members of the clan of the late former Bulacan Governor Jose Padilla, I), luminaries of the province and government officials.

This annual celebrations delight to both local and foreign tourists turned 400 years old last December.[ when? ] It is actually the traditional feast of San Tiago Mata Moros in Plaridel town.

Multitudes of devotees, who are joined by tourists, flock to Plaridel every year either to witness or participate in this colorful ritual in honor of San Tiago, or St. James the Apostle, who has been depicted as a horse rider. San Tiago is considered the unofficial patron of cocheros and jockeys.

St. James the Apostle is the cousin of Christ. His image, portrayed riding on a white horse trampling upon pagan figures, is brought in a procession from its "home" in Barangay Sipat and transferred to the Parish Church.

Fiesta organizers dub the ritual preceded by an early morning mass on December 29 at the chapel of Barangay Sipat as, "the traditional salubong." Featured are race studs and the patient horses of caritelas and tilburies with their owners seeking blessing during the translacion or transfer of their patron saint.

The procession is called salubong because San Tiago's image tailed by groups of faithful including elderly women wearing kimona’t saya and buntal hats performing a ritual dance is met by the patron's other devotees halfway from Sipat to Plaridel Parish Church, in the town's poblacion.

Local officials and national figures often join the devotees’ seven-kilometer trek to the parish church. In the past celebration, Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz Araneta; DOTC Sec. Vicente Rivera Jr., who hails from Plaridel; Former Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz; and former Bulacan Vice Governor Willie Villarama, this town's "adopted son", led the procession.

The image stays inside the parish to give time for the faithful to pay their respects until the following day, December 30, when the image is again carried in a procession around the poblacion. After 14 days, when the fiesta celebration is over, the image, in another simple procession accompanied by fiesta organizers and town officials, will be returned to the Sipat Chapel, popularly known as Hatid.

"Salubong" ritual dates back to the time of Spanish friars who established the town's parish church in 1580, making St. James patron saint of the town. according to a local book of the town's history, the original image of St. James on a white horse brought to Plaridel (then Quingua) by the Spaniards in the 1800s was left in the care of the family of Bernardo Sampana a rebel heathen of Sepoy ancestry who became a Christian convert. The image was housed in their home at Barrio Tabang. Then the Sampanas were ordered by the friars to turn over the said image to the possession of the owners of the Bahay na Bato in Barrio Sipat (which was renamed Santiago), because of the townsfolks' claim that the family was allegedly practicing sorcery.

When the owners of Bahay na Bato died, the image became the possession of Tandang Sitang whose house was eventually turned into a barrio chapel, present home to San Tiago's image in Sipat.

San Tiago, or St. James the Apostle, was a Galilean and brother of St. John the Evangelist. He was ordered killed by Herod Agrippa, King of Judea in 41 A.D. A history book of Philip Van Ness says the tomb of St. James was found in Northern Spain in 718 A.D. Thirty years after that, a war between the Spaniards and the Moors broke out. When the Spaniards were in near defeat, an apparition of St. James, armed with a sword and riding a white horse, appeared "as bright as a star" in the thick of the battle.

The apparition gave life to the demoralized Spanish soldiers and led them to victory over the Moors, who in turn were bedazzled by the blinding image of St. James. This "miracle" probably explains why St. James became patron saint of those who have affinity with horses, like the devotees flocking every year to the colorful Plaridel ritual.

Restoration of ceiling art

Church ceiling in 2014 Jf2955StJamesChurchPlaridelBulacanfvf 04.JPG
Church ceiling in 2014

Late in November 2013, efforts to restore parts of the Santiago Apostol Church, including its ceiling paintings were completed. The project's proponent was the parish church management under the leadership of Fr. Dennis Espejo in cooperation with the AADG Restoration Group. According to project director Andrew Alto de Guzman, the task was aimed at promoting the appreciation of Quingua's heritage. The project, which took two years to complete involved three stages. The first stage, after extensive research on the structure, was uncovering the church trusses, the tirantes or decorative beams, and the zapata or corbels which supported the original ceiling, all of which were covered in the 1970s when tin sheets and wood were used as the church ceiling. The second stage was remaking the trompe-l'œil paintings in the ceiling based on archival photos. Among the images illustrated were those of Christ, Mary, and the twelve apostles. The artworks were done by local artists Chris Pasco, Mark Villanueva, Roy Gutierrez, Joey de Guzman and assistants. The third phase of the project centered on applying lime plaster to the upper portions of the capitals. The application of palitada was provided by Escuela Taller. The bricked up rose windows on the sides of the church were also exposed. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulacan</span> Province in Central Luzon, Philippines

Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulakan, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Bulakan, officially the Municipality of Bulakan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,232 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malolos</span> Capital of Bulacan, Philippines

Malolos, officially the City of Malolos, is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the seat of the provincial government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angat, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Angat, officially the Municipality of Angat, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,617 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balagtas, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Balagtas, officially the Municipality of Balagtas, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 77,018 people. The municipality is 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Manila and is 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from Malolos City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagonoy, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Hagonoy, officially the Municipality of Hagonoy, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 133,448 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paombong</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Paombong, officially the Municipality of Paombong, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,696 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaridel, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Plaridel, officially the Municipality of Plaridel, formerly known as Quingua, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 114,432 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barasoain Church</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, also known as Barásoain Church is a Roman Catholic church built in 1888 in Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos and is about 42 kilometers (26 mi) from Manila. Having earned the title as the "Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines", and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the church is proverbial for its historical importance among Filipinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos</span> Latin Catholic diocese in the Philippines

The Diocese of Malolos is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, encompassing the whole Province of Bulacan and Valenzuela City in metropolitan Manila and is a suffragan to the metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila. The mother church of the Diocese is the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception located in Malolos City, Bulacan. The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Immaculate Conception is the principal patroness of the diocese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obando Church</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

The San Pascual Baylón Parish and National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Immaculada Concepcion de Salambao, commonly known as Obando Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in the municipality of Obando in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sub-Parish Church of Santo Cristo</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

Santo Cristo Sub-Parish Church, locally known as the Bisita ng Mahal na Señor Santo Cristo de Baliuag and Apo Kristo Chapel, is the oldest "ermita" (chapel) in Baliuag, Bulacan, Philippines. The visita is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos and is bounded by the cities of San Fernando and Mabalacat in Pampanga, and Balanga in Bataan. At present, its mother Parish, the Saint Augustine Parish Church of Baliuag, Bulacan, has 4 parishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Augustine Parish Church (Baliwag)</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Augustine, commonly known as Baliwag Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Plaza Naning at the poblacion of Baliwag, in Bulacan province, Philippines. The church is a parish church of the Diocese of Malolos, which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Monica Parish Church (Angat)</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

Santa Monica Parish Church, commonly known as Angat Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Angat, Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos and is one of the oldest churches in Bulacan province, dating back to 1758. It displays Baroque architectural characteristics and features ceiling paintings which resemble those in the Sistine Chapel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Juan Bautista Church (Calumpit)</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint John the Baptist, also known as the San Juan Bautista Parish Church and commonly known as Calumpit Church, is a 17th-century, Roman Catholic, baroque church located in Calumpit, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist, belongs to the Diocese of Malolos under the Vicariate of Saint James the Apostle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Isidro Labrador Church (Pulilan)</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Isidro Labrador, commonly known as Pulilan Church, is a 19th-century Baroque Roman Catholic church located at Brgy. Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Isidore, the Laborer, is under the Diocese of Malolos. The church is popular for being the site where water buffalos are made to kneel as tribute to the feast day of the patron saint. Like the Saint Augustine Parish from the nearby town of Baliuag, the church is also known for featuring one of the longest Holy Week Processions with at least 110 floats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guiguinto Church</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

San Ildefonso de Toledo Parish Church, commonly known as Guiguinto Church, is an 18th-century, Baroque Roman Catholic church located along the MacArthur Highway, Brgy. Poblacion, Guiguinto, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, under the aegis of Saint Ildephonsus, Bishop of Toledo, is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos. The church is connected to St. Martin de Porres Catholic school of Guiguinto, a private school in Guiguinto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church (Pulong Buhangin)</span> Roman Catholic church in Bulacan, Philippines

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, also known as Nuestra Señora del Carmen Parish, is a Roman Catholic church situated in Km. 38, Barangay Pulong Buhangin, Santa Maria, in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos and within the Vicariate of Santa Maria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago Apóstol, Liétor</span>

Santiago Apóstol is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Liétor, in the Community of Castilla–La Mancha, Spain.

References

  1. 1 2 Parish Fiesta Committee. Pistang bayan: Disyembre 29-30. Santiago Apostol Parish, Plaridel.
  2. ↑ Galende, Pedro (2007). Philippine Church Facades. Vibal Publishing House, Inc. p. 136. ISBN   978-971-07-2433-8.
  3. ↑ Cabigas, Estan. "Visita Iglesia: The Old Churches of Bulacan (Part 1 of 2)". simbahan.net. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  4. ↑ Lao, L. V. (March 9, 2014). "Heritage conservators, artists restore hispanic church's ceiling in Plaridel, Bulacan". inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.