Basilica of Our Lady of Charity

NHCP Photo Collection, 2016

NHCP Photo Collection, 2016

NHCP Photo Collection, 2016

Location: Agoo, La Union

Category: Buildings/Structures

Type: House of worship

Status: Level II - Historical marker

Marker date: 1982

Installed by: National Historical Institute (NHI)

Marker text:

BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY

LOCATED IN LA UNION’S OLDEST TOWN, AGOO. PARISH AND TOWN FOUNDED IN 1578 BY FRANCISCAN FRS. JUAN BAUTISTA LUCARELLI AND SEBASTIAN DE BAEZA. ORIGINAL CHURCH IN BARANGAY NAGRUGCAN. IMPROVED BY AUGUSTINIAN FR. SATURNINO FRANCO; BELFRY BUILT BY FRS. CASIMIRO MELGOSA AND AQUILINO GARCIA. ALL DESTROYED BY 1892 EARTHQUAKE.

BUILT ON THIS SITE WAS THE NEXT CHURCH WHERE THE LONG-VENERATED IMAGE OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY WAS CANONICALLY CROWNED BY APOSTOLIC NUNCIO SALVATORE SINNO ON 1 MAY 1971 BY RESCRIPT OF POPE PAUL VI. DEMOLISHED IN 1975 FOR A NEW SHRINE. CORNERSTONE LAID ON 8 SEPT. 1975, FEAST OF OUR LADY’S NATIVITY, BY ARCHBISHOP MARIANO A. MADRIAGA, NATIVE OF THE TOWN. CONSTRUCTION STARTED 8 JAN. 1976 FROM DONATIONS BY THE FAITHFUL LED BY A SON OF THE TOWN, TOURISM MINISTER JOSE D. ASPIRAS AND HIS FAMILY AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF BISHOP VICTORINO LIGOT OF SAN FERNANDO DE LA UNION DIOCESE.

CONSECRATED MARIAN SHRINE ON 8 DEC. 1978, FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION BY SEBASTIANO CARDINAL BAGGIO, PREFECT OF THE SACRED CONGREGATION OF BISHOPS, WITH PRESIDENT FERDINAND E. MARCOS AND FIRST LADY IMELDA ROMUALDEZ MARCOS IN ATTENDANCE.

ELEVATED TO RANK OF BASILICA MINORE BY POPE JOHN PAUL II, ON 15 JULY 1982, ON PETITION OF BISHOP SALVADOR LAZO THROUGH ARCHBISHOP BRUNO TORPIGLIANI, APOSTOLIC NUNCIO TO THE PHILIPINES. DEDICATED AS SUCH BY SEBASTIANO CARDINAL BAGGIO ON 8 DEC. 1982.

MSGR. BENITO P. SISON, FIRST RECTOR; MSGR. JOSE G. TONGSON, PRESENT RECTOR; TOMAS M. ASPRER, PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR; JOSE LUIS M. ASPIRAS, MUNICIPAL MAYOR; IGNACIO PALMA BAUTISTA, ARCHITECT; BERNARDO M. VERGARA, EDMUNDO TOLENTINO, JOSE MANANTAN AND BERNABE CORPUZ, SUPERVISING ENGINEERS.