Written by: Robby V. Dela Vega, Member – DCSC Research Team
In the City of Malolos, Bulacan, the Cathedral and Basilica Minor of the Immaculate Conception in Malolos is located – the central church and seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Malolos. It has a colorful history like the great buildings of our people and our faith.
In the beginning, the seed of the Christian faith was planted in the town of Malolos by the Augustinian Missionaries under the leadership of Fray Diego Ordoñez de Vivar, O.S.A. There are two accounts of the founding of the Christian community in Malolos. First, according to Fray Juan Manuel Tombo, O.S.A., it was the year 1578 when Fray Diego erected the sign of the cross at the same time as building a chapel made of bamboo and thatch in an area called “Malolos” which is now occupied by the village of San Agustin . Second, the year 1580 when Fray Vivar built a chapel on the banks of the Canalate River.
This area is considered today as the cradle of Christianity in Malolos. But due to the frequent flooding and the desire to find a more suitable center for the Christianization and Hispanization of the natives, the missionaries soon entered the town until they reached a place with a large lake or “to eat”. In this place, a stronger building was built that was used by the Augustinians and natives for worship.
On June 11, 1580, in a meeting of the Order of San Agustin held at the Convent of Tondo, the Parish and Convent of Malolos was established under the patronage of Inmaculada Concepcion. In this meeting, Fray Matheo de Mendoza, O.S.A. was appointed. as the first Parish Priest.
In the year 1601, Fray Roque Barrionuevo, O.S.A. built the small stone church and convent where it stands today. It is medium in size but made of durable materials. In 1630, a larger stone church was built during the time of Fray Mateo de Braceros, O.S.A. A few decades later, a larger stone church was built and completed in 1673. Another larger church was built again using stronger materials during the time of Fray Fernando Sanchez, O.S.A. in 1734, which was continued in the office of Fray Juan de Meseguer, O.S.A. in 1740 and finished in 1744 during the time of Fray Manuel Baceta, O.S.A. Over time, the church continued to be renovated. In 1753, the then Parish Priest, Fray Jose de Vivar, O.S.A., made renovations to the church.
With the conquest of Manila by the British in 1762, the Spanish were forced to leave the capital to the north. In 1763, a capitulo intermedio was held in the convent of Malolos – an unusual meeting of Augustinian friars led by the then Prior Provincial, Fray Remigio Hernandez, O.S.A. Here the assignments were agreed upon to all the religious Augustinian calzados on what they should do in the dangerous situations they may face due to the foreign occupation.
When visited by Fray Joaquin Martinez de Zuñiga, O.S.A. the Malolos in the year 1800, the Augustinian praised its convent because it is said to be beautiful and has excellent pillars and cornice, despite its dimensions not being suitable. According to him, its clausura will be very narrow. It has nice rooms but it is not comfortable for its user. According to him, it is dark inside the church and the decorations and designs of its retablo are out of date.
In 1813, a great fire destroyed the church during the tenure of Fray Dionisio de Santa Maria, O.S.A. It was completely destroyed in 1816 due to an earthquake. After successive calamities, the construction of a new church began in 1817 under the leadership of Fray Melchor Fernandez, O.S.A. It measures 80 vara in length and 17 vara in width. After this, the convent with the arqueria on the patio was also repaired and a wide living room was installed. The bell tower was also repaired and a torre de relo was built.
He also built a campo santo or cementerio Catolico whose chapel served as the first church of Barasoain when it was separated from Malolos. On October 14, 1826, the Divine Consecration was performed in the church led by Bishop Francisco Alban of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia. Year 1854 when the bell tower and roof of the church were damaged due to a strong earthquake which was temporarily replaced with bamboo and thatch.
On June 3, 1863, another strong earthquake destroyed the church and convent and toppled its torre de reloj and bell tower. It was reorganized during the tenure of Fray Ezekiel Merino, O.S.A. with Don Luciano Oliver as the architect which was completed in 1872. It was again damaged by a strong earthquake in July 1880. Fray Manuel Tombo began repairing the damaged parts of the church and convent in 1883. It was completed in 1884 during the time of Fray Felipe Garcia, O.S.A.
On December 12, 1888, twenty young women from Malolos dared to take advantage of the opportunity to present their request to build a school to learn the Spanish language while visiting Malolos, who was new to the Governor General of the Philippines, Don Valeriano Weyler. They wrote a letter and made every effort to enter the room where the Governor General was in the Convent of the Church of Malolos. Although prevented by the Augustinian friars, the girls were still able to carry out their goal led by Alberta Uitangcoy.
On September 15, 1898 to March 29, 1899, Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo the convent and church as the Presidency of the First Republic of the Philippines. Good Friday, March 31, 1899, on his orders Filipino soldiers burned the church while fleeing the American forces. After this, the army of Hen. Arthur MacArthur the church and made it a headquarters. Only the pavement, belfry and walls of the church remain, while only the stones of the convent’s structure remain.
When the war ended, the administration of the church was transferred to the management of the Filipino priests of the Archdiocese of Manila. In order to meet the spiritual needs of the people of Malolos in the restoration of peace, a temporary church made of bamboo and thatch was built in the place where the convent burned P. Gregorio Crisostomo through the contribution of the whole town.
The construction of the church was started in 1902 during the tenure of P. Magdaleno Castillo. In the time of Mgr. Jose Jovellanos, he bought the old retablo and altar of the Lopez Family of Trozo, Manila to be used in the renovated church. Year 1934, during the tenure of P. Vicente Fernandez when he asked Mr. Alejandro Caudal to make the bigger retablo and altar mayor with the help of Dr. Luis Santos. Here the image of the Inmaculada Concepcion sculpted by Mr. Teodoro Ople is worshipped. The church was inaugurated by a consecration in 1936 presided over by the Most Rev. Michael O’Doherty, Archbishop of Manila. It was also during P. Fernandez’s time when Mr. Agustin Isidro from Kanalate made the two minor altarpieces. In 1948, a pulpit was built for the church. Meanwhile, Estanislao Bautista made the altarpiece of the Blessed Virgin of the Miraculous Medal using pieces from the old altarpiece from Trozo.
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Dogma of the Inmaculada Concepcion in 1954, extensive renovations were carried out in the church under the leadership of Reb. P. Pedro Abad together with a committee led by Dr. Luis Santos. In this renovation, the windows of the church were lowered and enlarged, the paving of the sidewalk was repaired, new chandeliers and Via Crucis were installed, the patio was paved and a new baptistery was built which was blessed by the Lub. kg Rufino Santos, Archbishop of Manila.
In 1956, the National Historical Society placed three historical markers in the church in recognition of the church when it became the Presidency of the Republic of the Philippines attended by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as the guest of honor.
On March 11, 1962, the church was elevated as the cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Malolos covering the Province of Bulacan and the City of Valenzuela through the Apostolic Constitution Christi Fidelium of Pope John XXIII and appointed the Most Rev. Manuel P. Del Rosario, then Bishop of Calbayog, as its first bishop.
On September 13, 1975, the sign for the Siar tree was inaugurated in the cathedral courtyard in memory of the tree as a witness to the colorful history of the cathedral when it was turned into the Palacio Presidencial by Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898 to 1899.
In preparation for the consecration of the cathedral in 1976, a reorganization was carried out inside the cathedral led by Bishop Cirilo Almario and Dr. Juan T. Reyes. During that time, the collegium was removed to make way for the expansion and elevation of the sanctuary. Its two large windows are also equipped with stained glass with paintings of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes and the Blessed Virgin of the Miraculous Medal. The construction of the new convent that will serve as the residence of the Bishop of Malolos and diocesan offices also began at that time.
On April 9, 1999, during the tenure of the Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, O.C.D. the then Pope John Paul II elevated the Cathedral of Malolos as a Minor Basilica. It was formally announced in a mass on December 4, 1999 presided over by His Eminence, Jaime Cardinal Sin and the Most Rev. Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. After the 2017 update on the status of basilicas, only the Manila Cathedral and the Malolos Cathedral are the remaining cathedrals in the country that have both titles as Cathedral and Basilica.
Year 2012, during the tenure of the Most Rev. Jose F. Oliveros, celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Malolos. The construction of the Diocesan Pastoral Center and the Coronacion Canonica of the image of the Virgen Inmaculada Concepcion de Malolos on March 10, 2012 were featured in the works related to it. Also during the era of Bishop Oliveros, renovations were made inside and outside of the cathedral.
The remains of former bishops who served the diocese, Bishop Manuel (passed away on March 23, 2009), Bishop Cirilo (passed away on October 14, 2016) and Bishop Jose (passed away on May 11, 2018) lies in the crypt under the retablo mayor in the sanctuary.
It was on August 21, 2019 when the Most Rev. Dennis C. Villarojo as the Fifth Bishop of Malolos. In celebration of the 500th year of Philippine Christianity, the cathedral was designated as the jubilee church. In the year 2022, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Malolos and the elevation of the Malolos church as a cathedral, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Provincial Office of History, Arts , Culture and Tourism. It was attended by the then chairman of the NHCP, Dr. Rene Escalante with those who serve in the provincial government and city government. On September 10, 2023, the historical marker “Malolos: Landas ng Pagkabansang Pilipino, 1898-1899” was inaugurated in front of its convent as one of the places that became the key to Philippine nationhood.
The Cathedral and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a true treasure of our faith. Established by history over the past 400 years and a testament to God’s unfailing grace through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception.
References:
Bautista, Antonio. Ang Malulos sa mga Dahon ng Kasaysayan, 1878-1940. Malolos: Center for Bulacan Studies, Bulacan State University, 2000.
Galende, Pedro G., O.S.A. Angels in Stone: Architecture of Augustinian Churches in the Philippines. Manila: San Agustin Museum, 1996.
“Iglesia y Convento de Malolos en Bulacan (Filipinas)” in La Ilustracion Filipina: Revista Semanal, Año I, numero 12 (December 23, 1877).
La Ilustracion Filipina: Año I, No. 12., 1877.
Los Terremotos de Filipinas en Julio de 1880. Manila: Tip. de Ramirez y Giraudier, 1880.
Martínez de Zúñiga, Joaquín and Retana, Wenceslao E. Estadismo de las Islas Filipinas o mis viajes por este país. Madrid: Impr. de la viuda de M. Minuesa de los Ríos. 1893.
Panandang Pangkasaysayan ng Katedral ng Malolos. Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, 2022.
Panandang Pangkasaysayan ng Republica Filipina. Pambansang Suriang Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, 1956.
Pérez, Elviro J. Catálogo bio-bibliográfico de los religiosos agustinos de la provincia del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús de las Islas Filipinas desde su fundación hasta nuestros días. Manila: Tip. del Colegio de Santo Tomás, 1901.
Pope John XXIII. Acta Apostolicae Sedis: Commentarium Officiale. ANNUS LI V – SERIES II I – VOL. IV. Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis]., 1962.
Tiongson, Nicanor R. “Kapilya Noon… Katedral Ngayon” in Solemn Consecration – Dedication of the Cathedral of Malolos Souvenir Program, Malolos, Bulacan., December 4, 1976.
Tombo, Juan OSA. “Iglesia y convento de Malolos en Bulacan (Filipinas)” in Revista Agustiniana, VII, Valladolid., 1884.
Source: https://dioceseofmalolos.ph/patroness/
