BEACHES AND CHURCHES: THE CHURCHES OF BULACAN: PART FOUR

This post covers eleven churches of Bulacan: 1) St. John of God Parish Church, San Rafael; 2) San Roque Chapel, San Roque, San Rafael; 3) Diocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Cruz na Daan, San Rafael; 4) St. Michael Archangel Parish Church, San Miguel; 5) St. Ildephonsus Parish Church, San Ildefonso; 6) Immaculate Conception Parish Church, Pandi; 7) St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Norzagaray; 8) St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church, Meycauayan; 9) St. Paschal Baylon, St. Claire & Our Lady of Salambao Parish Church, Obando; 10) St. Lawrence the Deacon Parish, Balagtas and 11) Nuestra Señora de Lourdes Parish, Doña Remedios Trinidad.

18. ST. JOHN OF GOD PARISH CHURCH,

SAN RAFAEL, BULACAN (F-1758)

The façade of the church is plain with not much ornamentations except for the paired columns on both sides near the main entrance. The columns at both ends are slightly occluded. A flying portico covers the main door. The belfry is on the left of the church.

Welcome arch to the parish church.

19. SAN ROQUE CHAPEL, SAN ROQUE, SAN RAFAEL

On the road between Baliuag and San Miguel, we passed by this captivatingly bright-colored brick chapel of San Roque in Brgy. San Roque, San Rafael.

A richly decorated altar.

The altar table with the Last Supper being depicted and the tabernacle with its decoration occupying the whole central panel bordered on the sides by a column with angels on trumpets on top.

20. DIOCESAN SHRINE OF THE SACRED HEART,

CRUZ NA DAAN, SAN RAFAEL, BULACAN (F-1935)

Just a few kilometers away from the San Roque Chapel on the way to San Miguel was this Diocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was just proclaimed as such on December 1, 2000 by the Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD.

21. ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH CHURCH,

SAN MIGUEL, BULACAN (F-1725)

The town was founded by the Augustinians as a visita of Candaba before 1607. It became an independent town in 1848. Its patron saint is St. Michael the Archangel. The present church was built in 1848 but has been restored several times. On December 3, 2003 the church was solemnly dedicated by the Most Rev. Jose Oliveros, bishop of Malolos.

The grooved four paired pillars have angels on top as finials. The flat pediment is topped by a belfry balustraded on the sides. The statue of St. Michael slaying the dragon occupies the center part of the pediment below the belfry. It has a single arched entrance with decorated niches on the sides.

Welcome arch to the town of San Miguel.

St. Michael the Archangel

Church interior

The presidential chair.

A bas-relief of one the evangelists on the dome.

Altar retablo. The altar table looked like it was made of silver.

The side of the church

Some lapida of the deceased on the walls of the church.

Parish convent.

This is one of some heritage looking houses in San Miguel.

22. ST. ILDEPHONSUS PARISH CHURCH,

SAN ILDEFONSO, BULACAN (F-1885)

A balustraded canopy with Corinthian colums fronting the main door occupies the main frame of the façade of the church. On top of the second level is a niche of the patron saint of the town, St. Ildephonsus. The belfry is attached to the left of the church. The church is made up of bricks.

This were some of the decorative ornaments on sale at the convento.

The patron saint, St. Ildephonso.

23. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH CHURCH,

PANDI, BULACAN (F-1911)

24. ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE PARISH CHURCH,

NORZAGARAY, BULACAN (F-1787)

Although established in 1787, the church of Norzagaray is new. It has a wide entrance divided into three doors which are just side by side to each other separated by a post. There are four pinials on top with a cross in the middle. On the right side of the church is a free standing and very slender belfry.

An altar retablo was being constructed when we visited the church.

25. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI PARISH CHURCH,

MEYCAUAYAN, BULACAN (F-1578)

This domed church has an elongated and balustraded canopy porch in front of the main entrance. Two small side entrances are besides the main portal. There are also small moulded niches to extreme end of the façade separated by a column. The five-level belfry on the right is connected to the church by an archway.

The arched doorway with carved bas-relief of St. Francis of Assisi.

Church interior.

Bas-relief of the evangelists on the corners of the dome.

26. ST. PASCHAL BAYLON, ST. CLAIRE & OUR LADY OF SALAMBAO PARISH CHURCH,
OBANDO, BULACAN (F-1754)

Obando was founded by the Franciscans in 1754 with its three titular patrons. The plastered walls provide a smooth background for the symmetrical placement of windows. Below the pediment is a niche of St. Paschal Baylon. The second level has three arched windows of the choir loft. They are reflected on the first level with the blind niches and main portal which has an added arched concrete canopy. The five-level belfry is on the right of the church with arched glass-paned and blind windows.