BEACHES AND CHURCHES: CHURCHES OF TARLAC

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

CHURCHES OF TARLAC

The landlocked province of Tarlac at the center of the central plains of Luzon is composed of 17 towns and one component city. I got the chance to go around the towns of Tarlac when I was invited to celebrate a mass at the Monasterio de Tarlac. I was able to visit fifteen of the towns and the city of Tarlac.

SAN SEBASTIAN CATHEDRAL PARISH

Tarlac City
Founded: 1720

Just above the altar of the San Sebastian Cathedral was a dome resting on six rounded pillars. The crucifix was on the main altar with stained glass windows at the background with the images of Mary and John at the foot of the cross. There were also two smaller retablos on both sides inside a rounded niche.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH

Tibag, Tarlac City

Founded: 1993

Distinctive of the church of Tibag was the statue of the Christ the Saviour on top of the church. The church since it was not that big was airconditioned.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH

Concepcion, Tarlac
Founded: 1863

SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF PEACE AND GOOD VOYAGE

La Paz, Tarlac

Founded: 1790

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH

Victoria,Tarlac

Founded: 1772

A tall concrete cross with a tower below one arm of the cross with stained glass almost reaching down was the prominent feature of the façade of the parish church of Victoria. A white retablo with three niches was on the altar with the statue of the Immaculate Conception in the middle. Below the niche in the middle was the tabernacle.

ST. ANTONINUS PARISH

Pura, Tarlac

Founded: 1887

The parish church of Pura had a triangular facade with a canopy in front, and the belfry on its left. It had a simple altar retablo painted in white with three niches, with the patron saint in the middle.

ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER PARISH

Estipona, Pura, Tarlac

Founded: 1964

On the way to Gerona we passed by the parish church of San Isidro Labrador in Estipona, Pura, Tarlac. What was unique in this church was the gold leafed altar retablo. The columns which were made of concrete were in the form of bamboos.

SHRINE OF ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS PARISH

Ramos, Tarlac

Founded: 1952

The church of Ramos is considered as the wedding capital of Tarlac. It had a beautiful facade all painted in white with five statues inside their niches. The church is a Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. On the altar was a crucifix with the resurrected Christ. There were two medallions on each side with bas relief of saints carved in it. At the farthest end on both sides of the altar were the statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE PARISH

Anao, Tarlac

Founded: 1935

The parish church of the town of Anao was a small but with a beautiful facade. The main door was rounded with three layered arches resting on three columns. It had a rose window on top of the arched doorway and the statue of the patron saint on top just below the pediment. The altar was simple with just a crucifix with a stained glass windows in the form of two hands below the crucifix and an arch one on top.

ST. RAYMUND NONNATUS PARISH

Moncada, Tarlac

Founded: 1804

The church of Moncada was dedicated to St. Raymund Nonnatus. They also had a retablo for an altar. This time a crucifix was in the middle flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. Raymund Nonnatus on both sides. There was also a round stained glass on top of the niches.

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH

Camiling, Tarlac

Founded: 1874

There was a heavy traffic as we entered the town of Camiling as only one bridge was being used, the old one being under repair. There were a number of steps in going to the church. A wooden altar retablo was in place with five niches, the resurrected Christ was in the middle. There were also smaller retablos on both sides.

ST. ROSE OF LIMA PARISH

Paniqui, Tarlac

Founded: 1804

The parish church of Paniqui was dedicated to St. Rose of Lima, a statue of which was plastered on the facade of the church. There was also a wooden retablo on the altar with three independent niches: the resurrected Christ on the middle and the Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Rose of Lima on both sides.

ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA PARISH

Gerona, Tarlac

Founded: 1894

The parish church of Gerona had a beautiful retablo within an arch and a crucifix with a stained glass window at the back. There were also smaller retablos on each side. It seems that the frontage of the parish church of Gerona had become the public parking space for cars and tricycles in town.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH

Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac

Founded: 1949

The parish church of Santa Ignacia had Our Lady of Fatima as its patron saint. It had a statue of Fatima at the facade of the church.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH

Mayantoc, Tarlac

Founded: 1842

The parish church of the town of Mayantoc is dedicated to St. Joseph. It seems that the church, originally, had an octagonal shape structure with a dome in the middle. In order to enlarge the church they later added two side wings and a main nave. Then a facade was added with a canopy with arched doorways.

SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH

Capas, Tarlac

Founded: 1776

SANTO NIÑO PARISH

Bamban, Tarlac

Founded: 1812

CAPAS NATIONAL SHRINE

The Capas National Shrine commemorating the Death March during the Second World War was along our way so we made a short stopover. There was an entrance fee of 20 pesos each and also 20 pesos for the car parking. The monument was a tall three-column pillar which were joined at the top like a rocket. Just around the monument was a granite wall with the names of all who died during the Death march. One of the signage said that there around 60,500 Filipino and American soldiers who were imprisoned in this camp of those who survived the Death March from Bataan. However, within three months approximately 30,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war died of sickness and malnutrition while under detention.

The granite wall enlisting all the Filipino and American soldiers who perished in this concentration camp.

MONASTERIO DE TARLAC

The Monasterio de Tarlac has become a popular place of pilgrimage for people coming from Manila and all parts of the country. An average of five thousand pilgrims would flock to the place every Sunday. The Monastery is situated at the Mt. Resurrection Ecopark in Brgy. Lubigan, San Jose,Tarlac. It has an imposing 30-foot statue of Jesus overlooking the town and the plains below.