Founded 1578 Architectural type Church building Dedication Assumption of Mary | Denomination Roman Catholic Functional status Active Status Parish church Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle | |
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Architectural styles Baroque architecture, Romanesque Revival architecture Similar San Miguel Arcangel Church, San Juan de Dios Church, San Juan Bautista Church, Santiago Apostol Church, Immaculate Conception Parish Ch | ||
The Our Lady of Assumption Parish Church (Sp., Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion), commonly known as the Bulakan Church, is a 19th-century Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque stone church located at Brgy. San Jose, in the Municipality of Bulakan (formerly spelled as Bulacan), Bulacan province, Philippines. It is one of the parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos under the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception. The church was declared Marked Historical Structure of the Philippines in 2007 by the National Historical Institute, the precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. A historical marker bearing a brief history of the church was installed by the commission.
Contents
Parish church
The parish and the first church was established by the Augustinian Fathers in 1575 as a sub-parish of Tondo. In 1578, the town of Bulakan was proclaimed a separate parish from Tondo. According to the historical marker, during the British invasion in 1762 the Bulakan Church was razed by fire. The construction of the present church and convent was started in 1812 by Father Gaspar Folgar, OSA. The church had sustained damages due to various natural calamities: earthquakes on June 3, 1863; October 1, 1869; and the Luzon earthquakes of 1880, which heavily damaged structures not only Bulakan town but most of Luzon Island.
The church was subsequently repaired after experiencing damages: major repairs on the earthquake-damaged bell tower in 1877 by Father Marcos Hernandez, OSA (through the planning and construction of Don Ramon Hermosa and Don Jose Fuentes – a plaque commemorating the builders of the tower can be seen at the first level of the bell tower façade); and in 1884 when Father Francisco Valdes, OSA rebuilt the church after the 1880 earthquake. The present style of the church can be attributed to his repairs. Finally, Father Patricio Martin, OSA finished the restoration of the church in 1885, with Father Domingo de la Prieta finishing the bell tower’s restoration in 1889.
The church is the site where Filipino general Gregorio Del Pilar secretly distributed the pamphlets made by his uncle, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, a prominent member of the Propaganda Movement during the late 1800s.
Architectural history
The following list summarizes the priests who managed the parish and made significant changes to the church structure during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines:
Architectural features
The whole facade stands on a base block, or a plinth. Although it has been in accordance to Neo-Classical Style during the late 1800s, the church has incorporated a mixture of architectural styles including:
Romanesque architectural features
Muslim architectural feature
Present condition
After several interventions from the preceding parish priests, Bulakan Church was restored from 1955 up to 1975. During the recent years, relevant changes had been made to the church structure including the replacement of the Mudejar-style main door with one depicting the history of the town and its patron saints done by local artist A. Magtoto. A new retablo or altarpiece replaced the 1950s altarpiece that resembles the recessed arch on the church's facade. Major repairs were also done on the bell tower.
Historical marker
The marker installed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2007 declaring Bulacan Church as a Marked Historical Structure of the Philippines.