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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Church in Ilocos Sur formally declared as minor basilica

Church in Ilocos Sur formally declared as minor basilica

Published Aug 15, 2025 11:00 pm
SANTA MARIA, Ilocos Sur – Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown on Friday formally declared the historic and miraculous Our Lady of the Assumption Church here as minor basilica during a Mass celebrating the Feast of the Saint Mary the Assumption.
With Brown were Nueva Segovia Archbishop Marlo M. Peralta and Ilagan Bishop David William V. Antonio.
Hundreds of clergy and faithful attended.
APOSTOLIC Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown officiates a concelebrated Mass formally declaring the historic and miraculous Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur as a minor basilica on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
APOSTOLIC Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown officiates a concelebrated Mass formally declaring the historic and miraculous Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur as a minor basilica on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
The church was built in 1765 on top of the hill and was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 1993 as one of the four World Heritage Sites in the Philippines as part of a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches, the three others being the Paoay Church (Ilocos Norte), Miag-ao Church (Iloilo), and San Agustin Church (Intramuros, Manila).
The church is the second minor basilica in Ilocos Sur. The first was the Minor Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Shrine of Santo Cristo Milagroso in the northern town of Sinait on Feb. 16, 2022.
The Our Lady of Assumption Church was elevated by the National Museum of the Philippines to National Cultural Treasure, under Republic Act No. 10066, recognizing its outstanding cultural, historical, and architectural importance in 2015.
In 2022, it was officially elevated to the status of an Archdiocesan Shrine.
On Oct. 7, 2024, Pope Francis officially announced that Santa Maria Church would be elevated to the status of a minor basilica, making it the second in the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

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