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One of the primary reasons tourists come to Ilocos Sur is to marvel at the
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grand old churches that the province boasts of. These eight churches are of
Guestbook particular interest.
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STA. LUCIA CHURCH

Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur

The church is the only one in the province with a

transept and experts describe the dome
overhead as Renaissance in style. Consoles
projecting downward from the cornice make the
church façade attractive. A four-storey tower
with a mini-dome at the top stands to the right
side of the church façade.
The main attraction
of the church is the
statue of St. Lucy,
believed to date
back to the 19th
century. She has
been credited as
the source of many
miracles
especially for the
persons suffering
from eye ailments.
Attached to the vestment of St. Lucy are plates
cast in the image of an eye. As a parish, Sta.
Lucia, named after its patron saint, was
established in 1586. The feast day of St. Lucy
is celebrated on December 13.

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NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA ASUNCION CHURCH

Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur

The Church of the Assumption, designated as a National Historical Landmark

on Sept. 26, 1982 and included in the World Heritage List on December 11
1993, is built on top of a hill giving visitors a panoramic view of the town,
the green fields and the blue sea in the horizon. One can reach the Baroque
church via an 82-steps stairway. Two huge columns flank the church
façade. What makes the church attractive is its reddish exterior due to the
exposed brickwork. An octagonal bell tower (pictured on the front cover) is
located nearby.

The patron saint of the parish, which was established in 1765, is Señora de la
Asuncion and her feast day is celebrated on August 15, the feast of the
Assumption. Enshrined in the church is the Virgin’s statue made of wood in
ornate sculptural style, with ivory face and hands. She stands on pedestal of
clouds surrounded by angel’s heads.

THE SHRINE OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CARIDAD

Bantay, Ilocos Sur

The church is home to the venerated our Lady of Charity, patroness of Nueva
Segovia. The Statue of Our Lady adorns a niche at the top section just below
the ornate cornice of the church façade. Below it is another niche occupied by
a statue of St. Augustine of Hippo and flanked by narrow stained glass
windows. Based on historical records, the statue was canonically crowned by
the Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on
January 12, 1956.The shrine attracts devotees from within and outside Ilocos
Sur.

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The parish of Bantay, Ilocos Sur was established in 1591. The parish’s patron
saint is St. Augustine of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace whose feast day is on May
05. The feast day of Nuestra Senora de la Caridad is celebrated on the
second Sunday of January in commemoration of the canonical coronation of
the image.

ST. PAUL METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL

Vigan City

As found in the church’s marker, the original church was a chapel of wood and
thatch erected in 1574 on orders of Juan de Salcedo, the conquistador and
Founder of Villa Fernandina (now Vigan). Historian Benito Legarda writes that
the “construction of the cathedral to replace the dilapidated church of San
Pablo was authorized by the celebrated Governor Jose de Basco y Vargas in
1786, and the cornerstone was laid on January 31, 1790.” The church itself
became a cathedral when the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia was
transferred from Lal-lo, Cagayan, to Vigan in 1758. An imposing structure in
the heart of Vigan, the church’s main door flanked by two pairs of columns
which rise to the second tier of the façade. A niche above the main door
houses a statue of St. Paul. A three-story bell tower with a square base and a
mini-dome at the top lies nearby.

Today the church stands as the center of the Archdiocese of Nueva

Segovia.The feast day of the parish’s patron saint, St. Paul, is celebrated on
January 25.

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SIMBAAN A BASSIT
Vigan City

At the end of Vigan’s Quezon Avenue stands the

Simbaan a Bassit, actually a cemetery chapel.
Rectangular columns support the church
façade. Historian Alberto Lacsamana writes that
the “uniqueness of the chapel lies in its being
the only one in the region having an espadaña
hung with bells.” A statue of the crucified Christ
is found behind the main altar. The chapel’s
marker bears that the cemetery was blessed by
Rev. Vicente Barreiro on Nov. 9, 1852 but the
chapels interior now looks modern with all the
repairs done through the years.

SAN VICENTE CHURCH

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Miracles are attributed to the parish’s patron saint, St. Vincent Ferrer,
attracting pilgrims from far and near. The church façade has two layers of
columns divided by ornate architraves. The convoluted cornices in the
church’s top section add beauty to the structure. Octagonal columns top with
mini-domes rise from the base on both sides of the church façade. The
ornate wooden pulpit is still preserved. The parish was established in 1795
and the feast day of St. Vincent Ferrer is celebrated on April 5.

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THE CHURCH OF ST. WILLIAM THE HERMIT

Magsingal, Ilocos Sur

The church, classified by experts as Baroque, is

famous for its antique wooden altar (retablo)
which is still being used. An old choir loft and
the pulpit have been preserved but no longer
functional.

The beautifully carved three-layered retablo is

divided into eight niches, each occupied by
saint. Two pairs of three-tiered slender
columns flank the church’s façade. A statue of
the parish’s patron saint, St. William the
Hermit, in the church façade greets visitors and
devotees. Magsingal became an independent
parish in 1676 and the feast day of St. William
the Hermit is celebrated on February 10.

THE SHRINE OF SANTO CRISTO MILAGROSO

Sinait, Ilocos Sur

The church itself is simple with the façade flanked by two square columns.
The main attraction of the church is the statue of the crucified Christ. The
feast of Santo Cristo Milagroso or “Apo Lacay” as local folks call Him, stands
out among other religious celebrations in Ilocandia. Every year thousands of
devotees from within the region and outside flock to the shrine of Apo Lacay

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in Sinait several days before His feast on the 3rd of May. According to the
old tales, boxes containing the images of Apo Lacay and La Virgen
Milagrosa de Badoc drifted ashore in Logo, a sitio of Dadalaquiten along the
boundary of Sinait, Ilocos Sur and Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
Although the versions of the origin of the statues vary in
some details, they all agree of one thing; Apo Lacay and La
Virgen Milagrosa chose where they wanted their images to be.
The people of Sinait wanted to bring home La Virgen
Milagrosa while Badoc wanted the Crucified Christ. The
respective parish priests of Sinait and Badoc ordered men to
carry their respective statues home. To their dismay, the
statues could not be moved despite the number of men
trying to carry them. After failing, the priests tried exchanging
the icons instead a lo! The first miracle of the images happened! The images
were lifted without difficulty; the Virgin to Badoc, the Crucified Christ to
Sinait.

Today the Sto. Cristo Milagroso attracts devotees just like the Black Nazarene
of Quiapo ant the faithful pay homage to Apo Lacay inside the Church. These
are annual pilgrimages to the shrine and there is an impenetrable crowd in
the church on the first Friday of every month.

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