Sundays in Agoo, La Union have always been marked by the sound of church bells, and at the center of it all is non other than one of the most visited pilgrimage towns in Northern Luzon, the Minor Basilica of our Lady of Charity, dedicated to its powerful patroness, Nuestra Señora de Caridad (Our Lady of Charity).
The original church looked nothing like the one we see today. It was first built in 1578 using nipa and bamboo. However, in 1892, the church was tragically destroyed by an earthquake.. It was then rebuilt in 1893 but was later demolished and replaced in 1975. The construction of the current church began on September 8, 1975, and was completed in 1978.
The basilica is designed in Mexican-Baroque style. It has two distinct bell towers on either side of the facade. The right tower is a bell gable, while the left is a four-level hexagonal tower. The bell gable tower was dedicated to Sebastiano Cardinal Baggio, who consecrated the church as a Marian Shrine in 1978. Its base is wide and strong, tapering as it rises.
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The image of Nuestra Señora de Caridad de Agoo, more popularly called “Apo Caridad,” is a detailed “Madonna and Child” statue showing the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus on her left arm. She presents her Correa because the image was originally of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación y Correa (Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture), the Mother and Patroness of the Augustinian Order. The Virgin’s right hand is extended and open, giving the impression of offering help and comfort to her devotees. The Child Jesus raises his right hand in blessing and holds a golden globe in his left hand.
Although the origins of Nuestra Señora de Caridad, venerated in her Minor Basilica in Agoo, La Union, are not well known, few records exist about when the image was carved or brought to La Union. It is believed that devotion to Our Lady of Charity in Agoo came from the devotion to the same title of the Virgin in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Early Augustinian missionaries were often reassigned within Ilocos, so it is likely that one of them visited Bantay and introduced the devotion to Agoo.
On May 1, 1971, Archbishop Carmine Rocco, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines at the time, officially crowned the venerated image of Apo Caridad de Agoo. On June 6, 2024, His Excellency, Most Rev. Daniel O. Presto, D.D., announced through a circular signed on June 5, 2024, that Nuestra Señora de Caridad de Agoo would receive the honor of Pontifical Coronation. The coronation rites were held on December 6, 2024, attended by thousands of devotees.
Meanwhile, the church was consecrated as a Marian Shrine on December 8, 1978, and later elevated to a Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II on July 15, 1982. Of the twelve minor basilicas in the Philippines, Agoo Basilica ranks sixth.
Click here to view quick facts about this parish church.
References:
Malabanan, J. (2019, August 27). Nuestra Señora de Caridad de Agoo – The gracious queen of Agoo, La Union. Pintakasi. https://pintakasiph.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/nuestra-senora-de-caridad-de-agoo-the-gracious-queen-of-agoo-la-union/
LeeArt. (n.d). Quick tour of Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity. Steemit. https://steemit.com/ocdresteem/@leeart/quick-tour-of-basilica-minore-of-our-lady-of-charity
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