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| Dada is walking towards the side of the church to look for the entrance. |
Our Lady Apo Baket of Namacpacan was the title given to our Blessed Virgin Mary by the natives of La Union because she appeared to the indigenous people of the Cordilleras as an old woman and offered them food and invited them to be baptized. Apo Baket is how the people call the elderly woman as a sign of respect. The image got the name from the town itself. Namacpacan is an Ilocano word which means "one who had given food".
On October 18, 1906, the name of the town was changed from Namacpacan to Luna, in honor of the Luna brothers, Antonio the General and Juan the Painter whose mother hail from the town, but the church is still known as Our Lady of Namacpacan Church.
Over the years many miracles have been attributed to Our Lady of Namacpacan. These range from healing the lame to filling the church with a strange light that seemed to emanate from the statue.
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| The Image of Our Lady of Namacpacan is located on the right side of the church. |
Housed inside the church is the miraculous image of Our Lady of Namacpacan. One can go up the few steps and offer a prayer in front of Our Lady. Also, near the stairs, a ledger is provided so those who want can write their prayers and petitions.
A feeling of peace envelops me while praying up-close, holding Her hand. and I could say at that moment I received my little piece of miracle.
The steps are part of the side of the church and are leading to the roof. I was a bit sorry for not taking picture of the entire facade, the walls are still the original bricks and stones already centuries old...but there is always a next time. And if not for Daniz asking permission incessantly to climb it, this picture would not have taken.
Also, at the right of this stair right at the back of the image of Our Lady is a water well, which as explained to us, is a source of healing water for the devotees.
Other Historical Churches in La Union We Plan to Visit
Below information is taken from http://www.launion.gov.ph/page.php?34.
- Basilica of Our Lady of Charity (Agoo) - Situated at the center of the aged town of Agoo, the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity has stood for scores of centuries now as one of the long venerated configurations of the Virgin in the Philippines. It was founded in 1578.
- St. John the Baptist Parish (San Juan) - Be drifted to the past by the perfect red brick panorama of San Juan Church and convent together with the solemnly that envelopes it. Established in 1707.
- Sts. Peter and Paul Parish (Bauang) - One of the oldest churches in the country, bear witness to more than four centuries and a quarter of La Union’s Christian legacy carefully preserved through the church walls made out of adobe stones and red brick structures of Bauang Church. The church was founded on 1580.
- St. Michae the Archangel Parish (Bacnotan) -Witness the birth of Christianity in the north with one of the oldest churches in La Union, Bacnotan Church was constructed in the period of 1817 to 1819 under the leadership of the Augustinian priests in devotion to St. Michael the Archangel.
- St. Christopher Parish (Bangar) - Constructed in 1696 by Fr. Francisco Alviar, a learned Augustinian priest born in Leaño, Santander, Spain who died in Bangar in 1698. This structure is also known as the only church in the Philippines with three belfries.
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