Historical Church: Barasoain Church of Malolos, Bulacan

Since I had a not so good morning the day before my birthday, I was not up for celebrating or going on a road trip even a short one. But again Jonjie has always something available to cheer me up or to make me going. He mentioned in passing that the blood relic of Saint Pope John Paul II was enshrined at Barasoain Church. That caught my interest and decided to go on a trip to Malolos, Bulacan.

I am not so good with history and to avoid mistakes of indicating wrong dates, names and events, I will choose the safest path which is consulting Mr.Google. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Barasoain Church (also known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) is a Roman Catholic church built in 1630 in Malolos City,Bulacan. Having earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines, and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the church is proverbial for its historical importance among Filipinos.

Founded by Augustinian Missionaries in 1859, the church is also renowned for its architectural design and internal adornments.The original church was burned during the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution however, it was renovated. It is about 42 kilometers away from Manila.

The church recorded some of the important events occurred in the country. While it has been a temporary residence of General Aguinaldo, three major events in Philippine History happened in this church: the convening of the First Philippine Congress(September 15, 1898), the drafting of the Malolos Constitution (September 29, 1898 to January 21, 1899), and the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic (January 23, 1899). By Presidential Decree No. 260, the church was proclaimed as a National Shrine by President Ferdinand Marcos on August 1, 1973. Unusual for newly elected presidents in the Philippines, the church has been a venue in an inaugural affairs. General Emilio Aguinaldo and former president Joseph Estrada were the only two who have been inaugurated in the place.

The term "Barasoain" was derived from Barásoain in Navarre, Spain to which the missionaries found the place in Malolos in striking similarity. When the Spanish-Filipino revolution broke-out, the Spanish authorities coined the term "baras ng suwail," which means "dungeon of the defiant" because the church was a meeting place for anti-Spanish and anti-colonial illustrados.

The relic is a sample of blood from the former pontiff, now Saint Pope Jon Paul II, and is placed in a reliquary in the altar. The said relic was donated by the parish rector, Msgr. Mario Arenas.

Below are pictures taken at the garden just outside the church. According to the caretaker, the garden had already undergone a big improvement.

Then we visited the Barasoain Church Ecclesiastical Museum being maintained and managed by National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) located on the second floor of the old convent. The museum is divided into areas:

The small area is dedicated to religious artifacts

The large portion is for the historical displays.

When it was time to go, a wedding ceremony is about to start and Jonjie was able to capture a shot…that of a yellow Hummer as a bridal car…and the contrast is interesting.