Santa Monica Parish Church (Angat)

The Santa Monica Parish Church is one of the oldest churches in the province of Bulacan, Philippines, dating back to 1758. It displays Baroque architectural characteristics and features ceiling paintings which resemble those in the Sistine Chapel.[1]

Angat Church
Santa Monica Parish Church
Facade of the Santa Monica Parish Church in Angat, Bulacan
Angat Church Republic of the Philippines
14°55′40″N 121°01′43″E
Location	Poblacion, Angat, Bulacan
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Monica
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Baroque, Rococo
Administration
Archdiocese	Manila
Diocese	Malolos
Clergy
Archbishop	Luis Antonio Tagle
Bishop(s)	Dennis Cabanada Villarojo

History

The town of Angat was formerly part of Quingwa, now Plaridel. Angat was oppressed by the town of San Miguel, followed by the town of Bocaue. When Angat became totally separate from Quingwa, it conquered the lands of Norzagaray and Doña Remedios Trinidad.[2]

Founding of the parish

Angat became a parish in 1683, making it the sixth oldest parish in Bulacan. Augustinian priests were in charge of the management of the church. The first Augustinian priest who arrived at Angat was Fr. Juan Morelos in 1684.[2]

The list below presents the succeeding Augustinian parish priests who served the Sta. Monica Parish Church.[2]

Name	Years of Pastorship
Rev. Fr. Nicolas Lopez de Baya	1689 to 1692
Rev. Fr. Gabriel de la Fuente	1692 to 1695
Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Cueto	1695 -
Rev. Fr. Francisco Pingarron	1695 -
Rev. Fr. Bernardo dela Iglesia	1695 to 1704
Rev. Fr. Jose del Valle	1704 to 1705
Rev. Fr. Bernardo dela Iglesia	1705 to 1707
Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Cueto	1707 to 1710
Rev. Fr. Juan Navarrete	1710 to 1711
Rev. Fr. Tomas Quijano	1711 to 1716
Rev. Fr. Domingo Diaz	1716 to 1719
Rev. Fr. Pedro Orense	1719 to 1722
Rev. Fr. Juan Serrano	1722 -

Augustinian parish priests continued to serve Santa Monica Parish Church until 1898. From 1898 to the present, the parish church has been open for Diocesan priests. Rev. Fr. Mariano de los Reyes became the first Diocesan priest of the parish in 1898.[2]

Name	Years of Pastorship
Rev. Fr. Mariano de los Reyes	1898 -
Rev. Fr. Francisco Atro	1898 to 1904
Rev. Fr. Jose Paguia	1904 to 1908
Rev. Fr. Tomas Chanco	1908 to 1916
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Guzman	1916 to 1919
Rev. Fr. Pedro Domingo	1919 -
Rev. Fr. Deogracias Javier	1919 to 1921
Rev. Fr. Vicente Fernandez	1921 to 1922
Rev. Fr. Simplicio Fernandez	1922 to 1932
Rev. Fr. Pedro Marcelino	1932 to 1945
Rev. Fr. Casimiro Alvarez	1945 to 1946
Rev. Fr. Gabino Baluyot	1946 to 1952
Rev. Fr. Lazaro Ochuga	1952 to 1959
Rev. Fr. Leon Lopez	1959 -
Rev. Fr. Serafin Riego de Dios	1959 to 1970
Rev. Fr. Melchor Barcelona	1970 to 1982
Rev. Fr. Macario Manahan	1982 to 1989
Rev. Fr. Walderedo Castillo	1989 to 1990
Rev. Fr. Ernesto Mendoza	1990 to 1991
Rev. Fr. Jose Salvador Viola	1991 -
Rev. Fr. Domingo Salonga	1991 to 2003
Rev. Fr. Virgilio Cruz	2003 to 2013
Rev. Msgr. Angelito Santiago	2013–present

Architectural history

The following parish priests led the construction and redevelopment of the Santa Monica Parish Church.[3]

Fr. Juan Morelos

• He was the first builder of the first church and the convent.

Fr. Gregorio Giner

• He built the new parish church with stronger materials in 1758. It was finished in 1773.

Fr. Joaquin Calvo

• He completed the facade in 1802 and was also responsible for the construction of the slender tower.

Fr. Ignacio Manzanares

• He restored the convent which was also damaged by the 1863 earthquake.

Architectural features

Santa Monica de Angat Parish Church was designed in Baroque architectural style. This could be verified with the existence of 18 adobe posts, along with eight windows. Windows, statued niches, and spaces between horizontal string courses, dividing the front facade into three parts, were ornamented with floral carvings.[2] Also, foliated crestings on the raking course of the pediment were used as an added ornamentation.[3]

Ceiling art paintings

The ceiling paintings within the interiors of the parish church resemble the ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Rome. History of Christianity in the Philippines and culture of Angat, Bulacan such as simbang gabi, Flores de Mayo, prusisyon ng Santissimo Sakramento, and fiesta were also incorporated within the ceiling paintings.[2]

The ceiling paintings were started by G. Rene Robles in 1998 and finished by G. Jess Robles in 2002, in accordance with the order of Fr. Memeng.[2]

Present condition

Several interventions were conducted under the administration of Rev. Msgr. Angel Santiago, who was ordained as the parish priest of Santa Monica de Angat on November 15, 2013. They include:[2]

• Addition of six wooden posts and carvings at the retablo
• Addition of floral designs and carving of Kordero at the front side and carvings of Santa Maria, San Jose, Santa Monica, and San Agustin at the sides of the Kordero
• Addition of carvings - carvings of chalice and host at the front side and carvings of San Markos, San Juan, San Mateo, and San Lukas at the sides of the altar
• Replacement of marble flooring of the sanctuary with black and white granite floor tiles
• Modification of staircase going up to the sanctuary

References

1. "Sta. Monica Church, Angat, Bulacan". October 31, 2014.
2. "Santa Monica de Angat, The Official Website of Sta. Monica Parish, Angat, Bulacan, Philippines". October 31, 2014.
3. Alarcon, Norma (2008). Philippine architecture during the pre-Spanish and Spanish periods. UST Publishing House.