Basilica Church-agoo

The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, along the National Highway, was first built in 1578 as a bamboo and nipa church, later replaced with brick and stone and destroyed during the 1592 earthquake. It was restored in 1873, heavily damaged by the 1892 earthquake and repaired in 1893. The present church was designed by Arch. Ignacio Palma Bautista, its cornerstone laid on September 8, 1975 and was consecrated on December 8, 1978, the fourth centennial of the Christianization of Agoo. It was declared as a minor basilica in 1982, badly damaged during the 1990 earthquake and was again repaired and renovated. The basilica houses the image of Our Lady of Charity. The image was first venerated and enthroned in Bantay (Ilocos Sur) and brought to Agoo by its Augustinian parish priest. It survived, intact, the 1892 earthquake and was canonically crowned on May 1, 1971 by Carmine Rocco, papal nuncio to the Philippines. The massive Mexican-Baroque basilica contains some stone blocks excavated from the old church and has a charming garden, a wishing well and an interesting mural called The Second Coming of Christ by Rey Gimeno. It is a popular pilgrimage site during Holy Week.