Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Parish Church (Makinabang)

Makinabang Church
Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Parish Church

Statue of Makinabang's patron saint enshrined in its high altar
Makinabang Church

Republic of the Philippines

14°55′7″N 120°53′10″E / 14.91861°N 120.88611°ECoordinates: 14°55′7″N 120°53′10″E / 14.91861°N 120.88611°E
Location Makinabang, Baliuag, Bulacan
Country  Philippines
Denomination Roman Catholic
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Architectural type Church building
Groundbreaking 1940
Completed 1981
Specifications
Materials steel, mixed sand, gravel & cement
Administration
Archdiocese Manila
Diocese Malolos
Clergy
Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle
Bishop(s) Jose Oliveros

The Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario), commonly known as Makinabang Church or Bisitang Pula, is a Roman Catholic Marian church in barangay Makinabang, Baliuag, Bulacan, Philippines. It is one of four Roman Catholic parish churches in the municipality and is the focus of one of its largest processions each year on October 7. The other nearby Baliuag parishes which bound the church are: the St. Augustine Church (Poblacain), the Holy Family Parish (Tangos) and the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Sabang).[1][2] The church is also about 2 miles from its neighbor, Sub-Parish Church of Sto. Cristo in barangay Santo Cristo.

The Makinabang Church (Dioecesis Malolosina, Suffragan of Manila) is under the Vicariate of St. Augustine of Hippo and belongs to the "Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion"'s Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos. Its incumbent Team of priests in solidum moderator is parish priest (Judicial Vicar), Fr. Winniefred F. Naboya, JCL.,[3] assisted by Fr. Walderedo Castillo.[4] They recently replaced retired and ailing Parish Administrator, Msgr. Macario R. Manahan. The Parish Church's Vicar Forane is Msgr. Filemon M. Capiral, HP.[5][6][7]

History

1940 Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish Church facade

The church was built in 1940 and is devoted to its patron, the Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario. Our Lady of the Rosary also known as "Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary" is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the Rosary.

The devotion is traced back to the year 1571, when Pope Pius V instituted "Our Lady of Victory" as an annual feast to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Lepanto.[8][9][10] The victory was attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as a rosary procession had been offered on that day in St. Peter's Square in Rome for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back Muslim forces from overrunning Western Europe. In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this feast-day to "Feast of the Holy Rosary". This feast was extended by Pope Clement XI to the whole of the Latin Rite, inserting it into the General Roman Calendar in 1716, and assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Pope Pius X changed the date to 7 October in 1913, as part of his effort to restore celebration of the liturgy of the Sundays.

Before the 1521-1898 Spanish colonization of the Philippines), bario Makinabang was already a settlement or sitio and the largest in Baliuag. When the Spanish friars, particularly the Augustinians founded the 1733 St. Augustine Church, a Spanish mestizo introduced at Makinabang a wood sugarcane press. The machine extracted "panutsa" (molasses) which the residents used for mixing with coffee and other foods. They called the press, "makina" (wooden machine). Since the "makina" was only one, natives have to line-up or "abang". In the process, the natives would ask if the line was too long or "marami pa bang nakaabang". From these words and phrases, the word "Makina-bang" or "Makinabang" etymologically evolved.

In 1940, before the outbreak of WWII, Fr. Pastor Luciano (known as "Pastor" who died in 1985) and later succeeded by Kura Parroco, Fr. Jovito Reyes, suggested to the higher Church authorities in Bulacan, to build a small ermita or Kapilya. The new parish covered the Barangays of Tarcan, Sta. Barbara and even Taal and Sto. Cristo of Pulilan, Bulacan. The small Kapilya is made of wood, nipa and very weak building materials. Tne Kumbento was made of nipa. The Church was painted red, for which reason the Parish was called "Bisitang Pula" (even the fence was painted red).

Fr. Jovito Reyes reconstructed the dilapidated Bisita, adding concrete "haligi" or buttresses, including the walls, roof and Convent. The wealthy Makinabang Catholics, headed by Councilor Carmen Fernando Garcia, Delfin Cruz and Salud S. Tesoro, helped built the new Patio and Grotto of the Sagrada Corazon and Our Lady of Lourdes.

Fr. Amador W. Cruz succeeded as Parish Priest of the Church on July 20, 1957 and served for 35 years until the appointment of Fr. Ronald Ortega who was succeeded by Msgr. Macario R. Manahan. Fr. Amador Cruz bought the 4,000 sq.m. lot wherein the parishioners built the Parish Hall of the Cursillistas and CWL.

Fr Amador W. Cruz edited the most popular version of the Pasyon, the "Casaysayan nang Pasiong Mahal ni Jesucristong Panginoon Natin na Sucat Ipag-alab nang Puso nang Sinomang Babasa".[11]

On October 7, 2011, the Parish (Pastoral Council Executive Committee and PASKA) Church celebrated its 70th Sapphire Jubilee Anniversary.

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