# National Shrine of Saint Anne (Philippines)

The National Shrine and Parish of Saint Anne, commonly known as Santa Ana Shrine or Hagonoy Church, is an 18th-century, Baroque Roman Catholic church located in Brgy. Santo Niño, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Anne, is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos. It was declared a National Shrine in 1991. In 1981, the National Historical Institute, a precursor to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, installed as a marker of the brief history with the church.

## History
### Parish history

Sources indicate that Hagonoy was already a thriving community before the arrival of the Spanish missionaries. It is claimed that the local chieftain of prehistoric Hagonoy, along with the chieftains of Betis and Macabebe, confronted Miguel Lopez de Legazpi during the conquest of Manila in 1571. Regarding the beginnings of the Catholic institution in the town, Hagonoy was established as a visita of Calumpit as early as 1581 when Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, then Governor General of the Philippines, assigned Hagonoy to Sargento Juan Moron to be included in the Encomienda of Calumpit. Juan Moron later transferred his jurisdiction over Hagonoy to Fray Diego de Ordoñez de Vivar, who established Hagonoy as one of the visitas of the Convento de Calumpit. Documentation from a private meeting of the Augustinians on January 17, 1582, includes Fray Diego Ordoñez de Vivar as a signatory for Hagonoy. Another meeting on September 21, 1582, confirms the existence of the convent of Hagonoy with Fray Diego Vivar as its first minister.

### Edifice history

Fray Diego Ordoñez de Vivar erected parochial structures made of light materials in Barrio Quinabalon (now Barangay Santa Monica) and placed them under the guidance of Saint Anne. From 1731 to 1734, a stone and brick church was built by Fray Juan Albarrán, possibly still on the Brgy. Santa Monica site. This church was destroyed by fire on August 12, 1748. The present church's foundations were laid in 1747 on its current site in Barrio Sto. Niño during the time of Fray Eusebio Polo. The site was moved to its present location due to flooding at the former site. Fray Buenaventura Roldán completed the church in 1752. Another church, built from 1815 to 1836 by Fray Juan Coronado, was destroyed by fire in 1856, which also damaged 30 houses in the town center. Fray Manuel Alvarez, appointed parish priest in 1862, began constructing a larger church to accommodate more people. Besides expanding the church, its design was remodeled into one that was considered unique for that era. The church walls were partially damaged by an earthquake in 1871, and repairs were made soon after under the leadership of Fray Ignacio Manzanares. Secular priests from the Archdiocese of Manila began administering the church in 1900 after the Augustinian order evacuated due to the Filipino Revolution against Spain. Church renovations were carried out in 1936 and 1961, the latter of which saw the addition of the porte-cochere by Father Celestino Rodriguez. Further renovations occurred from 1968 to 1970 under Monsignor Jose B. Aguinaldo, who is attributed with the present façade featuring the predominant images of saints resting atop the pilasters.

### Timeline

1581 - The parish was founded by Augustinian missionaries (of the Order of St. Augustine, or OSA) as one of the first mission stations in what is now the province of Bulacan. According to Gaspar de San Agustin's Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas, the convent of Hagonoy was originally dedicated to "La Concepcion de la Nuestra Señora." Later records from the Augustinians show that the parish of Hagonoy was dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. It was the second oldest parish dedicated to St. Anne in the country until the 1700s, when the Franciscan Sta. Ana Church in Manila changed its patroness to Our Lady of the Abandoned.
Fray Diego Ordoñez de Vivar, OSA, known for establishing the Augustinian missions from Western Bulacan to Southern Pampanga, served as the first minister of Hagonoy. This is noted in the private meetings of the Augustinian Chapter based in Tondo on January 17 and September 21, 1582. According to records, the parish was initially located at Quinabalon (from the Kapampangan word "balu," meaning "well-known"), which was then part of the pueblo of Calumpit. However, due to a fire that destroyed the parish and convent, records from Vivar and his succeeding ministers are no longer available.
1748 - The parish was once again established on the site of Quinabalon, now named Sta. Monica in honor of the mother of the founder of the Order. It was destroyed by fire on August 12, 1748. However, records were maintained, including the first Libro de Bautismo (Baptismal Register) from 1731.
1747 - The parish was rebuilt by Fray Eusebio Polo, OSA, at its current site, which, according to records, was on higher ground than the previous location. At the back of the church's present site, the Augustinian friars would travel until they reached other parts of Bulacan and Pampanga. Thus, this small creek came to be called “Sapang Pari.”
1752 - Under Fray Buenaventura Roldán, OSA, the church was completed in 1752. It was rebuilt several times afterward, first by Fray Juan Coronado, OSA, from 1815 to 1836, and later by Fray Manuel Alvarez, OSA, in 1862.
1841 - Fray Manuel Alvarez, OSA, the longest-serving parish priest in the parish’s history, commissioned an image of St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This antique image, now locally known as “La Verdadera,” is currently enshrined in the retablo mayor of the parish. This is according to the parish’s catalog or “Cargo y Data,” as noted by Bulacan Cultural Heritage Chairman Fr. Vicente B. Lina, Jr.
1871 - After being damaged by an earthquake, the parish church was renovated once again under the tenure of Fray Ignacio Manzanares, OSA.
1898 - At the peak of the Philippine Revolution against Spain, the last Augustinian curate of Hagonoy, Fray Emilio Bulliz, OSA, left the parish. Secular priests then took over, beginning with Fr. Clemente Garcia.
1901 - Fr. Mariano V. Sevilla, a priest from Bulakan town who later became Msgr., was appointed as the first official Filipino curate. During his tenure, several developments occurred. He suggested changing the names of the barrios of Hagonoy to those of saints, so that people might imitate their examples. Having translated the "Flores de Mayo" devotion from Italy into the vernacular as “Dalit kay Maria” in 1865, based on Italy’s “Misa de Maggio,” he introduced this devotion to Hagonoy. Since then, Hagonoy has become one of the vibrant centers of the Flores de Mayo devotion in the country. The rise in priestly and religious vocations during this time was also noted, thanks to the encouragement of Filipino parish priests such as Msgr. Sevilla, Fr. Celestino Rodriguez, who accompanied the people during the Japanese invasion and founded the parochial school, Fr. Exequiel Morales, and Fr. Arsenio Nicdao, the first Hagonoeño parish priest of the community.
1970s - The church underwent further enhancements after the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council under Hagonoeño parish priest Msgr. Jose B. Aguinaldo. The priests’ association of Hagonoy was formally organized in 1971, and a priests’ cemetery was established at the back of the church. According to Fr. Pedro G. Galende, OSA's Angels in Stone: The Augustinian Churches in the Philippines, the façade is pierced with five windows: three semicircular arched windows and two rectangular ones on the first level. A porte-cochere with a balustraded top obscures the view of the bottom part of the façade. Much of the design of the façade was altered during the 1970s renovation. It now features three arched entrances with intricately carved hardwood doors, Tuscan capitals incorporated into the four pilasters, and large images of Augustinian saints capping the pilasters. A rose window and a tableau of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary were added to the center of the pediment. The entire façade is topped with a cross held by two cherubs. To the left of the church stands the six-level rectangular bell tower.
1989 - Over the following decade, Msgr. Aguinaldo continued to enhance the church and promote devotion to St. Anne. The parish received an official first-class relic of St. Anne from the Basilica of St. Anne in Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. This relic has been venerated in the shrine every Tuesday, the day dedicated to honoring the patroness. The Confraternity of St. Anne, or "Kapatiran ni Sta. Ana," was also established and registered as an affiliate of the international Archconfraternity of St. Anne. As a result of these efforts, Malolos Bishop Cirilo R. Almario, Jr. decreed the Parish of St. Anne as a Diocesan Shrine on June 30, 1989.
1991 - Following Bishop Almario's recommendation as Bishop of Malolos, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) officially decreed that the shrine be designated a National Shrine on July 21, 1991. The formal elevation of the shrine took place on October 29, 1991.
2000 - After Msgr. Aguinaldo’s retirement in 1991, he was succeeded by Msgr. Macario R. Manahan, whose tenure focused on further developing the shrine and establishing additional ecclesiastical organizations.
2010 - Following the brief tenure of Fr. Reynaldo Mutuc, Msgr. Luciano C. Balagtas, P.C., was appointed to lead the shrine for a decade. During this time, significant renovations and developments were made, including the expansion of the parochial school to multiple campuses.
2015 - The “La Verdadera” or the original image of Saint Anne joined the Intramuros Grand Marian Procession for the first time.
2020 - Under the authority of Msgr. Balagtas, the National Shrine Council was formed, and a formal set of shrine statutes was established to update the shrine’s obligations in line with the changes in shrine administration as part of the New Evangelization.

## Architecture

Prior to the mid-20th century renovation, the church's façade was bare of ornamentation except for volutes at the ends of the imaginary triangular pediment, circular reliefs, and buttress-like pilasters capped with roof tiles. The façade featured five windows: three semicircular arched and two rectangular on the first level. A porte-cochere with a balustraded top obscured the view of the lower part of the façade. Much of the façade design was altered after the 1970s renovation. It now includes three arched entrances, each with intricately carved hardwood doors. Tuscan capitals were added to the four pilasters, which are now topped with large images of Augustinian saints. A rose window and a tableau of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary were also added to the center of the pediment. The entire façade is capped with a cross held by two cherubs. To the left of the church stands the six-level rectangular bell tower. Originally a five-level tower, a sixth level and a cupola were added during the latest reconstruction. The bell tower has minimal ornamentation, featuring only balustraded semicircular arch windows and buttresses at the corners.