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Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion / Bulakan Church

May 20, 2025May 26, 2025 adminbdmc 0 Comments asuncion de bulakan, bulacan, bulacan pilgrimage, bulakan bulacan, bulakan church, churches, churches in bulacan, churches in bulacan for visita iglesia, Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion, flores de mayo history, flores de mayp bulakan, nuestra señora de la asuncion, obando, obando church, padre sevilla, pilgrimage in bulacan

After visiting the famous Obando Church (Check: San PAscual Baylon Parish), we headed next to yet another popular church in Bulacan. Dedicated under the patronage of Our Lady of Assumption (now a Diocesan Shrine), Bulakan Church was founded in 1578 making it one of the oldest and most historically significant religious structures in the province.

Interestingly, Bulakan is one of the oldest towns in the Philippines. It was once an encomienda or capital of the Provincia de la Pampanga, and later became the first capital of the Province of Bulacan. The town got its name is from the Tagalog word bulak, which means cotton. It was named Bulakan due to the abundance of cotton plant growing in the region. The Augustinians founded Bulakan as one of the visitas of Convento de Tondo in 1575. It became an independent town in 1578 and a church and convent dedicated to the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion were founded. Bulakan Church was considered the second oldest church in the province and the longest and widest in terms of aisle length and span respectively.

Like many old Spanish churches in the country, Bulakan Church was also utterly damaged in numerous occasion. For instance, the church was razed by fire during the British invasion in 1762. It was also damaged by natural calamities including the Luzon Earthquake in 1880. The church was also known for its historical significance. It is the site where Filipino general Gregorio del Pilar secretly distributed the pamphlets made by his uncle, Marcelo H. del Pilar, a prominent member of the Propaganda Movement during the late 1800s. In addition to that, The Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Bulacan is credited with initiating the first Flores de Mayo (or Flores de Maria) in the Philippines.

Architecture-wise, Bulakan church has a very interesting facade. The church’s exterior showcases a fusion of Neo-Byzantine, Romanesque, and Neo-Classical styles. Those intricate white patterns on its pediment seemingly has some Muslim style influence as well.

The entire facade stands on a solid base block, or plinth, providing a sturdy foundation. Distinctive corbeled arches are present beneath the raking cornice and on the upper sections of the side walls. These arches are adorned with intricate carvings of scrolls, volutes, vines, and floral motifs.

Intricate details on the facade

The pediment

The pediment includes embellishments that reflect Mudejar architectural influences, showcasing the cultural interplay during the church’s construction.

The main entrance has three layers of receding arches which remind me of the one in Manila Cathedral.

Above the main arch are three niches that enshrines three statues.

The center niche features the image of Nuestra Señora dela Assuncion (Our Lady of Assumption)

Image of Santa Monica

Image of Saint Augustine

Pediment

There used to be a different bell tower attached to the church, but was destroyed during the earthquake of 1869. The present belfry was constructed in 1877 and is a unique, slender, stand-alone structure. It is connected to the nave by a covered walkway of masonry.

The bell tower of Bulakan Church

You can also spot concrete saint statues mounted near the pediment and bell tower

The four evangelists can be found surrounding the belltower

Statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul are mounted on both side of the pediment

Situated between the bell tower and the church is the Adoration Chapel

Historical Marker. It is also important to note that the church was declared an Important Cultural Property in 2016.

The stunning main door has intricate carvings on it. During the recent years, relevant changes had been made to the church structure including the replacement of the Mudejar-style main door with one depicting the history of the town and its patron saints done by local artist A. Magtoto.

Old Mudejar-style hardwood door currently displayed under the choir loft (Image from JJ Carpio)

The interior of the church is equally mesmerizing.

The very intricate altar features multiple niches. The center niche enshrines the beautiful image of Nuestra Señora dela Asuncion. Beside the Our Lady of Assumption are the statues of Santa Monica and Saint Augustine while the rest of the niches are occupied by the Apostles. The uppermost niche features the image of Santo Niño de Tondo

Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion ( Our Lady of Assumption)

Santo Niño de Tondo

Santa Monica

San Augustine

Saint Andrew the Apostle

Visitors, devotees and parishioners may also access the back of the altar to touch the image of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion

The view from the back of the altar.

There are also multiple side altars displaying various saints.

One image in particular has a huge role in Philippine history. The image of La Virgen de la Medalla Milagrosa (Our Lady of Miraculous Medal) was the first Marian image to be venerated during the month long celebration of Flores de Mayo.
Interesting fact: the first Flores de Mayo was actually held in this town. Flores de Mayo started in 1865 when Padre Mariano Sevilla wrote the “Dalit kay Maria” or the Flores de Mayo Bulacan.In 1867, he wrote “Mariquit na Bulaclac na sa Pagninilaynilay sa Buong Buan nang Mayo ay Inihahandog nang Manga Devoto cay Maria Santisima.” This led to the popularity of the celebration
The first daily floral offering and other activities for the “Flores de Mayo” was all held at the Parish Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion”
Fr. Sevilla also founded the Hijas de Maria who will take charge of all the activities.

To pay tribute to this important contribution, a bust statue of Padre Mariano Sevilla can be found outside the church

This is accompanied by another bust statue of Padre Mariano Pilapil, another Filipino Catholic priest, best known for his significant contribution to Filipino religious literature through his involvement with the Pasyón, a devotional epic poem narrating the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ