2 Catholic churches declared minor basilicas

MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine churches – Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in Quezon City and St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Ilocos Norte – have been declared as minor basilicas by the Vatican.

Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said the Vatican has approved his diocese’s application to elevate the status of the popular parish church.

“Yes. Our application of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine to be a Minor Basilica was approved. The formal announcement will be made soon,” Ongtiongco said.

Ongtioco said their diocese received the confirmation through a letter from the Vatican.

“At the request of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Honesto Ongtioco, Bishop of Cubao, in a letter given on the 17th of August 2018, expressing the prayers and desires of the clergy and the lay faithful, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the power of faculties given to it by the Supreme Pontiff Francis, very willingly bestows upon the parish church in the city of New Manila, Quezon City, which is dedicated to God in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, the title and dignity of a Minor Basilica,” read the letter from the office of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments dated Nov. 30, 2018.

Aside from the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church, the Congregation in the Holy See also granted the petition of the Diocese of Laoag for St. John the Baptist Parish Church (Shrine of La Virgen de Milagrosa de Badoc) in Ilocos Norte to be elevated to minor basilica status. 

Laoag Bishop Renato Mayugba announced the good news in his Dec. 16 circular letter addressed to the priests, religious and lay faithful of the diocese.

He said the preparations for the elevation is now underway but the date would be officially announced in a thanksgiving mass to be offered on Dec. 27.    

A minor basilica is a church granted with special ecclesiastical privileges by the pope. The status is usually given to churches because of their antiquity, historical value, architectural worth and significance as centers of worship. 

The most noteworthy churches in the country earlier granted such status by the Vatican are Quiapo Church or Minor Basilican of the Black Nazarene and Manila Cathedral or Minor Basilica of Immaculate Conception.