Ilocos church declared minor basilica

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur has been officially declared as a minor basilica by Papal Nuncio Charles John Brown.

Brown made the declaration during a mass celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Friday, which was attended by Bishops Marlo Peralta and David William Antonio of the archdioceses of Nueva Segovia and Ilagan, respectively.

Built in 1765, the Our Lady of the Assumption Church, commonly known as the Santa Maria Church, was declared in 1993 as one of the four World Heritage Sites in the Philippines by the UNESCO.

The three others are the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, the Miag-ao Church in Iloilo and the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.

The Santa Maria Church is the second minor basilica in Ilocos Sur, next to the Minor Basilica of St. Nicholas of Tolentino Shrine of Santo Cristo Milagroso in Sinait, which was declared as such in 2022.