Saint James the Apostle Parish Church, also known as Santiago Apostol Church, Plaridel Church or Quingua Church, is a 15th-century Roman Catholic church under the patronage of Saint James the Apostle and is located along Gov. Padilla street, Brgy. Poblacion, in Plaridel, Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos. In 1961, a historical marker was installed on the church by the National Historical Committee (precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines).
History
The church of Plaridel, or Quingua was first established as one of the visitas of Malolos in 1581 and Fray Mateo Mendoza OSA who administered the Malolos Convent began the Christianization of Encomienda Binto y Quingua. It was located in a barrio now called "Lumangbayan" the mission chapel was soon transferred to its present location across the river Quingua (now known as Angat River) because of frequent flooding. Due to long distance of Malolos Convent to the Visita of Binto making the friars to be physically exhausted, the Augustinian prior of Malolos Fray Roque de Barrionuevo made the elevation of Visita of Binto into a Quasi-Parish on September 27, 1602. On April 30, 1605, Quingua was officially established as a full pledge Parish with Fray. Diego Pardo OSA as its first parish priest under the advocacy of Santiago de Matamoro. A Church was built on the new location starting 1602 and took 15 years to complete. The adobe stones used in the church were from the town of Meycauayan while the bricks used were made at Sitio Nabugtos at Brgy. Sta. Ines. In the year 1612, Quingua already had its own convent and 1,800 parishioners. It is said that the parish was not as wealthy as other convents in the Provincia de Bulacan during that time and that it was exempted from its fees to the Augustinian Province in the Philippines located at the San Agustin Church, Intramuros, from 1640 to 1704. The 1605 church was razed by fire after being hit by lightning. As a result, in 1722 a new church was built by Fr. Tomas Quijano on the same site. In 1772, the church was razed by fire once more but was quickly rebuilt. During the British Invasion in the 18th century, some of the treasures and documents owned by the San Agustin Monastery in Intramuros were transferred to the convent of Quingua. The church suffered immensely from an earthquake in 1863 but was repaired the same year. According to the historical marker installed by the National Historical Committee, the church also served as a military hospital and cuartel by the Americans in 1899.
Long administered by the Archdiocese of Manila, on March 11, 1962, with the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos, the Quingua Church and Convent administration and ownership was transferred to the Diocese of Malolos, making Quingua Church the center of one of the original nine vicariates of Malolos, the Vicariate of Plaridel or the Vicariate of Santiago Apostol comprising the parishes in the municipalities of Calumpit, Balagtas (Bigaa), Guiguinto, Baliwag, Pulilan and Plaridel (Quingua).
Architecture
The present stone and brick church is barn-style Baroque mixed with Moorish ornamentation. The first level of the façade consists of a main trefoil arch doorway flanked by two niches of saints. The second level, with its three windows, is plainly adorned by four pairs of pillars. The pointed arch shaped pediment (resembling a minaret), on the other hand, is richly ornamented with carvings of cherubs, saints and other embellishments surrounding the oculus or rose window. At the peak of the pediment is a carving of the pierced heart of Jesus, a symbol of the Augustinian Order. Attached to left of the façade is the five-storey bell tower with a quadrilateral base and octagonal upper levels and topped by a cone-shaped dome. There are five bells in the belfry, the biggest of which is dedicated to .
Simborio Chapel
Near the church is an octagonal chapel locally known as the Simborio Chapel. Believed to have been built in the 1800s, the chapel may have functioned as a mortuary chapel although its current location in a residential area is a few meters away from the Catholic cemetery. The chapel features pointed arch windows and semicircular niches on its base.
In the documentary "Sineliksik Bulacan: Pamana ng Lahi, Yaman aking Ipagmamalaki," the Simborio was said to have been built by an Augustinian priest, Padre Nemesio García, OSA.
Daughter parishes
+ Daughter parishes of Plaridel Church Parish Separation year Location St. Isidore the Laborer Parish 1749 Pulilan, Bulacan St. Augustine Parish 1733 Baliuag, Bulacan St. John of God Parish 1750 San Rafael, Bulacan St. Ildephonse of Toledo Parish 1809 San Ildefonso, Bulacan St. Michael the Archangel Parish 1947 Dampol, Plaridel, Bulacan Holy Angels Parish 1999 San Jose, Plaridel, Bulacan
Chapels subdued Chapel Location San Clemente Chapel Parulan San Isidro Chapel Sitio Sumilang San Vicente Ferrer Chapel Bagong Silang San Francisco & Sta. Clara Chapel Banga 2nd San Padre Pio Chapel La Mirada Subd. San Antonio de Padua Chapel Banga 1st San Roque Chapel Tabang Bungad Santa Ines Chapel Sta. Ines Proper Santa Ines Chapel Sta. Ines Bukid Santa Krus Chapel Lalangan Sto. Niño Chapel Sto. Niño San Roque Chapel Sitio Balante San Isidro Chapel Agnaya Banal na Krus (Santa Krus) Chapel Lumangbayan
Mandated organizations Commission on Liturgy Lay Eucharistic Ministers Parish Music Ministry Apostolado ng Panalangin Lector/ Commentator Ministry of Altar Servers Legion of Mary Ostiarates (Mass Collectors/Usherettes) Mother Butler Mission Guild Cofradia delos Camareros de Quingua Cofradia dela Virgen Consolacion Y Correa (The oldest Organization in the Parish) Confraternity of Saint James the Great - Quingua Angels of the Altars Commission on Family and Life Marriage Encounter Community Tipanan Community Commission on Social Action: Knights of Columbus 6613 Catholic Women's' League Commission on Evangelization: El Shaddai Prayer Community Soldiers of Christ Holy Family Family Prayer Community Bible Apostolate PAndiyosesis na Sentro ng Katekista (PASKA) Commission on Youth Commission on Social Communication Commission on Temporal Goods Commission on Basic Ecclesial Community
Parish priests (Order of Saint Augustine)
Rdo. P. Diego Vasquez Rdo. P. Diego Pardo Rdo. P. Luiz Gutierrez Rdo. P. Luiz Ruiz Brito Rdo. P. Geronimo Medrano Rdo. P. Luiz Gutierrez Rdo. P. Bartolome Alcantara Rdo. P. Bernabe de Leon Rdo. P. Antonio Mojica Rdo. P. Bernabe de Leon Rdo. P. Alonso Sandoval Rdo. P. Baltazar Herrera Rdo. P. Antonio Mojica Rdo. P. Tomas Velasco Rdo. P. Antonio Mojica Rdo. P. Baltazar Herrera Rdo. P. Alonso Coronel Rdo. P. Francisco Castillo Rdo. P. Antonio Carrion Rdo. P. Gaspar Serrano Padilla Rdo. P. Luis Herrera Rdo. P. Diego Gutierrez dela Fuente Rdo. P. Cristobal Marroquin Rdo. P. Pedro Cañales Rdo. P. Carlos Bautista Rdo. P. Ildefonso de Escos Rdo. P. Felipe Jaurigue Rdo. P. Juan de Peralta Rdo. P. Jose de Medina Rdo. P. Felix Bejar Rdo. P. Jose Zalduendo Rdo. P. Carlos Elloriaga Rdo. P. Jose Serrano Rdo. P. Carlos Elloriaga Rdo. P. Gaspar Garcia Sossa Rdo. P. Jose Nebot Rdo. P. Francisco Nuñez Rdo. P. Bernardo Iglesia Rdo. P. Tomas Quijano Rdo. P. Bernardo Iglesia Rdo. P. Miguel Vivas Rdo. P. Fernando Sanchez Rdo. P. Francisco Nuñez Rdo. P. Bernardo Sanchez Rdo. P. Francisco Bencuchillo Rdo. P. Juan Jaurigue Rdo. P. Manuel Zamora Rdo. P. Manuel Baceta Rdo. P. Manuel Cortazar Rdo. P. Francisco Cameselle Rdo. P. Manuel Baceta Rdo. P. Tomas Sanchez Parada Rdo. P. Jose de Leon Rdo. P. Domingo Beovide Rdo. P. Diego Perez Rdo. P. Bernardino Notario Rdo. P. Manuel Rivera Rdo. P. Juan Cuadrado Rdo. P. Dionisio de Sta. Maria Rdo. P. Santiago Villoria Rdo. P. Juan Crespo Rdo. P. Fulgencio Sainz Rdo. P. Juan Serrano Rdo. P. Manuel Cortazar Rdo. P. Servando De Bergantin Rdo. P. S.V. Utor Rdo. P. Florentino Monasterio Rdo. P. Angel Vesa Rdo. P. Pedro Ruiz Rdo. P. Emilio Mercado Rdo. P. Pedro Quiroz
Parish priests (Filipino priests)
Rdo. P. Victorino Lopez Rdo. P. Gabino Baluyot Rdo. P. Marcelino Fajardo Rdo. Mons. Honorio Resurreccion Rdo. P. Gonzalo Sarreal Rdo. P. Hermogenez Ersando Rdo. Mons. Serafin Riego de Dios Rdo. Mons. Roman O. Nocon Rdo. P. Anacleto C. Ignacio Rdo. P. Jose Dennis A. Espejo Rdo. P. Elmer R. Ignacio Rdo. P. Rufino L. Sulit
Parochial vicar
Rdo. P. Feliciano Palma Rdo. P. Luciano Paguiligan Rdo. P. Regalado San Pedro Rdo. P. Eliseo Carreon Rdo. P. Jose Aguilar Jr. Rdo. P. Rafael Balite Jr. Rdo. P. Gabriel Jocson Rdo. P. Jose Vengco Rdo. P. Eugenio Marcelo Rdo. P. Protacio Gunggon (Former Antipolo Bishop) Rdo. P.Generoso Santos Rdo. P. Bienvenido Lopez Rdo. P. Deogracias Iñiguez (Former Kalookan Bishop) Rdo. P. Nicomedes Del Rosario Rdo. P. Cesar Suarez Rdo. P. Romeo Dionisio Rdo. P. Javer Joaquin Rdo. P. Flormonico Cadiz Rdo. P. Nicanor Castro Rdo. P. Alejandro Enriquez Rdo. P. Reynaldo Rivera Rdo. P. Benito Justiniano Rdo. P. Joey Buencamino Rdo. P. Lamberto Tomas Rdo. P. Gregorio Dazo Jr. Rdo. P. Jun Espiritu Rdo. P. Joselito Rodriguez Rdo. P. Francis Cortez III Rdo. P. Leopoldo Evangelista Rdo. P. Vincent Reyes Rdo. P. Ramon Bernardo Rdo. P. Alvin Pila Rdo. P. Renato Brion Jr. Rdo. P. Daniel Sevilla Rdo. P. Edgardo Toribio Jr. Rdo. P. Romeo Sasi Rdo. P. Kirth Stephen Buluran Rdo. P. Samuel Estrope II Rdo. P. Jowel Karlo San Luis
St. James' Salubong Festival
A fiesta for horse lovers is the popular two-day celebration called "Pintakasi ng mga Caballero" held before New Year's Eve in Plaridel, Bulacan. Its main attraction, held on December 29, is a colorful parade of cocheros, jockeys and other equine aficionados, followed by a tilbury race (horse-drawn chariots for two), whose participants include movie stars (particularly members of the clan of the late former Bulacan Governor Jose Padilla, I), luminaries of the province and government officials.
This annual celebrations delight to both local and foreign tourists turned 400 years old last December. It is actually the traditional feast of San Tiago Mata Moros in Plaridel town.
Multitudes of devotees, who are joined by tourists, flock to Plaridel every year either to witness or participate in this colorful ritual in honor of San Tiago, or St. James the Apostle, who has been depicted as a horse rider. San Tiago is considered the unofficial patron of cocheros and jockeys.
St. James the Apostle is the cousin of Christ. His image, portrayed riding on a white horse trampling upon pagan figures, is brought in a procession from its "home" in Barangay Sipat and transferred to the Parish Church.
Fiesta organizers dub the ritual preceded by an early morning mass on December 29 at the chapel of Barangay Sipat as, "the traditional salubong." Featured are race studs and the patient horses of caritelas and tilburies with their owners seeking blessing during the translacion or transfer of their patron saint.
The procession is called salubong because San Tiago's image tailed by groups of faithful including elderly women wearing kimona’t saya and buntal hats performing a ritual dance is met by the patron's other devotees halfway from Sipat to Plaridel Parish Church, in the town's poblacion.
Local officials and national figures often join the devotees’ seven-kilometer trek to the parish church. In the past celebration, Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz Araneta; DOTC Sec. Vicente Rivera Jr., who hails from Plaridel; Former Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz; and former Bulacan Vice Governor Willie Villarama, this town's "adopted son", led the procession.