Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, or Our Lady’s Nativity Parish Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Barangay1 Natividad, in the town of Pangil2, in the province3 of Laguna4, in the Calabarzon5 Region6 of the Philippines.
Facade, Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna
This is a unique church, and if you do not know the reasons, let Tita S tell you about it (see Facts 1-3) and then some.
Here are 8 facts about Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church:
1.It is the only church in the Philippines dedicated to a pregnant Virgin Mary. Yes, dearest Seniors, this is the only church in the country with an almost life-sized statue of a pregnant Mary, displayed at the side altar, to the right of the main altar. This is why I included this church in my early Visita Iglesia7. See my 2-part Laguna Visita Iglesia 2020 post next week.
2. The statue of the pregnant Virgin Mary is locally known as Nuestra Señora de la O. Now you might ask why. I did too, so I asked an elderly in that church, and I was told that, according to the Gospel of Luke, the Virgin Mary was a young woman who was engaged to be married to Joseph, and the Angel Gabriel came to see Mary in Nazareth, to tell her that she would give birth to a Son who would save people from their sins, and shall be called Jesus – the scene of the Annunciation.
“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.” Mary asked the angel how she could be pregnant, since she was a virgin. The angel told her that God had made her pregnant through a miracle. Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You. Therefore, the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” The angel departed and the Virgin Mary was in awe, thus, the title, Nuestra Señora de la O.
Altar, Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:148Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad_Parish_Church_20.jpg
Interior (looking towards the entrance), Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=nuestra+señora+de+la+natividad+parish+church&title=Special:Search&go=Go&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:148.Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad_Parish_Church_15.jpg
3. The statue of Nuestra Señora de la O (Our Lady of the O) and the statue of Santo Niño de la O (Holy Child of the O) were gifts of King Carlos III of Spain8. Again, you might think: why would the King of Spain give such gifts to a sleepy town in the Philippines, halfway round the world?
Statue of Nuestra Señora de la Natividad to the right of the altar, Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna
Nuestra Señora de la O (Our Lady of the O) and Santo Niño de la O (Holy Child of the O), Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo taken from the Facebook account: Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish – Pangil, Laguna.
Well, it is believed that in 1724, young Prince Carlos was banished from Spain and was exiled to the Philippines. He stayed with the Franciscan priests in the convent, near the church of Pangil2, then considered the biggest convent in the province of Laguna4. He stayed for three years in the town of Pangil and enjoyed his stay there, hunting in the Sierra Madre mountain range that was known as a good hunting ground for wild animals and fowls, as well as staying in the creek that branched out from the Pangil River, now called the Bambang Hari, or King’s Canal.
By 1728, the King of Spain lifted the ban on the prince and ordered him to return to their kingdom. When Charles became king, he ordered his emissaries to send the statue of Nuestra Señora de la O (Our Lady of the O) and the statue of Santo Niño de la O (Holy Child of the O) as a sign of gratitude and appreciation to the Pangilenians for the hospitality and kindness that was accorded to him.
Left side of the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=nuestra+señora+de+la+natividad+parish+church&title=Special:Search&go=Go&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:148.Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad-Parish-Church_37.jpg
Left side of the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church (looking up), Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:148Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad-Parish-Church_36.jpg
A replica of the statue of Santo Niño de la O (Holy Child of the O) , up close, outside the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=nuestra+señora+de+la+natividad+parish+church&title=Special:Search&go=Go&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:148.Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad-Parish-Church_40.jpg
The statue of King Carlos III of Spain at the parking area, left side of the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=nuestra+señora+de+la+natividad+parish+church&title=Special:Search&go=Go&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:148.Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad-Parish-Church_45.jpg
The statue of King Carlos III of Spain at the parking area, up close, located at the left side of the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna
Plaque, statue of King Carlos III of Spain at the parking area, Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna
The townspeople are proud of this story. However, there is nothing in the historical records of the archives of the Franciscan Province in the Philippines, the Archdiocese of Manila, or the Ministerio del Ultramar in Madrid that could corroborate this folk history. This is puzzling …
4. I could only Google one other church outside the Philippines which features a pregnant Virgin Mary. It is the Church of Santiago, in A Coruña, in the Spanish region of Galicia. I could not get more information about this church so if you know more about this church, especially if you had the chance to visit it, please share it with Tita S.
5. The town of Pangil was founded as a hermitage9, or visita, by Franciscan friars Juan de Plasencia and Diego de Oropesa in 1579, administered by the nearby parish of Lumban10due to lack of priests. The first church was built out of cane.
6. In 1611, a stone Baroque-style11 church and convent was built under the direction of Father Gonzalo del Roble. Restoration of the church’s woodwork and improvement of the convent was done by Father Lucas Fernandez in 1711. The church was remodeled from 1749 to 1751 by Father Luis de Nambroca.
Interior (right side), Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna – Photo Source: Judgefloro, own work, created 12 May 2019, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:148Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Natividad-Parish-Church_20.jpg
7. Based on the records of Father Felix Huerta, the church also has a stone chapel dedicated to Saint Mark the Evangelist12 and Saint Anthony Abad13.
8. This parish church is currently administered by the Diocese of San Pablo14, archdiocese of Manila.
The information was obtained from the Wikipedia pages “Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church”15 and “Pangil”16, and simple Wikipedia page “Mary, mother of Jesus”17.
You can also check out their Facebook account: Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish – Pangil, Laguna.
I just got this announcement from its Facebook account. This is an option for you this coming Holy Week via live stream.
So, have I convinced you visit this church? Why not include it in your next Laguna4 Visita Iglesia7?
You know what, dearest Seniors? Tita S was blessed to have done an early 2020 Visita Iglesia7 with her college buddies on March 8, a day before the Presidential proclamation of a public health emergency for the entire country due to COVID-19. See her posts so you can, somehow, virtually join her, and imagine that you also did the Visita Iglesia because it might be impossible to visit seven churches during this pandemic for Holy Week 2020: LAGUNA VISITA IGLESIA 2020: PART 1 (OF 2) and LAGUNA VISITA IGLESIA 2020: PART 2 (OF 2)
This is not a sponsored post. I just want my readers to know more about the Philippines.
Did you find this post informative? I would like to hear from you regarding your visit to Pangil’s Our Lady’s Nativity Parish Church.
See other interesting places through other posts in this category and other categories of SCapades, Pinoy Delights, and Smart Traveler – Now You Know, Short and Simple, and Say, Say, Say. Happy reading, and I hope that you will appreciate what I shared and some of the featured destinations will be part of your future travel plans!
Remember to share this post with your friends, follow me by clicking on the bottom right corner of your device, and do not forget to like this post. Thank you.
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The following terms are defined for interested readers, especially those with “Senior-Moments”, not familiar with Filipino, Catholic and architectural terms, and those too busy or lazy to Google such terms:
1A barangay in the Philippines is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, headed by a barangay captain, aided by a Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council). It is the native Filipino term for a village. It was formerly called a barrio. In a metropolitan area, a barangay is an inner city neighborhood, a suburb, or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay originated from the term “balangay”, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian people who migrated to the Philippines. A number of barangays grouped together is called a district. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Barangay.”18
2Pangil is a fourth class municipality19 strategically located at the southern tip of Sierra Madre mountain range, in the province3 of Laguna4, in the Philippines. Its topography is generally flat, in between rolling and steep hills. It is subdivided into 8 barangays1. It was founded by Gat Pangil, who united 4 ancient settlements to establish a Tagalog20 kingdom in the area. This town is one of the oldest settlements in Laguna, rich in Hispanic, American and Japanese history. It gained recognition as a town through the Franciscan friars in 1579. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Pangil”21
3A province is the primary administrative and political division in the Philippines. It is the second-level administrative sub-division of a region6. There are 81 provinces (called “lalawigan”) in the Philippines. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and by an elected governor. Remember, a province in the Philippines is divided into cities and municipalities19 (or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays1, formerly called barrios. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Provinces of the Philippines.”22 See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: WHAT ARE PROVINCES IN THE PHILIPPINES?
4Laguna is a province3 in the Calabarzon5 Region6 of the Philippines, located southeast of Metro Manila, north of Batangas, west of Quezon, south of the province of Rizal, and east of Cavite. This is the 7th richest province in the country, and the third largest province in the region. It hugs the southern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. It is composed of 24 municipalities19 and 6 cities. The provincial capital is the town of Santa Cruz since 1858, after Bay (1581-1688) and Pagsanjan (1688-1858). It is historically one of the first provinces in the Philippines to have been visited by Christian missionaries. Its main natural resources are its agriculture and fisheries, owing to its position near Laguna de Bay and the surrounding lowlands. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Laguna (province)”23
5Calabarzon, or Region IV-A, or Southern Tagalog Mainland, is a Philippine region6 located in the island group of Luzon, with Calamba as its regional center. CALABARZON is an acronym for this region’s five provinces3: CAvite, LAguna4, BAtangas, Rizal, QueZON. It is the most populated region in the country and the country’s second most densely populated after Metro Manila. This region is located south of the National Capital Region (NCR), bordered by the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan and Metro Manila in the north, Manila Bay in the west, Tayabas Bay, and Sibuyan Sea in the south, and Lamon Bay, and the Bicol Region in the east. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Calabarzon”24 and https://lga.gov.ph/region/region-iv-a.
6A region is an administrative division based on geographical, cultural and ethnological characteristics. Each region is further subdivided in provinces3, composed of cities and municipalities19 (or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays1, formerly called barrios, according to Wikipedia page “Regions of the Philippines”.25 See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: WHAT ARE THE REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES?
7Visita Iglesia, or Seven Churches Visitation, is the Roman Catholic Lenten practice to visit seven (and even 14) churches during Holy Week, traditionally on the evening of Maundy Thursday, to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in each church. There are no set prayers given by the Catholic Church for this activity, except to pray for the intentions of the Pope and recite the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory Be. Some may opt to pray the Stations of the Cross26. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Seven Churches Visitation”.27 See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: WHAT IS VISITA IGLESIA?
8King Carlos III of Spain (1716 – 1788) was King of Spain from 1759 till 1788, a proponent of enlightened absolutism. He was the fifth son of Philip V of Spain and the eldest son of Philip’s second wife, Elisabeth Farnese. He succeeded to the Spanish throne on August 10, 1759, upon the death of his half-brother, Ferdinand VI, who left no heirs. As King of Spain, Charles III made far-reaching reforms in promoting science and university research, facilitating trade and commerce, and modernizing agriculture. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Charles III of Spain”.28
9A hermitage, or visita, is a place of worship in a newly established town, without a designated priest-in-charge, attached to a parish church (with a parish priest) of an adjacent town. It may become a parish church, with enough parishioners and a designated parish priest.
10Lumban is a third class municipality19 in the province3 of Laguna4, in the Calabarzon5 Region6 of the Philippines. It is named after the Lumbang tree (Aleurites moluccanus). It is one of Laguna’s oldest towns, founded on September 22, 1578, and formerly included the towns of Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan and Cavinti. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Kalayaan, on the northwest by Laguna de Bay, on the southwest by Pagsanjan, on the southeast by Cavinti, and on the northeast by the province of Quezon. It is known as the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines and the Home of Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Lumban, Laguna”29 and http://calabarzon.dilg.gov.ph/132-old-lgus/old-laguna-lgus/586-lumban.
11Baroque architecture is characterized by: domes, often painted with a sky filled with angels and sculpted sunbeams, suggesting a vision of heaven; a quadratura30; grand stairways, winding upwards in stages, giving changing views from different levels; cartouche31 in elaborate forms and sculpted frames which break up the surfaces and add three-dimensional effects to the walls; mirrors to give the impression of depth and greater space, particularly when combined with windows; incomplete architectural elements like frontons with sections missing, causing sections to merge and disorient the eye; chiaroscuro, the use of strong contrasts of darkness and light for dramatic effect; overhead sculpture, on or just below the ceiling, made of wood (often gilded), plaster or stucco32, marble or faux finishing, giving the impression of floating in the air; Solomonic columns33 which give an illusion of motion; and, elliptical or oval spaces to eliminate right angles. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Baroque architecture”.34
12Mark the Evangelist (5 – 68 AD) is the traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark. He is said to have founded the Church of Alexandria, one of the most important episcopal sees of early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the winged lion. His major shrine is St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy. In art, he is most often depicted writing or holding his gospel/book/scroll and a palm, accompanied by a winged lion. Why a lion? The lion might be associated with Jesus’ Resurrection because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, thus a comparison with Christ in His tomb, and Christ as king. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Mark the Evangelist”.35
13St. Anthony Abad was a Christian monk from Egypt, known as the Father of All Monks. He is called by various names: Anthony the Great, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, and Anthony of Thebes. His feast day is celebrated on January 17. He was among the first monks to go into the wilderness, around AD 270, known to have endured supernatural temptation during his sojourn in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. He is considered the patron saint against infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Anthony the Great”.36
14The Diocese of San Pablo is a Roman Catholic diocese which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. This diocese covers the entire province of Laguna4. Its patron saint, or titular head, is Saint Paul the Hermit. It is located along Marcos Paulino Avenue in San Pablo City, Laguna, with contact number (049) 562-1039. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo”.37
15“Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish Church,” accessed January 22, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuestra_Se%C3%B1ora_de_la_Natividad_Parish_Church
16“Pangil,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangil
17“Mary, mother of Jesus,” accessed January 22, 2019, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_mother_of_Jesus
18“Barangay,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barangay
19A municipality is a small, single urban administrative division, or local government unit (LGU), in the Philippines which has corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by law. It is a unit under a province3, subdivided into barangays1, and is locally called “bayan”. In the Philippines, a municipality is headed by a mayor, a vice mayor, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan (legislative branch). It can enact local policies and laws, enforce them, and govern its jurisdictions. It can enter into contracts and other transactions through its elected and appointed officials and can tax as well. It enforces all local and national laws. There are almost 1,500 municipalities in the Philippines. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Municipalities of the Philippines.”38 See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: HOW MANY CITIES ARE THERE IN THE PHILIPPINES?
20Tagalog refers to the second largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, after the Visayan people, numbering around 30 million, with most of them inhabiting Metro Manila, the Calabarzon5 region6 in southern Luzon, the islands of Marinduque and Mindoro in Mimoropa, as well as a plurality in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Zambales in Central Luzon. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Tagalog (people).”39
21“Pangil,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangil
22“Provinces of the Philippines,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the_Philippines
23“Laguna (province),” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguna_(province)
24“Calabarzon,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabarzon
25“Regions of the Philippines,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_the_Philippines
26The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, Ways of Sorrow, or Via Crucis, refers to the series of fourteen images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of His crucifixion and accompanying prayers, considered to be patterned after the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary for His crucifixion. The devotion of Roman Catholics to do the Way of the Cross during Holy Week is like a spiritual pilgrimage through the contemplation of the Passion of Christ (the final period of the life of Jesus from His entrance in Jerusalem till His crucifixion). The 14 stations are: (1) Pilate condemns Jesus to die; (2) Jesus accepts His cross; (3) Jesus falls for the first time; (4) Jesus meets His mother, Mary; (5) Simon helps carry the cross; (6) Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; (7) Jesus falls for the second time; (8) Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; (9) Jesus falls for the third time; (10) Jesus is stripped of His clothes; (11) Jesus is nailed to the cross; (12) Jesus dies on the cross; (13) Jesus is taken down from the cross; and, (14) Jesus is placed in the tomb. All these are according to the Wikipedia page “Stations of the Cross”.40
27“Seven Churches Visitation,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Churches_Visitation
28“Charles III of Spain,” accessed January 22, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_III_of_Spain
29“Lumban, Laguna,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumban,_Laguna
30A quadratura is a Baroque11 architectural feature which uses paintings in trompe-l’oeil41 of angels and saints in the dome and on the ceiling, combined with stucco32 frames or decoration. This style draws the eyes upward giving the illusion of three dimensions, and of looking through the ceiling to the heavens. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Baroque architecture”.34
31A cartouche, or cartouch, is an oval or oblong design with a slightly convex surface, typically edges with ornamental scrollwork, used to hold a painted or low-relief design. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Cartouche”.42
32Stucco refers to the cement-based plaster used for coating wall surfaces or molding into architectural decorations. It hardens into a highly durable material that requires little maintenance and can be used to obtain different textures and finishes.43
33A Solomonic column, also called Barley-sugar column, is a helical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew. It may be crowned with any design. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Solomonic column”.44
34“Baroque architecture”, accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_architecture
35“Mark the Evangelist,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_the_Evangelist
36“Anthony the Great,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_the_Great
37“Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo,” accessed February 20, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_San_Pablo
38“Municipalities of the Philippines,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_the_Philippines
39“Tagalog people,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_people
40”Stations of the Cross,” accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_Cross
41Trompe-l’oeil is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. The term is French for “deceive the eye”. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Trompe-l’oeil”.45
42“Cartouche”, accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartouche
43https://www.thebalancesmb.com/choose-right-stucco-mix-844655
44“Solomonic column”, accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomonic_column
45“Trompe-l’oeil”, accessed January 15, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompe-l’oeil
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