Santa Monica Parish Church (Minalin)

The National Cultural Treasure historical marker.

The Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) called for the conservation and protection of Spanish-era churches because of heritage and culture declaring them as National Cultural Treasures (NCT). Priority status was bestowed not just due to their historical value, but also based on the geographic representation of various regions across the nation. The Santa Monica Church was declared such by the National Museum of the Philippines on August 27, 2011.[6]

Ahead of the 400th founding anniversary of Minalin Parish (“Aldo ning Minalin”) in 2014, the National Museum of the Philippines per Director Jeremy Barns inscribed the Sta. Monica Church of Minalin as a National Cultural Treasure (NCT) for three reasons: First, its façade’s that resembles a giant “retablo” and was influenced by Christian, Buddhist, Hinduist and animistic cultures; second, the four capilla posas (prayer nooks or corner chapels) that are still duly preserved or intact at the four corners of its front patio and can only be found at the Santa Monica Church; and lastly, the old painting of the Our Lady of Consolation giving the cords to Saint Monica and her son Saint Augustine in the main altar.[7] The church was the second NCT in Pampanga, after the Betis Church (Saint James Parish Church) in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga.[8]

Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, D.D., and Minalin parish priest Fr. Greg Vega both celebrated the historic Mass with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Minalin Mayor Arturo “Katoy” Naguit as guests.[9]

The 1619 mural detailing Minalin, Pampanga during that period.

The upper floor of the church convent contains native drawings of mysterious origins. The ancient mural painting (1619) is a primitive-looking map with details of trees, ducks, crows, a boat, a hunter and a crocodile. The year 1619 was a founding date of the town of Minalin. Of the 20 original Augustinian missions, Minalin is the only one that bears corbels showing pre-Hispanic culture.

The church has elaborately decorated classical-style stone corbels and beams in the convent and high up in the church's ceiling, with carvings depicting pre-Hispanic pagan deities like naga (serpent), dapu (crocodile), galura (eagle) and bulig (mudfish).[13] The trees, ducks, crows, a boat and a hunter are very much imposing.

The "Minalin Mural" is 89 inches (2,300 mm) wide and 113 inches (2,900 mm) tall showing the flora and fauna of Minalin during the early 1600s. It is a tale of “prehistoric landscape of riverine communities", marshes and swamps with birds, agricultural land with damulag (carabao) and a farmer at the background. The map depicts the town as the seat of the Kapampangan region, according to a will by Francisco Malang Balagtas or Pansomun.[13][14][15]

The ancient painting is made of argamasa – a type of cement used during the period which is made of lime mortal, fine river sand, and egg whites. The mural bears the date "1619", and is believed to have been made within five years of that date.[16]

The Moorish architecture is evidenced by the motifs: carved ornamental heads of bulig (mudfish), naga (dragon) and dapu (crocodile) – sacramental figures of the old Kapampangan religious belief system. Comparable to the Muslim Mindanao torogan, the spires of the bell towers depict a Moorish architecture, showing the Islamic faith of early Minaleños.

When the ceiling was renovated in 1939, the mural paintings on it were removed. Msgr. Pablo Díaz did the restoration of the church in 1982 while Fr. Rolando López renovated the convent in 1998.

In November 2012, residents who evacuated to the convent because of floods destroyed the lower left portion of the ancient mural. Mayor Arturo Naguit restored and preserved the convent mural with the assistance of engineers from Mapúa Institute of Technology.[17]

Santo Nino, the 4th of the capillas posas

The many side and back minor altars of Santa Monica Church characterize it as one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in the Philippines. The four capillas posas are concrete arched structures used as “oratory stations” for the Blessed Sacrament during Christ the King, Corpus Christi and other events.[18]

The capilla posa distinguishes Santa Monica Church as the only church in the Philippine that has these features fully preserved today. During the Hispanization of Minalin, these altars were used by Filipinos (termed by the Spaniards as Indios) as the church interior was reserved for “peninsulares” (full-blooded Filipino-Spaniards).

At the apex of the main altar is one of the churches highly valued possession, the old painting of Our Lady of Consolation. The devotion to Our Lady of Consolation began when St. Monica in a vision received a black leather belt from the Blessed Virgin, who assured the holy widow that she would take under her special protection all those who wore it in her honor. In return, Monica gave it to her son, Augustine, who later changed his ways and eventually became one of the saints in the Roman Catholic Church.

The 18th-century painting of Our Lady of Consolation at the top level of the reredos of the main altar of Sta Monica Parish Church, depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Jesus her child. She is wearing a cord which is a representation of a belt that she supposedly gave to St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine. According to Rev. Fr. Pedro Galende, director of the San Agustin Museum, the belt is a "symbol of chastity" that represents Mary's Immaculate Conception delivery of Jesus into the world.

The feast of Our Lady of Consolation is celebrated every September 4. The Clausura Procession is held every last Saturday of the month after the mid-morning Mass. The image is passed on from one shoulder to another shoulder by devotees as the procession goes around the convent in the tradition of the early monastic period.[19]

Pierced heart of St. Monica (under the choir loft)

On August 26, 2011, parish Priest Fr. Vega announced the discovery of the heart, an unusual bas relief or sculpture carved from an adobe beam supporting the choir loft at the church entry, being hidden for centuries inside the old wooden ceiling.

Inverted and pierced with arrow, it is unlike other parts of the church, particularly above entry doors. Churches also had centuries-old bas reliefs all depicting emblems of St. Augustine (his book City of God, his miter, and a church). Her heart is supposed to symbolize sufferings because of Augustine's previous sinfulness.

The church architecture evolved during the construction by Augustinian friars in the 1600s and completed in 1764, demonstrating a confluence of various cultural influences. Lotus flowers with Buddhist motif are carved in one door, while wooden trusses supporting the roof are shaped at the edge like a crocodile reflecting local pre-Hispanic folk beliefs.