Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity

The Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity, better known as Agoo Basilica, is a Roman Catholic Minor Basilica in Agoo, La Union, the Philippines dedicated to Our Lady of Charity. It is the seat of the Santa Monica Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union under the Vicariate of St. Francis Xavier . The diocese of San Fernando La Union is part of the territory of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. The basilica is under the leadership of parish priest, Msgr. Alfonso V. Lacsamana, PC and Parish Vicar, Father Liberato A. Apusen. It is situated along MacArthur Highway in Agoo, La Union in front of the Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center.HistoryThe parish was founded in 1578 by Franciscan friars, Fray John Baptist Lucarelli of Pesaro, Italy and Fray Sebastián de San Francisco of Baesa, Spain. The original church was constructed with native materials, nipa and bamboo (in Barangay Nagreban or Nagrugcan) under its patron, St. Francis of Assisi. In 1598, Padres Saturmino Franco, Casimiro Melgosa and Aquilino García finished a 3-tiered bell tower for the church. In the same year, the Augustinians named Saint Monica as the town's new patron saint.