Santa Monica Parish Church

The Santa Monica Parish Church, commonly known as the Sarrat Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Barangay San Leandro, Poblacion, Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It was built in 1779 and was originally known as San Miguel Church. The Santa Monica Church complex includes the convent connected to the church by an elevated three-level brick stairway.The parish church of Santa Monica is renowned as the largest church in the whole Ilocos Norte province, most especially the length of the nave. In June 1983, the church was the setting for the grand wedding of Gregorio Araneta and Irene Marcos, the daughter of then President Marcos. It was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines on September 27, 2009.HistorySarrat used to be a visita of Laoag. It was originally named as San Miguel to mark the arrival of the first Augustinian missionaries in Sarrat during the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel on September 29, 1724. The parish of Santa Monica de Sarrat was erected in 1724. It was only in 1769 when the convent was built to serve as a temporary chapel. The church, belfry, convent, and the curillo or bridge staircase connecting the church and convent was simultaneously constructed and finished in 1779.