Church of Santa Maria
La Basilica Menor de la Purísima Concepción
Church façade and bell tower in 2023
Church of Santa Maria Show map of Bulacan Church of Santa Maria Show map of Luzon Church of Santa Maria Show map of Philippines
14°49′10″N 120°57′48″E / 14.819513°N 120.963234°E / 14.819513; 120.963234
Location	Santa Maria, Bulacan
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.lapurisimaconcepcionparish.com
History
Status	Minor Basilica
Founded	1793
Founder(s)	Francisco Javier and Tomás Marti
Dedication	La Purísima Concepción
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	National Historical Landmark
Designated	1939
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Barn-style Baroque
Completed	late 1800s
Specifications
Number of domes	1
Materials	Volcanic Tuff or Adobe
Bells	5
Administration
Archdiocese	Manila
Diocese	Malolos
Episcopal area	Eastern District
Parish	Santa Maria
Clergy
Rector	Alberto R. Suatengco
Vicar(s)	Menald D.S. Leonardo, Philipp F. Volante

The Minor Basilica of La Purísima Concepción, locally known as Santa Maria Church (Spanish: La Basilica Menor de la Purísima Concepción) is a Roman Catholic Minor Basilica in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines.

The shrine is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception. The church is the seat of the Episcopal Vicar of the Eastern District of the Diocese of Malolos.

Pope Francis granted a Pontifical decree of coronation to the enshrined Marian image on 28 March 2019. He later raised the shrine to the status of Minor Basilica via decree on 21 March 2021. ^[1]

Early history

Santa Maria Church was founded by Franciscan Friars as a visita by the priest Francisco Javier under the parish of Saint Martin of Tours in Bocaue. The materials was initially made of cogon and bamboo and later stronger materials. Then by 1792, Santa Maria de Pandi gained independence from its matrix and the construction of a bigger church commenced. The church was renamed Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción dedicated to the Virgin Mary.^[2]

Pontifical coronation

The church is home to an image of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be miraculous. There are two local legends as to how the image arrived in Santa Maria: first is that it was brought to the town by the Franciscan Friars, second is that it was sculpted out of wood from a galleon. The image has been stolen in the 1930s and was retrieved in Nueva Ecija by a man named Teofilo Ramirez who claimed that the Virgin Mary appeared in his dream and gave instructions as to where the image can be found. The image was returned to the town on a February and the townsfolk accordingly adjusted their feast day to the first Thursday of February except when its falls on February 2 (the feast of the Our Lady of the Candles).^[3] The image was first granted an episcopal coronation on March 3, 2018 by Bishop Jose Oliveros of Malolos.^[4] On March 28, 2019, Pope Francis granted the canonical coronation of the image of La Purisima Concepcion.^[5] The coronation took place on February 1, 2020.

Heritage designation

The facade of the church has a marker dated 1939 from the Philippines Historical Committee, now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The marker bears the name "Church of Pandi".^[6] The nearby town of Pandi has its own church, dedicated also to the Immaculate Conception, and is located about 5 kilometers from the minor basilica in Santa Maria, Bulacan.^[7]