San Bartolome Parish in Malabon elevated to minor basilica

The Vatican has elevated the 412-year-old San Bartolome Parish in Malabon City to the status of a minor basilica. This designation makes it the first church in the Diocese of Kalookan to receive the honor.

The formal decree was issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, following a petition endorsed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and requested by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kalookan.

Founded by Augustinian missionaries in 1614, San Bartolome is the oldest church in the diocese. The structure has survived various natural calamities and historical conflicts, including damage during the Philippine Revolution in 1898. In August 2022, the National Museum of the Philippines recognized the site as an Important Cultural Property due to its historical and architectural significance.