Diocesan Shrine of St. Clement - Angono, Rizal #church

Diocesan Shrine of Saint Clement located on Dona Aurora St., Brgy. Poblacion Ibaba, Angono, 1930 Rizal. The Parish Fiesta is celebrated every 23rd day of November

Angono is located 26 kms. (a 1-hour drive via OrtigasAve.) from Manila and 18.4 kms. (a 40-min. drive via E Bank Rd.) from Antipolo City.

This church, dedicated to St. Clement of Rome ((also known as Pope Clement I), had humble beginnings as a chapel of a hacienda in 1751. A church, in Biga, was damaged during the June 3, 1863 earthquake and never repaired.
The present church, began in 1877 with mulawin posts, cogon roof and bamboo sidings but, on July 2, 1881, an Episcopal permit was issued by Archbishop Pedro Payo de Felix to construct the church with its present day materials.
The bell tower, built in 1930 by Fr. Segundo Alto, replaced the small wooden campanario located at the patio. A big copper church bell, brought to Angono in 1784, by the hacendero Josep Blanco Bermudez, is still in use at the bell tower of the present church. In 1938, another big copper bell, donated by Pedro Anorico, was installed at the bell tower.
In 1952, the glorietta, with its statue of Christ the King, was completed and, in 1955, the window frames and panels in the bell tower and convent were renovated. On September 8, 2021 (the Feast of the Nativity of Mary), the church was declared as a Diocesan Shrine ((the 10th diocesan shrine of the Diocese of Antipolo) by Antipolo Bishop Francisco de Leon.

The St. Clement Parish Church in the town of Angono in Rizal province has been declared a diocesan shrine by Bishop Francisco de Leon of Antipolo. The declaration was announced during a Mass on Sept. 8, the Feast of Mary’s birth, by Fr. Peter Julian Eymard Balatbat, the parish priest. He said the decree was approved by the bishop but it was only announced yesterday “to give thanks to the Virgin Mary and to our beloved patron, St. Clement, who has been a guide and inspiration to the people of Angono and to the Catholics in Rizal and for pilgrims in different places across the country”.

Angono is considered the “art capital of the Philippines”. Formerly known as “Hacienda de Angono”, the Spanish agrarian property became a town in the late Spanish era and was dedicated to St. Clement, thus far being the only parish dedicated to the saint in the country.

The town’s fiesta and fluvial procession is one of the most visited religious and cultural events in the country, with colorful decorations and with artisans and musicians aiding in the thanksgiving celebration.

The pagoda is held at the town’s Laguna lake side to give thanks to the patron for the bounty of fish and for the blessing of talents among its parishioners.

This is the 10th diocesan shrine of the Antipolo diocese following Our Lady of Aranzazu (San Mateo, Rizal), Our Lady of the Abandoned and St. Paul of the Cross (Marikina City), Our Lady of Light and St. Arnold Janssen (Cainta, Rizal), St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Antipolo City), St. Mary Magdalene (Pililla, Rizal), Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Cardona, Rizal) and St. Joseph (Baras, Rizal).

It is also home to the first national shrine in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City.