Oldest church in Malabon declared a minor basilica, says Kalookan diocese

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The San Bartolome Parish Church in Malabon City has been elevated into a minor basilica, the diocese announced on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

"The faithful of the Diocese of Kalookan rejoice and give thanks to God for the granting of our petition to the Holy See, endorsed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, to elevate the San Bartolome Parish Church in Malabon to the dignity of a Minor Basilica," according to the announcement posted in social media.

"Today we received the formal decree of approval from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dated September 29, 2026, the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels. Praise the Lord!"

The 412-year-old church, CBCP News reported, is the first in the Diocese of Kalookan to receive the designation.

The diocese received a formal decree from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The church, CBCP News added, was founded by Augustinian missionaries in 1614, San Bartolome Parish is the oldest church in the diocese, according to its parish profile.

"In August 2022, the National Museum of the Philippines declared San Bartolome an Important Cultural Property, recognizing its historical and cultural significance." — BAP, GMA News