Aside from the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, we went to another church located in San Jose Road within the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. It’s the Arzobispado de Pampanga, the home of the Archbishop of Pampanga.

The San Fernando Cathedral, originally constructed in the 1750s under the patronage of San Fernando III, King of Castille, was initially built using wood and thatch. However, it underwent renovations in the 1780s. Regrettably, the structure faced destruction by fire on two occasions: first during the Philippine Revolution Army in May 1899 under Gen. Antonio Luna’s orders, and again in 1939.

The Church of Lubao played a pivotal role in Pampanga’s history. In 1898, it was occupied by Filipino rebels during the Philippine revolution, and a year later, it functioned as a makeshift hospital for American troops amid the Philippine-American War. Tragically, in 1942, the 17th-century church fell victim to Japanese bombings during World War II. Reconstruction efforts began in 1949, and in 1952, a historical marker detailing its history was installed on the church facade by the Historical Committee of the Philippines. Recognizing its significance, the National Museum designated the San Agustin Church as an Important Cultural Property in 2013.

The San Guillermo Church in Bacolor. Pampanga was initially built by the Augustinian Friars in 1576. However, in 1880, the church was devastated by an earthquake and subsequently reconstructed in 1886. Tragically, on September 3, 1995, lahar flow from the slopes of Mount Pinatubo, which had erupted on June 15, 1991, engulfed the church, burying it to half its original height of 12 meters.

The Military Vicariate was established on December 8, 1950 by Pope Pius XII. In April 1986, Pope John Paul II issued a decree elevating military vicariates globally to ordinariates, granting them the same status as territorial dioceses. Consequently, on July 21, 1986, St. Ignatius of Loyola Cathedral was officially designated as the seat of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.

The Sta. Rita de Cascia church was built on a 2,000-square meter plot of land generously donated by Philamlife Insurance Company, the developer of the subdivision. It was canonically established and officially inaugurated in 1957.