Sarrat Church

Santa Mónica at Sarrat is the biggest colonial church in Ilocos Norte, an eighteenth-century Augustinian foundation in red brick with a long nave, heavy walls and a facade that is plain by the standards of the region's more decorated churches. Its distinctive feature is the connection to the convent next door: a wide brick stairway rises between the two buildings, a piece of monastic planning on an unusually grand scale that survives largely intact. The complex was badly damaged by earthquake in the 1980s and restored afterwards, and in 2009 it was declared an Important Cultural Property. Today it is a quiet parish town fifteen minutes from Laoag.

History

Sarrat was first a visita of Laoag, named San Miguel after the Augustinian missionaries arrived on the feast of Saint Michael, 29 September 1724, when the parish was created. The convent came in 1769 and the church in 1779; after the disaster of 3 March 1816 the convent was rebuilt by 1817 and the church in 1848, and after a fire in 1882 Father Leandro Collado repaired it; it was declared an Important Cultural Property on 27 September 2009 (Wikipedia, Santa Monica Parish Church (Sarrat)).

What's there

• The long brick nave - the largest colonial interior in the province.
• The convent stairway - the wide brick stair between the buildings.
• The plain facade - restrained by Ilocos standards.
• The restored fabric - repairs after the 1980s earthquake.

When to go

November to May for dry weather. Weekday mornings for a quiet church; it is a working parish with regular services.

What to expect

Much of the structure is post-earthquake restoration. The convent is not always open to visitors. There is little interpretation on site and few facilities in town.

Nearby

Laoag and its Sinking Bell Tower are fifteen minutes away; Paoay and Bacarra are on the same circuit.

Key facts