ParishPH Blog

Minor Basilica - A Minor basilica is an honorific title granted by the Holy See to certain Catholic church buildings in order to emphasize their status. National Shrine - A national shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the national episcopal conference (CBCP in the Philippines) to recognize the church's special historical, cultural and religious significance. Archdiocesan/Diocesan Shrine - An Archdiocesan or Diocesan Shrine is a Catholic Church or sacred place, an honor conferred by the local bishop or archbishop. To be designated as a diocesan shrine, the subject church must be a place "to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety." It must exceed other churches in terms of worship, Christian formation, and social services. Cathedral - A Cathedral is the principal church or central church of a diocese. It is also referred to as the "mother churc...

A Vicariate is a group of nearby parishes within a Diocese/Archdiocese. A Vicariate is headed by a Vicar Forane which is a Parish Priest within the Vicariate and appointed by the Bishop of the Diocese/Archdiocese. A Vicariate is usually named after the oldest or well known Parish within the area or territory. An Example of a Vicariate is the Vicariate of St. Augustine in the Diocese of Malolos (Province of Bulacan). The Vicariate of St. Augustine is composed of 12 Parishes which covers the municipality of Baliuag, Pulilan and some area of Bustos, San Rafael, Angat and Dona Remedios Trinidad. The Vicariate is named after St. Augustine Parish the oldest Parish Church in the area which is located in Brgy. Poblacion, Municipality of Baliuag, Province of Bulacan. The current Vicar Forane is Rev. Msgr. Manuel B. Villaroman, P.C. which is also the Parish Priest of Sta. Monica de Angat Parish (located in Angat, Bulacan), one of the Parishes within the Vicariate of St. Augustine. Click here to ...