Laguna’s historic towns offer more than lakeside views; they hold centuries of faith and devotion.

On the Third Sunday of Lent, I joined Bajo Las Campanas for a pilgrimage across seven historic churches in the central-eastern part of the province, following communities that grew along the shores of Laguna de Bay. It was my fourth time joining them, and once again the journey became both enriching and personal, especially with several churches along the route offering opportunities for plenary indulgence.

Our first stop was Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church in Alaminos.

The town was originally devoted to St. Joachim, but its spiritual focus shifted after an ivory image of the Virgin Mary was reportedly discovered in a local well. Since then, the town has honored Nuestra Señora del Pilar, whose devotion has deep roots in Spain.

The parish maintains strong spiritual ties with the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, Spain, the shrine associated with one of the earliest Marian traditions in Christianity. 

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in 40 A.D. to St. James the Apostle on the banks of the Ebro River while she was still living in Jerusalem, making it a rare example of bilocation. 

During my Camino Portugués last year, on our way to the Cathedral dedicated to St. James, we prayed daily to her for guidance along the journey.

As a sister parish of Zaragoza, the spiritual graces and indulgences associated with the Spanish shrine are extended to this parish as well. To symbolize this relationship, the Cathedral-Basilica in Zaragoza gifted a mantle (manto) of Our Lady of the Pillar to the parish in Alaminos.

From Alaminos we traveled to San Isidro Labrador Church in Calauan. The town’s history is often overshadowed by a notorious crime associated with a former mayor who ironically played a role in rebuilding the church.

Local historians say that the name Calauan comes from the “rusty” (kalawang) water that appeared during the construction of the church and the discovery of a stone cross.

The church is dedicated to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, reflecting the town’s deep agricultural roots.

Our next stop was San Antonio de Padua Church in Pila, a place that also brought back personal memories. Growing up, my mother would always pray to St. Anthony whenever something went missing. I also never forget his feast day because it falls on the same day as my father’s birthday, June 13.

The church in Pila is widely believed to be the first church in the Philippines, and possibly in the world, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. Because of its historical importance and long-standing Franciscan presence dating back to 1578, the church was eventually elevated to the National Shrine of San Antonio de Padua.

Pila itself is equally remarkable. Known historically as La Noble Villa de Pila, the town preserves one of the most intact Spanish-era plaza complexes in the country. The church, municipal hall, and surrounding ancestral houses still follow the original Spanish town layout.

The shrine also maintains a spiritual connection with the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Italy. A first-class relic was gifted to the shrine, symbolizing this relationship. Because of this link, pilgrims who visit Pila may receive the same plenary indulgences granted to those who travel to the basilica in Padua.

From Pila, we continued to Immaculada Concepción Church in Santa Cruz.

The church honors the Immaculate Concepcion as its principal patroness, with the Holy Guardian Angels serving as its secondary patron.

Our pilgrimage then brought us to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church in Pagsanjan, the first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Philippines.

In 1938, Pope Pius XI issued a pontifical decree granting the canonical coronation of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of Pagsanjan, making it the first Marian image in Laguna to receive a papal bull for coronation. The ceremony never took place after the original church and image were destroyed during World War II, but the rediscovered decree confirms the image had technically been “coronada all along.”

Next we visited San Sebastian Martir Church in Lumban, located in what is widely known as the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines.

Historically, Lumban played a central role in the evangelization of Laguna. Established in 1578, it was the first Franciscan mission in the entire province. Because of its importance, it originally held jurisdiction over neighboring towns such as Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan, and Cavinti before they became independent parishes.

The church also shares a historical connection with the Minor Basilica of San Pedro Bautista in Quezon City through their founder, San Pedro Bautista, a Spanish Franciscan missionary and martyr.

For the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis, which commemorates the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death, plenary indulgences are granted to the faithful who visit Franciscan churches or places connected to the Franciscan family. Both Lumban and Pila, because of their Franciscan heritage, are among the places associated with this spiritual privilege.

Our final stop was perhaps the most unexpected for me: San Antonio de Padua Church in San Antonio, in the town officially called Kalayaan.

I probably would never have discovered this place if not for the Bajo Las Campanas tour.

The church sits in a quiet town nestled between the foothills of the Sierra Madre and the shores of Laguna de Bay. The road leading there offers a scenic ascent, with stretches of forest and occasional bird’s-eye views of the lake and surrounding lowlands.

After a full day of visiting historic churches and learning about their stories, arriving in Kalayaan felt like a peaceful closing to the pilgrimage.

Seven churches, seven towns, and countless stories of faith and history, all in one Lenten Sunday along the lakeshore of Laguna de Bay.