Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad (Bantay Church) (Bantay)

 church, shrine, Roman Catholic church

The church is home to the venerated our Lady of Charity, patroness of Nueva Segovia. The Statue of Our Lady adorns a niche at the top section just below the ornate cornice of the church façade. Below it is another niche occupied by a statue of St. Augustine of Hippo and flanked by narrow stained glass windows. Based on historical records, the statue was canonically crowned by the Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on January 12, 1956. The shrine attracts devotees from within and outside Ilocos Sur.

The parish of Bantay, Ilocos Sur was established in 1591. The parish’s patron saint is St. Augustine of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace whose feast day is on May 05. The feast day of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad is celebrated on the second Sunday of January in commemoration of the canonical coronation of the image.