SAN BARTOLOME PARISH

When the present municipality of Magalang was established in 1863 through the initiative of the late gobernadorcillo Pablo M. Luciano, the church building was donated to the Church authorities called "mitra". The site was located at the corner of Pablo M. Luciano St. and Apolinario Mabini St. right across the municipal building.It was built of nippa and woods. The first mass was officiated by Fray Ignacio Manzanares, O.S.A, then the parish priest of the town. It was attended by the people of the new town on December 24, 1863. In 1881, the church building was built in its present site, the by Fray Baltazar Gamarra. The belfry had only two bears. Additional bells were secured during the time of Fray Fernando Vasquez whose effort resulted in the completion of its construction. The strong Clear sound of the bell was heard all around the municipality specially in the silence of the night. Few Church bells have the tone and quality of those in the Parish of St. Bartolome.